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Dignity Health

6/10/2020 – Expert Tips on How to Navigate the ATS

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Written by Michele Rock

Jackie Shierenberg

Sometimes a job search can feel overwhelming, especially during these unprecedented times. Do you often wonder if your resume went into a black hole? The whole process can feel impersonal and extremely frustrating. Today, Career Connectors brought back Jackie Schierenberg from CommonSpirit Health (previously known as Dignity Health). Jackie has over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition, with expertise in finding top talent, HR Technology and maximizing social media in the hiring process. She shares her insights to help us better understand how to successfully navigate the ATS (Applicant Tracking System).

Keynote

Dignity Health…Our alignment to Common Spirit Health

  • February 1, 2019 alignment completed
  • Currently have 159,000 employees, last year hired 34,000
  • Open positions = 7200 +
  • Recruiters handle 40-120 requisitions at one time
  • Recruit in 22 states
  • 139 Hospitals + Urgent Cares and Medical Groups
  • Dignity Health ATS = ICims
  • CommonSpirit ATS = Taleo
  • 2019 reviewed over 1 million resumes

How does a Recruiter attract, find, and engage talent?

  • Current Candidates
  • Past Applicants
  • Employees
  • Referrals
  • Social Media (Share what it is like to work at the company, feature leadership, showcase hard to fill positions, etc.)
  • Career Portals and Talent Pools (Follow specific companies and never miss an opportunity.)
  • Passive Jobseekers
  • Boolean Search
  • Association and Conference Lists
  • LinkedIn
  • Job Boards

A Job Search is like a puzzle. One needs to employ all of the aspects highlighted above to pull it together and be successful!

What is an ATS?

It is a software application that recruiters use to manage their recruitment and hiring needs. It will do everything from posting a new job on websites, filtering applications, storing job descriptions, supporting collaboration efforts with hiring managers, documenting the hiring process and providing advanced reporting. Companies rely heavily on these systems to process the hundreds of applications that come in for a posting in a faster, more efficient manner. Many newer systems are using artificial intelligence to aid in the overall process and remove human bias. Companies are able to maintain compliance and pull reports to analyze metrics about a specific posting, role, candidate and more.

Most job searches today start on Google.com. Candidates can search to see who is hiring, research targeted companies, learn minimum requirements and the keywords to include in their resume, gather salary information and tips for interview preparation.

When you are ready to upload your resume keep in mind the following:

  • Keep it simple! – Many ATS systems will strip away formatting or even omit information if they find unknown tags within the document. Font type, bullet points and some file types can “confuse” older systems. Consider a basic formatted version using Arial or Times New Roman to specifically upload online.
  • Be aware of the requested file type – Jackie recommends using a PDF format unless noted otherwise.
  • Keywords – Be sure your resume has terms that are specific to the role and used in the company’s job description. You can use generic keywords for a specific job, but if you are looking for a nursing role and the description specifies RN, be sure to use RN rather than Registered Nurse. Some recruiters may include both when they search for candidates, but you have a greater chance of rising to the top of the search by using the exact terms for the company’s posting.

Do Your Homework

  • Company Career Sites – In addition to Google Search use the filters on a company’s career site to search job postings. Job boards may not be as up to date with positions. There is not just one way to search. Always search using the different filters to ensure you get all the possible results.
  • Leverage Your Network – Try to find people who are connected to individuals at the specific company you are targeting.
  • Talent Pools or Communities – These are available on the employer career portal. They are helpful for recruiters to proactively find candidates and great for Passive Job Seekers (warm leads). You will also receive recruiting news and be part of email campaigns.
  • Glassdoor.com – Research the interview tips, salaries, and benefits.
  • Sign Up for Email Alerts and automate wherever possible – This feature is often in the search function after you have uploaded your resume on the company website. It can save you time since you will not need to regularly check the company’s website to ensure you don’t miss a new posting. You may also be one of the first candidates to apply if you are on this list.
  • Recruiters Often Tag Candidate Profiles – Try to make personal connections with the talent team by social media, career fairs and even cold calls. Recruiters can apply tags to a candidate profile to make candidates easier to find later.
  • White Text – Type keywords from the job posting in white text at bottom of resume. The words will not be detected when printing, but could help your resume get pulled by the ATS.
  • Meet the Minimum Qualifications – Always review the minimum requirements and ensure they are demonstrated on your resume. Recruiters are looking for those minimums to share your information with the hiring manager.
  • Be Discoverable – Companies can see the different resumes you have submitted and your history, but are going to look at your most recent one. Make sure your profile is as complete as possible to ensure it is pulled.
  • Get Personal with Recruiters – Leverage LinkedIn to find recruiters and hiring managers. Once you find them, search for their contact information on Google and make a call or reach out directly to the talent or hiring team.
  • Cover letters – Recruiters generally do not read cover letters. However, if you have an impactful story to share – add it as a cover letter and combine it with your resume as one document.
  • Resume Guidance – It should never be more than 2 pages and should not include a photo. Your contact information should be at the top of the page, then a summary of your skills, then your work experience and highlight your education at the end.
  • Salary Expectations – Companies should not be asking your current or previous salary. You do not have to include salary expectations. Instead use $1 or 9999 to get past the field.
  • Virtual Events – Be authentic and be prepared to discuss the opportunities. Recruiters are also learning how to successfully maneuver in this new space that was caused by Covid-19.

