AI-based tool helps governments recruit the right job candidates from a diverse pool

The 2024 labor and recruiting market in the U.S. still favors employers over workers, says Angela Hood, founder and CEO of ThisWay Global. The firm has developed a Diversity Sourcing and Matching Engine that enables employers to connect with diverse applicants and candidates from more than 8,500 diversity-based organizations. It is also a fast-growing software-as-a-service (SaaS) automation company that serves more than 5,000 customer-organizations.

Hood adds, however, that hiring teams are consciously working to make prospective employees feel welcome in their organizations. “The overall trends continue evolving towards a more candidate-centric approach, emphasizing employee experience and well-being. Flexibility, diversity, and inclusion are gaining prominence as well as work-life balance.”

ThisWay Global offers its solutions for talent acquisition to local governments. Hood says her firm has been serving King County, Wash., with talent acquisition and business automation solutions dating back to the end of 2022.

Hood explains that her firm’s setup enables agencies to find qualified job candidates with less effort. “ThisWay’s system leverages AI [artificial intelligence] technology to automate the matching process, significantly reducing manual workload. By understanding the nuances of job requirements and candidate profiles, the system streamlines the selection process, exponentially saving time and resources in what is traditionally a very manual and time-consuming exercise.”

Hood outlines some of the cutting-edge features of her firm’s technology: “ThisWay Global’s talent acquisition system is at the forefront of leveraging AI matching to revolutionize the hiring process. The advanced AI technology goes beyond keyword matching and takes into account the nuanced requirements of each job. By analyzing both explicit and implicit factors, such as skills, experience, and cultural fit, the system ensures a comprehensive understanding of what makes a candidate an ideal fit for a specific role.”

She explains the ways her firm’s setup improves recruiting efforts: “This precision in matching not only enhances the efficiency of the hiring process, but also significantly improves the accuracy of candidate selection. Employers can trust that the system is not just identifying candidates based on surface-level criteria but is delving deep into the intricacies of qualifications and attributes that contribute to a successful match.”

Hood notes that her firm’s technology can help deliver a streamlined recruitment process that minimizes manual effort and accelerates time-to-hire. “ThisWay’s AI matching capabilities contribute to building not just a workforce but a team that aligns with the unique requirements and culture of the hiring organization.”

The firm’s offering integrates into major personnel and applicant tracking systems (ATS). This enables agencies to benefit from ThisWay’s technology without altering their HR workflows or processes. Partner organizations can integrate the company’s functionality into their platform to benefit their clients as part of their core system.

Hood feels their pain as public procurement directors in local and state government work to recruit more professionals as procurement team players retire: “This problem is being seen across multiple industries and professions as the workforce here in the U.S. continues to age. However, the best defense is to have a great offense. Building a deep talent bench doesn’t happen overnight; therefore, reacting to a current talent gap and expecting quick results is not a viable strategy.”

Here’s Hood’s advice for easing the talent gap in purchasing departments: “Procurement directors who commit to cultivating a culture of mentorship can hire junior people now, let the senior professionals guide them before retirement, and have a well-prepared new team member when the retiree leaves their organization.”

Hood says her firm has plenty of experience managing comprehensive candidate searches for its clients. “After conducting more than 16 trillion matches, we firmly believe that unbiased, skills-based matching is the best and only way to build an inclusive workforce. The fact is that bias, whether unconscious or blatant, puts minorities and underrepresented groups at a disadvantage.”

She notes that her firm has spent the last decade developing more than 8,500 relationships with organizations that have diverse and underrepresented members. “This network provides their customers with qualified talent that isn’t found on more traditional platforms like LinkedIn.”

The ThisWay Global executive says agencies may want to look within when prospecting for talent to replace departing employees. She notes that needed talents and skills may very well be inside an employer’s existing workforce or applicant tracking system. “Our company’s technology offers the ability for forward-thinking leaders to analyze their existing candidate database and current employees’ skills against the skills needed for new roles, further allowing for the placement of diverse candidates who have come into the process in the past. If talent is not found through internal analysis, the next step is to allow automation to assist in your outreach to a diverse set of organizations with the job opportunity and attract those people to your job.”

Agencies, says Hood, should take a multi-pronged approach when they need to recruit new professionals. She suggests that they explore recruitment channels like industry-specific job boards, local community centers and virtual job fairs; and utilize social media platforms to reach a broader audience.

Hood offers this conclusion: “Attracting the right people will be easier when your organization has demonstrated a fair and unbiased recruitment process, diversity throughout all ranks, including senior leadership, and a job description that reflects an authentic and inclusive work culture.”

Hood tells Co-op Solutions that cooperative purchasing agreements may be helpful to lean-staffed local government procurement teams. “Cooperative procurement contracts can significantly enhance efficiency in overworked government procurement departments. Streamlining processes through shared resources and agreements can save time and resources.”

OMNIA Partners offers a robust portfolio of cooperative contracts in the public procurement space. The firm lists dozens of cooperative contracts under the keyword “Human Resources.”

Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County. Contact him at [email protected].