Recruiters for MSN or Data Miners?

Is Kenexa recruiting for Microsoft or just mining for data?

I had a chilling experience the other day. A man from Kenexa called me, ostensibly to recruit me for a job in New York as a Search Marketing Analyst for Microsoft's new MSN search engine.

The first time he called he said he was looking for someone to do work for Fortune 400 clients. I told him I was really busy and that I usually deal with smaller clients. He didn't think that would be a problem ? he was very insistent to talk to me. I suggested I'd call him back, so we left it up in the air and for a few weeks I forgot about him.

Then he called me a second time, telling me I was supposed to call him and set up an interview. He practically begged me to do a 45-minute phone interview to see if I was right for the "job." He e-mailed me and sent me a very generic job description that was more like a newspaper ad than anything else.

Well, hey, something smelled fishy about the whole thing, but if it was for real how could I turn down a chance to get some high-paying work from Microsoft, so I agreed to the interview and we set a date.

The phone interview was unlike any job interview I have ever had while working for Fortune 400 companies in the past.

The man never mentioned my resume, never asked about my work experience or salary requirements, had absolutely no interest in me as an individual or asked any of the usual questions a company asks when trying to size up a potential employee.

Instead he was interested in my clients, their budgets, my current involvement in search word optimization, how much time I spend on each client and was very interested in only the most negative experiences with clients, asking me to name them more than once (which I refused to do). This went on for about half an hour, with him finally asking me "Can you give me some of the specifics of an optimal life-cycle and what happens in that life cycle?" Almost like he didn't know.

I answered that with "I can't give you specifics without looking at my data."

Then came the kicker ?

"Do you have your data with you?" he asked, grinding his teeth in desperation.

"On the first phone interview?" I thought, blushing madly.

Man, this guy really wants everything doesn't he? He wants to know nothing about my qualifications for this "job" but he sure doesn't mind asking me everything about my clients, my strategies and pretty much how a small, successful web design and online advertising and marketing company like Valor Cross Media keeps its clients and now he wants to see my data?

Hell that's like asking for sex after a bad meal at Denny's on a first date.

So I said "No."

Well, you can actually hear the groan of defeat from this guy. He obviously wasn't trying to hire me, he was data mining pure and simple.

I recently did a search to see if Microsoft is actually hiring for MSN (careers at MSN)in New York and though there are a few ad-marketing positions open in the Big Apple, most are 3,000 miles away in Washington State.

Who is Kenexa anyway?

If you go to the Kenexa website and wade through all the double speak they use to describe their company and what it does for employers and business, a rather sinister picture emerges about a company that not only helps recruit employees but has developed software to screen all candidates by profiling their behavior, as well as other factors.

"Kenexa Selector® behavioral profiling tool combines personality, experience, situational judgment problem-solving assessments for hourly, sales and management positions ? (it) relies on a broad range of proven performance-predicting questions designed ? to reveal candidate personality traits, biographical history and problem-solving ability ? one click provides immediate results."

Whew!

That is from their website and is just one of the many "tools" they have created to turn applicants from human beings into a series of measurements to increase performance from Kenexa recruited employees.

They also have a recruiting program called Kenexa Recruiter® which Wachovia Corporation has decided to use as a recruiting tool. Wachovia loved the software so much they decided to install it internally ? "behind the firewall" as Wachovia's Brian Drake, VP of Recruiting Practice Technology put it.

Hey, maybe it works, but shouldn't we all be afraid of any technology that reduces people to a series of bits and bytes?

The Kenexa web site has a big fat quote that says "If you can't measure it, it doesn't exist." That may be true when it comes to measuring distances and size, but how do you measure the intangibles a productive employee brings to a job? Hiring someone is always going to be a crap-shoot, whether you think you can use the psychological approach or Kenexa's high-tech software to weed out undesirable candidates. Even Bill Gates, in a quote from Fortune Magazine in 1996, agrees that without his best people there would be no Microsoft. "Take our 20 best people away, and I will tell you that Microsoft would become an unimportant company."

So Kenexa is wrong about that. But watch out, they are after your information and even if the interview was somehow legitimate who's to say they wouldn't use anything you say for their own purposes.

There was a moment at the end of the interview after I refused to give up my data when Kenexa's interviewer said, "I don't think I'm getting the answers I'm looking for." Though Bill Gates himself feels the human factor is the most important part of any company, the Kenexa recruiter (or whatever he was) showed no interest in me as a person. Everything about the interview revolved around my clients and my strategies and was as cold and impersonal as if I was one of the programs I was being recruited to work on.

