Resume Sourcing in Today’s Changing Economic Climate

An Executive Interview with Velocity Resource Group’s John Fortino

HRM interviews Velocity Resource Group’s Co-Founder and Senior Managing Partner, John Fortino, about the growing importance of resume sourcing technologies and the importance of finding the right strategic resume sourcing partner.

“A strategic solution provider should ultimately save its clients time and money, identify what the goals are and help their client reach those goals”
-John Fortino, Co-founder of Velocity Resource Group

HRM. In the current economic climate, having the right people in place at the right time is essential. How can using a third party resume sourcing service make this happen?
JF. As the economic climate continues to soften it is imperative that companies focus how they spend their budget dollars. When resources are short, companies need to act more responsibly in how they deliver services to the organization. Budgets are shrinking and corporate recruiters are being asked to do more and more within their organization with fewer tools and resources at their disposal. A third-party resume sourcing service can have a significant and immediate impact by eliminating this basic but essential, time-consuming work, allowing recruiters to perform higher-value activities, putting them a step ahead of the competition, at a fraction of the cost.

From a macro standpoint, it comes down to how companies are going to spend their money. A sourcing partner can identify strong, qualified and interested candidates for a fraction of a search firm’s cost and at the fraction of the time. In this time of economic uncertainty, utilizing the right strategic resume sourcing partner is definitely a smart investment.

HRM. What are the key features and competencies a company should look for in a resume sourcing partner?
JF. Companies need to look for a partner that has global reach, unparalleled professionalism, expertise to consult with the client, and a history of delivering what they are committed to. A company should be scalable and have a track record of proven results, giving their clients confidence and consistency on every single project.

HRM: What role does technology play in delivering accurate and timely information on potential candidates?
JF. One of the first practical business applications for the internet was online recruiting. Technology has definitely helped reduce the cost of recruiting, but it has also created more work in other areas. In today’s economy, more and more people are posting their resumes online and replying to advertisements – this translates into additional work for the corporate recruiter.

Technology has allowed Velocity’s global offices in the US and Thailand to provide results overnight – an unparalleled industry standard. It has enabled us to reduce the cost and time factors in delivering resume sourcing and screening services to our clients dramatically, and allows us to communicate more effectively with our clients through our Candidate Manager System: Velocity’s system was developed by recruiters, for recruiters. The system allows us to understand what’s important for a recruiter and the recruiting processes and help recruiters leverage the system to drive efficiencies within their process. This technology helps reduce costs and it also reduces the time to fill a position.

Technology has also allowed Velocity to offer a blended approach to resume sourcing, while increasing our communications with our customers and working more efficiently as an organization, delivering those cost savings back to our clients.

HRM. How can a third party provider deliver real ROI for HR organizations?
JF. Being client-centric, understanding and listening to the client’s needs, having the professionalism and the expertise to consult with the client are all ways to deliver the ROI organizations need. A strategic solution provider should ultimately save its clients time and money, identify what the goals are and help their client them reach those goals.

In Velocity’s case we do all of the above. With our global reach and industry expertise, we not only source resumes and qualify them, but we provide value by sitting down with our clients and understanding what their challenges are and help them build solutions to meet those challenges, thereby creating a partnership that is a win-win for all involved.

John Fortino is the Co-Founder of Velocity Resource Group. Prior to this, he was a manager of Executive Search for Motorola, and part of the team of professionals who built Motorola’s internal search practice. Fortino has over 18 years of experience in staffing, delivering strategic recruiting services to clients.