Hiring Companies

The Hartford
Chet Joshi, Sr. Talent Consultant

Since 1810, The Hartford has been helping people pursue ambitions, seize opportunities, and prevail through challenges along the way. They continue to this day on a path of excellence receiving a variety of recognitions, including being named a World’s Most Ethical Company 12 times over the years by the Ethisphere Institute. Over 19,000 people are employed by The Hartford with 800 employees in the Scottsdale office. The company is known for its industry leading benefits including 19 days of PTO. Chet is currently recruiting for Sales Agents (Job ID Number #2000962), but checkout all of their openings on their website. All roles are currently remote. However, the opportunity to work from home long-term will be available for those who meet/exceed their KPIs.

Dignity Health
Allen Riggs, Recruiter Talent Acquisition

Dignity Health was founded in 1986 and is currently doing business in 22 states. Their goal is to create environments that meet each patient’s physical, mental, and spiritual needs. They also believe this healing philosophy promotes the well-being of their staff and the patients they serve. Patient facing and Non-patient facing positions are available. The culture and benefits are in line with a company promoting both the well-being of patients and staff. Go here to search and apply to open positions.

WealthWave “The HowMoneyWorks Company”
Jason Wiseman, Sr. Marketing Director

Jason shared an entrepreneur opportunity. WealthWave’s Network of Leaders are all independent business owners who have been flying in formation for years shaking up the status quo of the financial industry and shifting the advantage in favor of families all over North America. There is both a void of effective material and a lack of trained educators that prevent the vast majority from learning the financial concepts and strategies they need to know. This allows society to be easily taken advantage of by those who know how to leverage this lack of knowledge to construct their own wealth. Check out Jason and the opportunities available at the website.

Resources

The Career Connectors’ website offers a number of free resources to assist job seekers, including online coaching, free DISC assessment, LinkedIn basics, and career advice. Click at the top of the resources page to register in order to receive updates.

Closing

CEO/Founder of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce reminded the online audience that Career Connectors will continue their webinars on Wednesdays starting at 9:00 AM through July until live, in-person events can resume. For anyone seeing the presentation via Facebook, or if you haven’t registered, register on Career Connectors’ website (upper right corner) to receive notices about upcoming meetings and other related career information.

9/24/19 – Expert Tips on How to Navigate the ATS

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Written by Julia Churan

It sounds so easy to apply for positions online. No hassle driving to a prospective employer’s office and trying to find someone that will accept your resume, or sealing a copy in an envelope and running it to the post office only to wait for a call that may or may not come.

The reality is there are so many websites that promote the same jobs and each one wants you to upload your resume with the hope of landing your dream job. Then there is the anxiety of whether your dream company actually receive it and are they considering you. Did some bit of technology between your internet provider and the company’s recruiters go haywire? You wonder if you will get a call and you may never even know if the role was actually filled or if your resume was seen by the hiring manager. The whole process can often feel overwhelming, impersonal and extremely frustrating.

Making Sense of the Online Application Process

Keynote Speaker: Jackie Schierenberg, Dignity Health

Jackie took the stage with over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition. She was there to share her insights from the other side of the job search: the recruiter’s perspective. Her focus has been on finding top talent, understanding HR technology and maximizing social media in the hiring process.

How does a Recruiter find talent?

  1. Candidate submissions
  2. Past applicants whose data is still in the applicant database
  3. Current employees
  4. Referrals – both internal and external
  5. Social Media – Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Facebook
  6. CRM – databases of acquired names through Talent Pools and other sources
  7. Boolean Search
  8. Conferences and Association Lists
  9. Job Boards

Most companies give current employees first consideration. Roles that are more difficult may require more extensive methods of search.

The ATS

The database system that recruiters use to manage the entire hiring process is known as an ATS or Applicant Tracking System. The software will do everything from post new job requisitions on websites, store and help categorize candidate resumes, manage the interview process and track activity on any particular job opening.

Companies rely heavily on these systems to process the hundreds of applications that may come in for a posting in a faster, more efficient manner.

Some ATS systems allow new postings to populate the company’s portal and the most popular job boards in a fully-automated way. Many of the newer systems are using artificial intelligence to aid in the overall process and remove human bias.  Companies are able to maintain compliance and pull reports to analyze metrics about a specific posting, role, candidate and more.

Most job searches today start on Google.com. Candidates can search to see who is hiring, research desired companies, learn minimum requirements and keywords to include in their resume, gather salary information and tips for interview preparation.

Tips to Be Aware of When You Upload a Resume to an ATS

  • Keep things simple! – Many ATS systems will strip formatting or even omit information if they find unknown tags within the document. Font type, bullet points, and some file types can “confuse” older systems. Consider a basic formatted version specifically for uploading online.
  • Be aware of the requested file type – Jackie recommends using a PDF format unless noted specifically.
  • Keywords – Be sure your resume has terms the are specific to the role and used in the company’s description. You can use generic keywords for a specific job, but if you are looking for a nursing role and the description specifies RN, be sure to use RN rather than Registered Nurse.  Some recruiters may include both when they search for candidates, but you have a greater chance of rising to the top of the search by using the exact terms from the company’s posting.

