Basic Qualifications Management: HOWTO Using BrightMove Applicant Tracking System

In response to customer feedback, the development staff at BrightMove added the capability to Manage Basic Qualifications of candidates applying for employment. When the feature request to add Basic Qualifications Management was initially logged to the BrightMove development roadmap (whose working title is "knockout questions"), we had no idea how big of a deal it actually was.

After some focused research, our analysts discovered that “Knockout Questions” were a little bigger than we had originally considered. Our response to this capability was based on several customer requests and feedback, but upon discovery of how important new Federal Compliance Programs are to each of our clients and every HR department in the US, we want to ask you the question, "How do you currently manage Basic Qualifications?"

The OFCCP, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, a component of the U.S. Department of Labor (http://www.dol.gov/esa/ofccp/) recently issued some final “definitions” of what an “Internet Applicant” is. This definition was made official on 10/7/2005 but didn’t go into effect until 2/6/2006. This was to allow organizations time to implement the standards into their electronic recruitment programs. Companies that are required to implement these standards are “all companies who do business with the federal government”.

By OFCCP definition, an individual is an “Internet Applicant” if:

• An internet applicant submits an expression of interest in employment through the Internet or electronic means
• The Company considers the individual for employment in a particular position
• The individual’s expression of interest indicates that he or she meets the basic qualifications for the position
• The individual at no point in the recruitment process indicates that he or she is no longer interested in the position
  
  In regards to the “Basic Qualifications”, they must meet the following criteria:

• Basic Qualifications must be a non-comparative attribute of the job seeker (for instance, a comparative feature is most number of years of experience, non-comparative would be “at least 5 years of experience”)
• Basic Qualifications must be objective (for instance, “degree in accounting required”, not “a good degree required”)
• Basic Qualifications must be relevant to performance and enable the company to accomplish its business goals
  
  Some interesting facts about Internet Applicants and Basic Qualifications Management:

• According to the article, the purpose of Basic Qualifications Management surrounding internet applicants is not to enforce or determine if discrimination has occurred. According to the project charter (executive order 11246) this regulation is for the purposes of recordkeeping and data collection only.
• As part of the final definition, a company MAY establish a process/protocol for handling “unsolicited” resumes
• These rules/requirements surrounding internet applicants and Basic Qualifications Management must be applied across an organization as a whole to all hiring managers equally ( a possible problem for companies, where BrightMove Staffing Software can help here)
• The companies must integrate these rules surrounding internet applicants and Basic Qualifications Management with electronic and traditional inbound application requests.
  
  The key new BrightMove feature allowing our clients to Manage Basic Qualifications provides a solution to the OFCCP definition of an Internet Applicant and the required protocols around them. While the Basic Qualifications Management feature is totally usable by companies not mandated to meet these guidelines, by simply having the capability and the awareness of the regulation, we can help those who have decided to proactively Manage Basic Qualifications.
  
  How Do You Currently Manage Basic Qualifications? Invite the staff at BrightMove to help you find out how you can best manage your candidate population by signing up for a free trial today!