Could the interview by Kenexa be nothing more than the company testing a new piece of software? It's hard to tell, but it is pretty obvious that to test any software of this type, you need human subjects. What could be better than picking the brains of an independent freelancer to find out the "human factor" under the guise of a job interview? Except it isn't fair, it's underhanded and should be illegal. For a giant Human Resources company to use the experiences of a small company to fine-tune its software without compensation or foreknowledge is an outrage. If it really was a job interview and is the wave of the future watch out when Kenexa contacts you ? it's really Big Brother cashing in.

--- copyright 2005 Galina Arlov

For comments or questions about this article contact galina@ValorCrossMedia.com or visit http://www.ValorCrossMedia.com

Galina Arlov is a E-Business Professional with 15+years work experience working for Fortune 400 companies like Disney, Priceline, ABC and more. She is a founder and owner of Valor Cross Media a Creative Web Site Design Services company located on Upper East Side in New York City Where Substance Supports Style.


More Resources

What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
The fastest way to make a good interview go bad is to avoid questions posed by the hiring manager. The one question candidates love to avoid is, "What is your greatest weakness?" Most candidates are quick to respond with superficial answers such as "I'm a workaholic" or "I'm a perfectionist.
Career Moves: Take Charge of Your Life
Every day millions of people let their inner fears stop them from creating the life of their dreams. No one will deny that it is scary to step out of your comfort zone, but once you challenge your fear and take action, you can attain great things.
Three Ways to Transition to a New Career
As a Certified Personnel Consultant working for Find Great People International in Greenville, South Carolina, I receive telephone calls from people who are considering a career change. For some, transitioning to a new career is easier than others.
So You want to be a Bodyguard?
Then let me start by helping out. The politically correct phrase these days is not "bodyguard" but personal protection specialist, executive protection specialist or close protection operative, depending on your place of training and other preferences.
Seminars: Why Are They Popular, and What Advantages/Disadvantages Are There to Attending One?
Seminars dealing with "special topics" have actually been around for decades, and are an older form of marketing and information exchanges, that have seen quite a resurgence of interest in the past ten years.Seminars are simply a group of people coming together for the discussion and learning of specific techniques and topics.
5 Resume Mistakes Telecommuters Often Make
Finding a legit telecommute job can be difficult. Telecommute jobs are in high demand and hundreds if not thousands of other people are competing for the same position.
Avoid a Three-ring Circus with These New Interviewing Strategies
I referenced the circus because I just finished another interviewing book that recommends asking for the job before leaving the interview. I can envision up to 15 qualified professionals each asking the interviewer for the job.
Job Search: Age-Proofing Your Resume
Older job hunters fear interviews where their age cannot be concealed and where an initial response of dismay on an interviewer's face, quickly hidden, confirms their anticipation of discrimination. The mature job seeker often prefers the anonymity of mailed resumes, e-mailed inquiries, internet applications, and telephone contacts.
Hello Work World, Im Un-Retiring
For many years, you looked forward to that day when you would bid the world of work a fond farewell and ride off into the sunset of your golden years.Initially, it felt wonderful not to have to go somewhere each morning.
Q & A How to Find a Great Search Firm
Q & AQ: Are people sometimes cautious of 'headhunters'?A. Yes.
Job Hunting Tips: Assessing Personal Value
A week out of work is a vacation. You can sleep late in the morning, revel in your newly found free time, shop when the stores are empty, and get around to those chores you have been putting off for too long.
Making Sure You Get a Good Reference
You've had 3 interviews with a potential employer and they've asked you for references from your prior job. The problem is that you didn't leave on the best of terms and now you're a bit worried about the kind of reference they'll give.
Discuss Your Accomplishments During the Interview
When preparing for your interview, you need to be ready to discuss your accomplishments. Surprisingly, many people are reluctant to talk about their accomplishments.
Federal Job Search Strategies: 7 Tips to Help You Succeed
Despite constant calls by politicians and policy makers to reign in government spending, the federal government remains the largest employer in the United States. According to the U.
Your Goals Must Be Within Your Reach
FIRST STEP -- Set short-term, incremental goals. Work up to larger plans later.
Mystery Shopping
Mystery shopping is an excellent way to make extra money. In fact, some people make a full time living doing it.
80,000 Americans Work in the Oil Change Industry
There is a huge shortage, which effects franchises costs in labor, availability of labor and quality of workmanship. For instance 80,000 Americans are in Oil Lube Facilities alone and over 50% are franchised lube centers.
Overwhelmed and Overworked: The Myth of American Productivity