Do Your Homework

There are so many resources today, applicants have no excuse for not preparing when applying and interviewing for roles.

  1. Start with a Google Search – Understand the business, the products and get perspective on the corporate style and culture.
  2. Leverage Your Network – Reach out to friends and social media groups to find people to share insight about the company or role. Try to find people who are connected to individuals within the hiring team.
  3. Company Career Groups – Many large companies will have their own Career Groups where you can interact with the HR team and even inquire on status or resumes.
  4. Glassdoor.com – Research the interview tips, salaries, and benefits.
  5. Indeed.com – Recruiters monitor this chatter and reviews.

Other Tips to Staying Aware in the Search

Apply Directly to the Company’s Website. The job boards may not be as up-to-date with positions and a resume can get lost between the different systems.  Your best bet is to go directly to the source.

Sign Up for Email Alerts – This feature is often in the search function or after you have uploaded your resume on the company website. It can save you time from checking that company’s website every couple of days for new postings that meet your criteria. You may also be one of the first candidates to apply if you are on these lists.

Join Talent Pools – These are often available on the employer career portals. Sourcers are tracking engagement and this is a great way to show interest in the organization. This will allow you to become part of recruiting news or email campaigns.

Recruiters Often Tag Candidate Profiles – Try to make personal connections with the talent team by social media, career fairs, and even cold calls. Recruiters can apply tags to a candidate profile to make candidates easier to find later.

Email and Text Campaigns – Recruiters will send prospective emails to potential candidates from past applicants and talent pools. Keep your resume current in the ATS.

White Text Trick – Put added keywords at the bottom of your resume in white text. They won’t be detected when printing, but when a recruiter runs a search, they may help you get picked up.

Meet the Minimum Qualifications – If you do not meet the minimum requirements, you will not make it to the hiring manager through the talent team.

Be Discoverable – Companies can see the different resumes you have submitted and your history, but the hiring company is likely looking at your most recent one. Make sure your profile is as complete as possible to be found.

Cover letters – Recruiters generally do not read cover letters. Make the resume and cover letter all one document before you upload them to the system.

Get Personal With Recruiters – Leverage LinkedIn to find recruiters and hiring managers.  Search for them on Google and make a call or reach out directly to the talent or hiring team.

Track Your Application on the Career Portal – Many companies today do not notify applicants when the position has been filled, so watch your profile on the company’s portal.

Hiring Companies

Dignity Health

Marcos Day, Recruiter

Dignity Health is one of the Valley’s largest healthcare providers and growing with a recent merger. They will soon be known as CommonSpirit Health and serve 22 states. They often carry up to 8600 open positions at any time.

CommonSpirit offers a strong benefits package including a Zero Premium Option for employees plus a pension plan & 403(b) company match program of up to 6%. They also invest in their staff with a variety of educational and financial services.

Current Career Openings:

  • Patient Facing Roles – Nurses, Rehab Therapists, Radiology, Lab Techs, Patient Transportation
  • Non-Patient Facing – Food Service, Facilities, IT, CyberSecurity, Accounting, Finance, Marketing

Applicants are encouraged to apply on the Careers Website.

Copper Springs

Cooper Springs is a part of Springstone. They have mental health and addiction services in 17 states and are opening their newest facility in East Valley, Copper Springs – East.

There will be many clinical and non-clinical opportunities available for this new location. Check out their Career Website or contact Melissa Barry regarding the new Gilbert location.

Terros Health

Tracy Outlaw, Recruiter

Terros is a non-profit, integrated care provider in the valley. Since 1969, their mission has been to serve the needs of the public with integrity, passion, and empowerment. Today they provide services through 19 locations around the state of AZ in Primary Care, Counseling, Health & Wellness, and Addiction services.

Current Openings:

  • Front Office Staff
  • Behavioral Health Techs
  • Clinicians
  • Recovery Support Specialists
  • Case Managers

Apply online at https://www.terroshealth.org/

AZ DES – Department of Economic Security

Nancy Stanford, Recruiting Manager

DES is the second largest agency of the State of Arizona with more than 7,700 team members.  They assist over 2.9 million Arizonans each year through the following agencies:

  • Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS)
  • Division of Benefits & Medical Eligibility (DBME)
  • Division of Child Support Services (DCSS)
  • Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)
  • Division of Employment & Rehab Services (DERS)

Along with a comprehensive benefits package and time off, DES is one of the few employers to offer Arizona Retirement Systems with vesting after 5 years and a 12% match.

Current Openings:

  • Adult Protective Services Investigators
  • Program Service Evaluators
  • Direct Care Worker
  • Customer Service Reps
  • Case Managers
  • Finance roles
  • HR Roles

Application Process

  • Visit https://azstatejobs.azdoa.gov/ for current postings.
  • Be sure to watch for position closing dates, salary and job grades. Interviewing will not begin until the position close date.
  • Use keywords at the very beginning of your resume.
  • When applying and uploading a new resume, delete the old one first.
  • Recruiter’s information is always posted.
  • No ATS system is used, all resumes are reviewed individually by a recruiter.
  • Follow up with the contact in the job description and always refer to the Job ID#.
  • Keep applying!
  • Remember – Salaries are posted and always negotiable.

