HireMe Tag and Generative AI

Summary

Here is the TEA (Target, Effect, Action) for this article:

• Target: Managers, senior engineers, and HR struggling with engineering recruitment and job assignments
• Effect: Increases opportunities for matching in recruitment and assignments by several times (facilitates hypothesis-driven matching)
• Action: Encourage individuals to promote themselves under the name HireMe, and consider matching based on what you read

Background

Recruitment is One-Sided

Recruitment is still a one-sided process. The hiring side writes a job listing (or a job description when more formal) and matches it with applicants. The routes for matching are either "applications from those listed on the recruitment site" or "approaches (scouting) from the recruiting side," but regardless, a "definition" in the form of a job listing exists. The structure of looking at matches against this definition remains unchanged.

One-Sided Recruitment is the Main Cause of Talent Shortage

A talent shortage is always a concern, and the main reason is clear: recruitment methods are one-sided like this.

Those who have delved into Agile or Lean Startup methodologies know that pre-planned strategies hardly work out. This is why quick hypothesis testing is crucial, and now prototyping is being accelerated by generative AI. Recruitment is no different; the definitions prepared in advance by the hiring side are hardly ever correct. Boldly put, job descriptions are nothing but hypotheses.

Now, here's the question: will a heavy, non-hypothesis-driven, waterfall-like method work well? Of course, the answer is no. It is obvious that talent shortages occur. While highly fluid Western countries manage better, Japan, where laying off permanent employees is nearly impossible, faces a dire scenario.

Making it Bidirectional

The solution to this problem is simple—just make it bidirectional. Specifically, add a reverse approach where the "job seeker" writes a self-promotion and the "personnel-seeking side" reads it.

While there are various efforts toward this reverse direction, in this article, we'll introduce the HireMe tag.

HireMe Tag

HireMe, as the name suggests, is a message saying "Please hire me." While I call it a tag, there are various methods to implement this.

• On social media, you might post with the #HireMe tag
• On GitHub, you might create a hireme repository
  • For example, in my case (it's empty since it's a sample): https://github.com/stakiran/hireme
• On Slack, you might create a #HireMe channel
• As an organization, you might create a hireme repository and allow them to write as issues

Engineers will likely come up with various ideas and implement them quickly. In practice, implementing HireMe would likely be led by engineering managers. In larger organizations, a staff engineer might be suitable.

The important point is simple: the concept of individuals promoting themselves.

Benefits of HireMe

The benefit is singular yet significant: it increases matching opportunities. When compared to one-way recruitment, the opportunity for matching increases exponentially. Naturally, the more opportunities there are, the more encounters occur, and fluidity increases.

In other words, it allows for hypothesis testing in employment or assignments. It's the same transformative impact on staffing as bidirectional communication had on the world of communication. Agility is enhanced.

Discussion

Here, we'll address the main discussions in a Q&A format.

Q: Is it acceptable to have generative AI interpret HireMe?

Ans: Absolutely.

In fact, it's better to have AI evaluate not only the "job seeker's information (HireMe)" as context but also the "hopes and conditions of the personnel-seeking side."

While it might sound grandiose to talk about serendipity, cherishing unintended encounters or the discovery of unexpected gems is essential. After all, we humans will review the process later, so first it makes sense to expand possibilities. AI with human-level capabilities can be incredibly helpful.

Q: What format should HireMe follow?

Ans: It will probably be established eventually.

HireMe is a concept I developed as a Soft Skills Engineer. I hope you'll use and spread it. I look forward to influential engineers supporting this. Like open source, we might see movements towards standardization emerge over time.

Personally, I believe in the diversification and streamlining possible with generative AI. When it comes down to it, the critical aspect is the amount of information, not just the format for humans. As long as you stick to writing in Markdown, it's about how much information you can include.

Q: Won't people exaggerate or lie?

Ans: I don't think it's a significant issue.

HireMe ties back to individuals, so any "unreliable person" who exaggerates or lies will quickly be weeded out. Knowing this, those writing a HireMe wouldn't take undue risks.

Q: Should HireMe only include achievements, or can it also contain visions, strategies, and self-promotion?

Ans: Yes, absolutely! It's encouraged!

As previously mentioned, we should value serendipity and inspiration. Put differently, recruitment is also a creative endeavor (and becomes more so with HireMe).

Those writing HireMe should feel free to express themselves to their fullest! Those reading it for recruitment should remain open-minded, considering how it can be utilized without being bound by preconceptions. And in later conversations and selection processes, feel free to discuss it at length.

Surely, experiences not found in traditional one-way recruitment will be delivered!