Employment finally seemed back on track during the first few months of 2004. Politicians crowed that "Our tax cuts are working.
Benefits of Mystery Shopping For Secret Shoppers
Mystery shoppers are people who are hired to scrutinize employees, products and customer services of any organization. The benefits that they get from mystery shopping are:They enjoy doing a job that's fun and frolic.
10 Tips to Help You Ace the Interview and Get the Job
The interview is the "beauty contest" part of the job search process. Interviewers get to compare candidates by asking them similar questions and comparing the answers.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List
Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List".
Working as a Knowledge Worker in the Information Age
The old adages: "It's not what you know, but who you know" and "High Tech, High Touch" could be the mottos of knowledge workers in the 21st Century.Never before in the history of the world has both networking and interpersonal communication been potentially easier, broader, more wide-spread and paradoxically, more difficult.
Workplace 911
I've watched a few episodes of Nanny 911 and with the chaos, out of control children and seemingly irreparable behavior, it strikes me as a precursor to Workplace 911. No, not a new reality TV show, but everyday workplace problems.
How to Get the Job You Want in Any Economy... Act Like a Headhunter
Having spent the last few years of my career in the staffing and recruiting industry, I'm asked all the time by friends and relatives if I can help them find a more desirable job. I've helped my fiancé get a job, helped my college buddies get jobs after graduation, and even helped a few high school buddies find jobs having not seen them for years.
How to Turn a Job Search into a Career Find
The only way to find a new career is to stop looking for a job Career success requires the identical effort and targeting as setting a course for continuous professional development.Job opportunities are found through the strategic use of the same steering mechanism that successfully sells products and services: Positioning, Exposure and Marketing.
Employment Under A Microscope
A certain amount of oversight is involved in almost any job. The more important, the more highly skilled, the more successful the position, the lower the degree of oversight.
The 10 Biggest Career Change Mistakes - And How to Avoid Them
Career change is no walk in the park.If it was easy, the castle gates would have burst long ago under the stampede of restless corporate warriors.
The Night Worker
In the process of musing about our perennially awake world for my Social Psych blog, I started to think about our present work world and how its operations have changed the lives of millions of workers.I manage a 24/7 emergency crew (mental health).
Take Charge of Your Job Search: 12 Steps to Success
Despite what many people may say, a job search does not have to be an unpleasant experience. There are those people who choose to take charge of the process, who actually find the process to be very rewarding and stimulating.
Growing Up On A Delaware Farm
Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and rewarding experience for me.I grew up in an area where a couple of dozen families in an area of about hundred square miles had farmed, married each other and been a stable community for centuries, along Delaware Rout One just north of Lewes.
You Are Not Entitled to a Job!
Résumé TipsSome basics about job hunting..
How to Crash - Proof Your Job Search
Think you have the speed, endurance, and know-how to fix what's broken? Bet not. The smartest people in the world are those who can leave their ego at the door, and know when its wise to seek help.
Update Your Resume Today
A friend was just promoted to a position of vice-president of a company. I am happy for him and the first thing I told him after congratulations was "update your resume".
Tips on How to Write High Impact Letters of Recommendation
Congratulations. You've been asked to write a letter ofrecommendation for an employee or colleague.
Have Some PASTA with Your Interview
When cyclists prepare for a big race, they always make sure they load up on the carbs. It is not uncommon to have a pasta feed the night before an important event so that the athletes can store up some of the carbohydrates they will be burning up the next day.
6 Steps to Re-inventing Your Career
Meaningful work honors the deepest part of your being. It is the embodiment of your gifts and talents and all that you value.
Dont Quit Your Day Job! Convincing Your Boss To Let You Telecommute (Part 2 of 2)
Ok, so you've determined that you have the right skills and qualities todo your job effectively from home. You're sure that your job is wellsuited to telecommuting.
What A Former Stay At Home Mom Knows About Creating A Stunning Resume That You Dont
Recently I was asked to touch up a friend's resume. Her challenge was simple.
Bartending School Online- Earn Your Bartender Training From Home
Many young adults flock to bars, lounges and clubs on a weekly basis. They spend hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars on entertaining themselves and their friends.
Mystery Shopping - An Excellent Part Time Job Or Additional Income Source
Though the name itself may seem a bit mysterious, the concept of mystery shopping is actually straightforward. Also referred to as secret shopping, performance evaluations, service checks and frontline evaluations to name a few, mystery shopping allows companies to obtain a "snapshot in time" by trained researchers who know in advance what they are to evaluate.