Upcoming Events

Diversity Talks – October 3, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

This is the 5th Annual Diversity & Inclusion Event in conjunction with BestCompaniesAZ to help Arizona’s top employers meet talented individuals from all backgrounds, ethnicities, experiences, beliefs and abilities.

The panel will include USAA, State Farm, Freedom Financial Network, GoDaddy, AMEX, USAA, Farmers Insurance and Charles Schwab. There will also be a career fair with top companies.

To register or learn about the participating companies, visit the Event Page.


Finding and Landing a New Career FAST! – October 10 in Scottsdale


The Networking Brief – October 22 in Gilbert

See the Events Page for complete details of these and other upcoming events. Register today.

Closing

Jessica Pierce, Founder/CEO of Career Connectors, took the stage to thank everyone for taking the next step in finding a new career.

She recognized the many hiring companies, sponsors and partners including Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona and Brighton College.

Anyone interested in IT, funding is now available up to $4000 for tuition assistance of online certifications through Career Connectors Academy and AZ@Work. To learn more about these opportunities, connect with a staff member and visit the website.

Every seeker was encouraged to network with other seekers, build more LinkedIn connections, take a free DISC assessment and have a professional portrait taken by a photography volunteer at the event. Professional resume writers, LinkedIn experts and Career Coaches are also available at the event to perfect your search tools.

Thank you to Central Christian Church for hosting the event and the 90 volunteers that serve Career Connectors around the Valley.

11/01/18 – Healthcare Industry Panel

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Healthcare PanelWritten by Jim McBride

Healthcare jobs are hot in Arizona.

As one of the fastest growing industries, all kinds of opportunities are generated to use your skills (and develop new ones) in a variety of healthcare roles.

Jessica Pierce, Career Connectors Founder and CEO, facilitated two informative panel discussions with healthcare industry career experts, providing insight into what it takes to become a healthcare professional and land one of those hot jobs.

While the healthcare industry is always in need of people for clinical roles, we learned that healthcare organizations – hospitals, clinics, care centers, assisted living, hospice – are actively seeking to fill administrative roles in IT, finance, marketing, food service and facilities management.

PANEL ONE – Healthcare Industry Careers in Arizona

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) – Brittany Smeal, Talent Acquisition Partner
Santé – Travis Garrard, Director of Customer Service & Business Development
Copper Springs – Melissa Barry, Director of Business Development

Q – If someone is interested in your organization, what advice do you have? Including applicants without healthcare experience.

Research the company! Go to the website and then reach out to the panel members and recruiters. Use LinkedIn to understand healthcare worker skills. Ask questions, healthcare companies want you to know everything about them. Your skills are transferable, tie in your resume accomplishments to the job. Make yourself stand out. You’re a rock star. Show us!

Q – Healthcare is in the top five industries in Arizona, why is there so much job growth?

The need for non-clinical roles is enormous. In every healthcare facility there are administrative support roles in finance, accounting, IT, food service, guest services, among others. There’s tremendous competition for candidates and employee retention is a top priority.

Q – Is there an entry point for a career path in healthcare?

We are looking for passionate people from all different backgrounds. If you want to learn, there are definitely opportunities and avenues for skill development in many areas, such as marketing, facilities and patient care.

Show interest! We’ll fight for you and help get you where you want to be internally. It’s common for employees to transition into other roles once trained, established and successful within the organization.

Q – Is volunteering a pathway into a healthcare organization?

Yes, and it looks great on your resume. Volunteers have the unique advantage of getting to know the organization (and hiring managers). It’s a great idea to volunteer while attending school, finishing a degree or if you just want to get your foot in the door.

Q – Are there any assumptions that can be shattered about healthcare roles? For example, the assumption that healthcare workers are overworked and underpaid.

Healthcare workers have a spirit to serve. It’s incredibly fulfilling. In addition, it’s rewarding to guide others on the healthcare path. In today’s world, organizations are taking steps to ensure a healthy work-life balance for their employees.

It’s hard to justify claims of underpay for clinical roles. There are so many pieces of data to consider.

Q – What is your job application process?

Brittany – Apply online. There will two assessments (for clinical roles) and a two-week typical turnaround from phone screen to onsite interview. We move ASAP on non-clinical roles. Own the follow-up piece and call if we don’t meet a target date.

Melissa – Apply online. Fill out the profile. I conduct the phone screen. The hiring manager, HR and the CEO interview all candidates. Typically, a two-week process.

Travis – Apply online. All candidates are reviewed. I believe in all-in / buy-in, so we get input from different areas for every job candidate.

Q – (from an IT job seeker) How do I get noticed? When I apply, I never get a response.

IT can be specialized and (sometimes) located in corporate offices out of state. It helps to have certifications in addition to the IT experience. Try to get out, meet and network with the right IT healthcare people. Seek professional help with tailoring your resume with relevant skills and accomplishments.

