Hiring looks different than it did even a few years ago. Trends shift, strong candidates move fast, and a hiring manager is often balancing resumes, interviews, and emails on top of a full workload. When something slips, a good candidate takes another offer.
In this conversation, HR Butler Human Resources Business Partner Caileen Hatteroth shares what she sees working with employers every day. She explains where companies lose candidates, how an applicant tracking system (ATS) keeps the process organized, and where AI fits into hiring. If you recruit from job boards, a spreadsheet, or your inbox, this is a good place to start.
Caileen Hatteroth, SHRM-CP, is a Human Resources Business Partner at HR Butler, a Columbus-based payroll, HR, and benefits company. She joined HR Butler about three years ago as a payroll processor, then moved into HR, where she has spent the past year and a half supporting clients with everything from day-to-day questions to bigger strategy projects. That mix of payroll and HR experience gives her a close look at how hiring affects the rest of a business.
Caileen starts with the big picture. Hiring moves in trends, from the Great Resignation to what she sees now, and she reminds employers that what works one year can look very different the next. She also explains “job hugging,” when candidates hold onto their current role longer than usual because they feel unsure about leaving.
For small and mid-sized employers, the same pattern shows up often. A job posts, applications come in, and the hiring manager tries to review resumes, schedule interviews, and keep candidates updated while doing their regular job. Caileen explains how gaps in communication and slow timelines push strong candidates to other employers before an offer is ever made. Her view: attracting and hiring is about a well-organized process that works for the candidate and the employer, not only getting applicants through the door.
Here Caileen gets practical. With Attract & Hire, you write one job posting and distribute it to Indeed, LinkedIn, and other job platforms, with free options included and premium options available. Every applicant and resume lands in one place instead of across inboxes and spreadsheets. She also shares a favorite feature: historical recruiting data that shows which job boards bring in the most applicants and where your successful hires come from, so you can spend your recruiting budget with more confidence.
Employers often focus so much on finding the right candidate that they overlook the candidate’s experience along the way. Caileen describes how days or weeks can pass between reviewing a resume and scheduling an interview, and what can happen in that time. She explains how centralizing applications, tracking where each candidate stands, and keeping communication steady helps you keep strong candidates engaged.
Caileen closes with a look at AI. She sees real value in using it to save time, such as drafting job descriptions or finding places to streamline your process. She also reminds employers that they are hiring people who will join their team and culture. Her advice: use AI to support your recruiting, and keep the real conversations and relationships that lead to great hiring decisions.
If you would like to see how Attract & Hire could work for your team, we would love to talk. Learn more on our Attract & Hire page, then reach out to the HR Butler team or schedule a time to chat.