RESPONDING TO BUSINESS CHALLENGES Recruiters Embrace Non-traditional Recruitment Methods Traditionally, recruiters have used resumes to gauge an applicant's fitness for a job. However, some organizations are realizing that initially judging applicants' suitability for jobs based on resumes-and immediately discarding those who do not fit the criteria-is a flawed system that can overlook talented candidates. Part of the problem with using traditional recruiting methods is their inflexibility. Journalist George Anders claims that some of the best candidates are not the ones with great GPAs or job backgrounds, but those who possess analytical and conceptual skills to think outside of the box. For this reason, some businesses are changing their recruitment methods. Employee referrals remain the top recruitment tool, with 30 percent of all hires recruited this way. Others are taking more unique approaches. Best Buy holds a national hiring day when its locations hold open interviews for store positions. Facebook sends out coding puzzles for programmers to solve; this enables candidates to test their abilities despite their previous work background. To recruit employees, McDonald's Canada is using a tool called Snapplications. It placed 10- second videos on Snapchat about how great it is to work at Mcdonald's. Interested candidates will be able to create a 30-second video responding to the job posting and fill in a brief resume. Mcdonald's is hoping Snapchat's will enable them to access the next generation of young workers. Shopify has also used SnapChat to recruit since 2016. The Ottawa-based firm often has potential applicants submit a Snapchat story along with their resume. Although resumes will likely remain an important part of the recruitment process, employers are increasingly finding that resumes only show part of the picture. Using non-traditional recruitment tools gives companies the opportunity to test talents that may not be readily visible in a resume, such as creativity or problem-solving skills. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. What might be some of the limitations of resumes as the primary recruitment tool? 2. Why do you think referrals are valued so highly as a recruitment tool? 3. Do you believe that resumes are still important, or should they be discarded as a recruitment tool? 4. What are some advantages and disadvantages of using social media to recruit prospective employees