PANEL TWO – Breaking into the Healthcare Industry

Dignity Healthcare – Jackie Schierenberg, Director Talent Acquisition
Windsor – Roy Bailey, Director of Talent Acquisition
GCU – Maria Quimba, Professional Studies and Baccalaureate Programs, College of Nursing & Healthcare Professionals

Q – What are some ways to get started in healthcare?

Have a purpose. The patient experience is very important us. Show us your “why” when it comes to you and a healthcare career. Healthcare job titles can be misleading, but skills are transferable. Many roles are in patient satisfaction, which isn’t as recognizable as nursing. Bring your passion for patient care to an administrative role and find your fit from there.

Q – With all this growth in healthcare, what are the needed skill sets?

There is a perception we only hire doctors and nurses. There are many, many ancillary roles. The hospital is a mini city. Everything from IT to marketing to food service to building maintenance and security keeps the city running smoothly in support of the bedside.

Q – What education programs are needed?

Data analytics, an up-and-coming need in healthcare, will be in demand. Quality & Safety, Public Health Administration, IT Infrastructure, Coding and Informatics.

Q – With population growth in Arizona, what is the future of healthcare here?

We are trying very hard to be proactive. Employee retention programs, such as tuition reimbursement, scholarship programs and engagement surveys are in full swing. There will continue to be significant career opportunities as the population ages.

All six organizations have NUMEROUS job openings for clinical and non-clinical roles. Check out those hot jobs online.

RESOURCES

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona

Troy Maskell – Sr. Community Awareness Partner

Our Mission – Through the goodwill of others, we create the pathway to a better future for all by helping those who desire self-sufficiency.

• Community Partnership – target professional job seeker, events, ongoing support
• Awareness – community engagement, career centers, on-site services
• Preparation – career coaching, resume critiquing, mock interviewing
• Connection – employment events, talent sourcing, Goodwill job board
• Career Advisors – mock interviews, resources, employment support

CLOSING

Sheila Coulam closed the meeting with a review of upcoming events. Next up, the 4th Annual Diversity & Inclusion Career Event on November 8th at the NAU North Valley Campus. Thank you to the Career Connectors volunteers and the host facility, Calvary Community Church in Glendale.

05/03/18 – Best Companies Technology Panels

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Technology PanelWritten by: Connie Huber, PHR, SHRM-CP

Denise Gredler, Founder and CEO, BestCompaniesAZ opened the meeting with an overview of upcoming events. These include the 2018 ATW Summit Alliance of Technology and Women on May 16 (men welcome too!) and Open Source, Open Mic Night at Galvanize Phoenix on June 20.

It is well known that technology is one of the fastest growing occupations in today’s workforce. Phoenix has become a hub for many technology companies and has been referred to as the “Silicon Desert” or the new “Silicon Valley.” Along with Phoenix’s growth, the number of available technology jobs has also grown. According to a recent article by Forbes Technology Council, the technology industry is projected to increase by 12% by 2024.

The Grand Canyon University Career Connector meeting provided job seekers a firsthand look into some of Arizona’s Best Technology companies.

Best Companies Panel 1 – Talent Recruitment in Technology

Kristy Bach, Tech Finders, COO
Heather Kitsko, VIXXO, Talent Acquisition Manager
Therese Valadez, Dignity Health, Director of Human Resources

COMPANY OVERVIEWS & HOW TECHNOLOGY PLAYS A ROLE IN THE PANELISTS’ ORGANIZATIONS

Tech Finders: Tech Finders has been in the Valley for over 20 years and will soon will be changing its name to E-Finders. The organization also has HR & Finance divisions. Technology allows Tech Finders to run their business by connecting & sourcing candidates. Tech Finders has been using Chrome extensions to find phone & contact information for candidates.

VIXXO: VIXXO is a leading technology-enabled asset management and business insight company specializing in integrated facilities management. Clients include those in the restaurant, retail, convenience store & grocery industries. As an example, VIXXO utilizes technology in maintaining client information and a client dashboard.

DIGNITY HEALTH: Dignity’s mission and culture is “human kindness”. The focus is to deliver passionate patient care. Technology is the backbone that ensures patients experience quality patient care.

TECHNOLOGY FIELD – WHAT DOES THE TERM MEAN/AREAS COVERED

DIGNITY HEALTH: Dignity has a broad range of technology applications. Cyber Security is an avenue being explored. All patient information is part of the database established through technology. Dignity has every technical position offered.

VIXXO: VIXXO uses technology to establish links to clients and also keeps the clients current on services they provide. At the same time technology enables VIXXO to establish a portfolio of its clients and provide easy access to the data.

TECH FINDERS: Tech Finders recruits for all positions found in the technology industry. In addition, the organization partners with technology companies and leverages technology to help them grow. Tech Finders supports anything related to data, including everything from AI technology to marketing.

HOW TO GET INTO TECHNOLOGY FIELD; WAYS TO GET EXPOSURE

TECH FINDERS: Tech Finders has partnered with GCU and Coder Camps to find candidates and learn more about technology. Professionals new to technology need to learn as much as they can about their specialty and be a lifelong learner. Ways to get into the field are by attending networking events attended by other tech folks and seize the opportunities to continue their education.

