As published by 914Inc. 2Q 2018 / Allison Madison quotes excerpted.
Madison views the AI glass as possibly half-empty. “Artificial intelligence is going to weave its way into the industry,” she admits. “Many large corporations have had job portals for many years now, and I have seen the issues with the algorithms. If your qualifications don’t match it, your résumé goes into the abyss. I suppose you can hope that AI will make the algorithms better, but I have reservations.
“People have forgotten that we are in the people business,” she adds. “Innovation doesn’t come out of a box; it comes from human beings. I don’t know that you can algorithm that. Algorithms seek sameness. Ultimately, ideas come from difference. Our goal as recruiters is to get companies to look at people who don’t necessarily check all the boxes.” Madison also believes algorithms that are modeled on previous job holders are inherently biased against women and minorities.
Demand for temps stems from a variety of needs. As Madison explains, “Companies have variable workflow issues. They may have busy seasons or need skillsets for a project or a contract and don’t want to hire someone permanently.” Her company, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, contracts to provide temps to organizations like Westchester Medical Center and the NY Power Authority.
She expects this year’s change in New York’s family-leave law will have an impact, too. “Medical leaves are also a big deal, particularly for small and midsize companies,” she says. Now that New York State mandates paid family leave, “That will be a big burden on small and midsize businesses,” she notes.
As Allison Madison, owner of Madison Approach Staffing in Elmsford, explains, “It’s a seller’s market for job candidates. They have more negotiating power in choosing where they want to work, especially if they have in-demand skills.” That negotiating power impacts staffing firms in other ways, too. Because many firms are compensated on a contingency basis, the time and money they have invested in vetting a candidate and shepherding them through the hiring process is lost if that candidate takes another position or accepts a counter-offer from their current employer.
Generally, the firms we spoke to have high praise for the Westchester labor pool. However, as Madison, who serves on the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board, points out, “Westchester is a bifurcated market. On the one hand, it’s highly educated. On the other, companies who need entry-level workers are limited because the cost of living here is so high. If you are looking for highly qualified people, there’s a very good talent pool. If you need entry-level clerical or manual laborers, it’s a real challenge.”
To read the full article go to>http://www.westchestermagazine.com/914-INC/Q2-2018/The-Ultimate-People-Business/