DIGNITY HEALTH: Dignity encourages people who want to get into technology to become immersed in technology groups. Successful technology professionals are those that are continuously learning. There has been a shift from the requirement of candidate’s having a 4-year degree to now having certifications and/or apprentice type roles. Contract work is a great avenue into an organization.

ADVICE FOR PERSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES

DIGNITY HEALTH: Dignity looks for some experience in technology. They also look for attitude, passion and relationship management skills. When interviewing, it is essential to know about the company and important details about the pending position. Practice interviewing and don’t assume casual dress is appropriate. Dress professionally and leave your jeans and sweats at home. Know your technical skills and capabilities and be able to present them effectively.

VIXXO: VIXXO has a collaborative environment. Candidates need to thrive in this type of work place. Heather looks for attitude and aptitude. Perspective employees need to be willing to have their ideas challenged. If an applicant does not know technology or a specific type of technology it shouldn’t be on the resume.

TECH FINDERS: Kristy feels soft skills are equally as important as technical ones. Candidates need to be prepared for the interview. Agility is a key success skill for the technology field. Perspective employees need to be able to relate their technology knowledge effectively. Critical thinking skills also play a key role for success.

RECRUITING AVENUES USED TO FIND THE RIGHT CANDIDATES

VIXXO: Heather finds candidates through networking and by reaching out to her network and technology team. Passive job seekers are found through LinkedIn.

DIGNITY HEALTH: Dignity has an intern program for technology professionals. Another great resource is contract work for the job seeker. Dignity uses a myriad of avenues to find the right candidates. Employee referrals present many opportunities for new hires.

TECH FINDERS: Tech Finders has been in the valley for 20 years. They have a database of 70,000 candidates. Kristy encouraged job seekers to be on LinkedIn and easily found on the site.

EMPLOYEE REFERRALS – ARE THEY HELPFUL IN FINDING A JOB

VIXXO: VIXXO looks at candidates that have been referred by employees. LinkedIn is great way to connect with VIXXO employees. Be sure to share your desired position and provide a resume.

DIGNITY HEALTH: Theresa reminded us if you are unfamiliar with LinkedIn, attend a seminar.

TECHNOLOGY ASPECTS THAT PANELISTS HAD NOT EXPECTED

DIGNITY HEALTH: Therese loves working with technologists. The Technology Team is committed to Dignity’s mission of giving back to the community. They are very creative and passionate about what they do; and savvy about technology.

VIXXO: Heather noted that technology is evolving. Professionals in the field need to be lifelong learners. They also need to be successful in a collaborative and agile work environment.

TECH FINDERS: Kristy really likes the fact that technology is changing. No day is the same. Technology needs are diverse.

FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY IN AZ

TECH FINDERS: Kristy noted technology and Arizona are exploding. Currently there 9,000 technology jobs open in Phoenix. 2017 marked the highest amount of Angel investments. Phoenix is quickly becoming bigger than Silicon Valley. Efforts are focused on attracting and retaining technology students in Phoenix.

VIXXO: Heather echoed that Phoenix is one of the hottest technology markets. She feels that technology and Phoenix will continue to grow.

DIGNITY HEALTH: Therese also feels the future is bright for Phoenix. She noted that many organizations are using Phoenix as a technology hub.

POSSIBILITY OF 50+ PROFESSIONALS STARTING A NEW CAREER IN TECHNOLOGY THROUGH AN INTERN PROGRAM

DIGNITY HEALTH:  Therese is supportive in considering the possibility of an intern program for 50+ professionals. She noted that many professionals in healthcare do not retire and want to keep working.

JOB SEARCH CAN BE VERY IMPERSONAL ESPECIALLY WHEN DEALING WITH APPLICATIONS. MANY COMPANIES USE COMPUTERS TO SCAN APPLICATIONS. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE IT MORE PERSONAL?

TECH FINDERS: Kristy suggested using LinkedIn to find appropriate connections where you can share your resume. If you know a target company is participating in a career fair, be sure to attend it.

DIGNITY HEALTH: Therese encouraged job seekers to use every possible resource and not rely on one source in conducting your search.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

For current positions and to learn more about careers with these Best Companies, please visit their websites.

BEST COMPANIES PANEL #2 – Technology Career Pathways

Jaime Torres, USAA, IT Technical Director
Indu Khosia, GoDaddy, Sr. Director of Software Development
Rama Parandekar, Freedom Financial Network, Technology Talent Specialist

OVERVIEW OF COMPANY & WHAT PANELISTS LIKE ABOUT THEIR COMPANY CULTURE

GODADDY: Indu shared that the company culture is very important to her and GoDaddy. Overall, the culture is accountable, collaborative, driven, talented, motivated and customer focused.

FREEDOM FINANCIAL: Rama noted that Freedom Financial provides debt relief and works with clients to get out of debt. She has been at Freedom a short time, but really likes the company and its core values. The culture is collaborative, integrating, and allows opportunities for employees to better themselves. Employees are constantly learning and follow the company’s core values. Freedom is quickly growing and plans to add an additional 1,000 employees in 2018.

USAA: Jaime noted USAA serves 12 billion members. The company is growing and has an employee population of 1,000+ in Phoenix. Jaime indicated the culture is great at USAA. It is a self-reciprocal company and has an average tenure of 11 years. USAA has won many accolades and awards in many areas.

SKILLS NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN TECHNOLOGY

GODADDY: Indu stressed that GoDaddy wants to see proof of the technology knowledge of perspective candidates. She suggested having a portfolio to highlight your experience and skills. Career paths are straight and narrow. Candidates need to find work that aligns with their strengths. Technology professionals need to be constantly learning.

USAA: Jaime said he could type 75 wpm when he first started with USAA. He went on to get his degree and then moved into a lateral role. Jaime really likes USAA. Employees in the technology field need to be team players, humble, and collaborative.

FREEDOM FINANCIAL: Rama was originally going to be a CPA. One drawback was her desire to have a lot of interaction with people. She had to find how to align herself in technology, which she really likes.

TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY POSITIONS & AVAILABLE HOT JOBS

GODADDY: GoDaddy is looking for a software development engineer, security engineer-network defense, workday global reporting analyst, and cloud security architect. Technology professionals who know how to code are in big demand. There are also multiple openings in the call center. Please refer to GoDaddy’s website for current openings.

FREEDOM FINANCIAL: Freedom is seeking a senior product manager, development ops engineer, front end/UI engineer, scrum master, java developer, software engineer and underwriting are a few of the openings. Employees can start in one role and the move into a technology role. For career opportunities go to Freedom Financial Network.

USAA: USAA is seeking a software integration engineer, business intelligence/ETL engineer, mainframe developer, front end software engineer and mainframe developer. Additional specifics and openings can be found here.

CONTINUTING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES & REIMBURSED EDUCATION

GODADDY: GoDaddy does offer tuition reimbursement. They also offer online education opportunities, such as safari books and open source for coding. If employees are not involved in outside education, Indu encouraged the use of open source.

FREEDOM FINANCIAL: Freedom also has a reimbursement program.

USAAU:  USAA encourages employees to find what type of learning works best for them and offers education assistance. Employees can also attend workshops, conferences and online courses.

RATE OF CHANGE – WHAT IS IT?

In brief, rate of change is a rate that describes how one quantity changes in relation to another quantity. An individual’s rate of change should exceed the company’s rate of change. To thrive in any industry, a company’s rate of change needs to outpace the industry.

GODADDY: Indu shared with us that when she first joined GoDaddy her team was using a particular code. If she had not changed the code, their efforts would have been outdated and placed the team in jeopardy of falling behind. The group did not have the luxury to accept the status quo, but needed to take the lead in introducing a new code.

RESOURCES

WOZ U
Scott Caruso, Software Development Advisor

Inspired by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, Woz U provides a personalized approach to coding and tech education designed to get you through the curriculum faster, so you can get into the workforce quicker. Classes taught include Java, JavaScript, .NET, Ruby on Rails, Data Science, & Cyber Security. There are currently over 3,400 job openings in the valley for professionals with background in the class subjects. Go to Woz U for more information.

CLOSING

Jessica Pierce, Executive Director, Career Connectors, closed the meeting by thanking Grand Canyon University and the volunteers. The next Career Connectors meeting will be in Scottsdale on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 and features Jean Briese, as speaker for the topic “Becoming Unstoppable.” For additional information on this event and future events, please visit the Event Schedule.

02/07/2018 – A Recruiter’s Guide to Connect with Companies on Social Media

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Recruiters Guide to Connecting with Companies on Social MediaWritten by: Connie Huber PHR SHRM-CP

As job seekers, we quickly discover that today’s job search is a very different animal than in the past. Furthermore, it is not surprising to learn that recruiters have changed their strategies to find the most qualified talent. A 2016 Global Recruiting Survey connected with 998 recruiters around the globe and found that 37% of recruiters felt their primary source for finding talent was social and professional media outlets. Findings noted social media use is on the rise and has opened up a dialogue with candidates. Both job seekers and employers alike need to take social media recruitment seriously.

Keynote

A Recruiter’s Guide to Connect with Companies on Social Media

Jackie Schierenberg

How many times have you wanted to know what recruiters think and look for in finding the perfect candidate? Jackie very graciously shared her perspective and expertise with us to better understand today’s job search as a recruiter.

#1 RULE USING SOCIAL MEDIA: “What will Mom think?”
Always ask yourself, what would your Mom think about what you have shared on line. Once you share details on line they never can be deleted. Take a moment and ask if posting a photo of your wild college days or embarrassing moments should be reserved to share with friends and family privately or not at all.

LINKEDIN
Jackie reminded the group to optimize your profile! Your connections should be meaningful and help in your professional pursuits. The key to success on LinkedIn is to be active! Follow relevant news through LinkedIn influencers, and companies; join groups and be visible. There are a number of resources to network with, including recruiters, human resources, hiring managers, people with similar skills, colleagues (current & past), former bosses, and college alumni. Many of us dread reaching out to a recruiter by phone. However, despite our fears of phoning Jackie, she encouraged us to do so rather than use email. She shared with the group voicemail and phone message examples along with sample messages. To find recruiters on LinkedIn, the job seeker would go to the search function and type in “dignity health recruiters”. In return, you will get people results for dignity health recruiter.

CHROME EXTENTSIONS
Chrome extensions are small software programs that customize the browsing experience. They enable users to tailor Chrome functionality and behavior to individual needs or preferences. You must be in Google Chrome to leverage the extensions. They are free in the Chrome store. The extensions are excellent in finding people.
• People Finder: Is a prospecting tool to find leads, get emails, phone numbers and other contact data.
• Hunter.io: Hunter lets you find email addresses in seconds from anywhere on the web. LinkedIn InMails are often not read by the person especially if he/she does not use LinkedIn frequently. Hunter is more likely to get responses.

SOCIAL SHARE
Request for Help: Jackie shared a story about a professional who asked for help on LinkedIn. He shared with his network that he was looking for a new job, expressed gratitude, presented high engagement and people responded to his request by offering their help.
Active in The Community: It is beneficial to be active on LinkedIn. Posting interesting articles, writing a blog, sharing community activities, and actively responding to other professionals’ activities are all excellent ways to be active.

Jackie highlighted how employers are using Facebook and LinkedIn to reach out to customers and candidates. Job seekers can learn a lot about potential organizations and also interact with them. In addition, she talked about ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems), candidate profiles and how recruiters search for candidates.

BEST PLAN OF ATTACK
In searching for jobs, Jackie suggested developing a target list of companies and visiting their career sites for jobs, jobs on Google, Indeed, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter), CareerBuilder, and associated sites.

BEST PRACTICES
• Social Media Rule – “What will Mom think?”
• Optimize your LinkedIn profile.
• Create meaningful connections.
• Be personal, consistent and give generously.
• Follow employers on social media & engage.
• Leverage keywords on your resume-take your time on your applications.

Good luck in finding your perfect opportunity! For more details, please see Jackie’s slides.

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, then build a door.” – Milton Berle

HIRING COMPANIES

Southwest Key Programs
Lucy Daniels, Sr. HR Recruiter

Southwest Key Programs is a national nonprofit operation with innovative youth justice programs and schools, safe shelters for immigrant children, and workforce services impacting over 200,000 youth and families annually. The organization employs a creative and diverse workforce of over 2,500 staff in 6 states.

Benefits are robust and available to full time employees and their dependents working 40 or more hours a week. Traditional offerings include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending account and others are available. Opportunities for employment are very diverse. In addition to traditional roles in human resources, finance, IT and marketing, there are needs for case workers, medical personnel and food care. If interested, please visit the website.

Maricopa County
Loretta Price, HR Staffing Consultant

Maricopa County has 13,000 employees serving over 4 million customers. The county’s mission is to provide regional leadership and fiscally responsible, necessary public services so that residents can enjoy living in a healthy and safe community. Some of the services provided by Maricopa are Animal, Health, and Utility Services; Education and Youth; Election & Voting; and Justice Services. The values supported at the county are measurable results, accountability, relentless improvement, open & honest communication & collaboration, public interest first, and achieving your full potential.

In addition to traditional benefits, a sampling of additional benefits includes Employee Life Insurance, free Ergonomic Evaluations, onsite Fitness Facilities and Wellness programs. Typically, there are 10 to 70 openings listed. Visit Maricopa’s career site.

Dignity Health
Marcos Day, Recruiter

Dignity Health is currently going through many changes. Headquarters are moving from San Francisco to Chicago and will now be in 22 states, with 9,000 physicians, 62,000 employees, and 39 acute care hospitals with 8,500 beds. Dignity maintains a focus of “hellohumankindness”.

Along with traditional benefits, there are other appealing offerings such as SmartDollar to promote financial wellness; PersonalBest is an employee engagement platform that focuses on the whole person, company and ecosystem; and Tuition Reimbursement of $5,200 yearly. Career opportunities include Patient Facing Positions: registered nurse, rehabilitation therapy, radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy, and patient transportation. Non-Patient Positions are represented by food service/facilities/plant maintenance; IT/End User Support/Cyber Security; Accounting/Finance/Marketing/Social Media. Interested candidates search jobs on Dignity Health’s website.

Freedom Financial Network
Heather Marcom, Head of Talent Acquisition

Freedom was launched in 2002 by Stanford classmates, Bradford Stroh and Andrew Houser. Freedom’s mission is to provide financial solutions, services and education enabling consumers to resolve their debt and achieve financial freedom. The organization has 980 employees with locations in San Mateo, California and Phoenix, Arizona. San Mateo is host to the company headquarters. Freedom has received numerous accolades including #1 Best Place to Work in Phoenix 2017. The Phoenix location is expanding very quickly to reach 1,200 employees. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401K, Life, LT disability, vacation, paid holidays and volunteer time, employee discounts, and recognition. Top career opportunities include positions in Analytics, IT/Engineering, Leadership in the Call Center and HR & other areas. If interested, apply here.