Clever Geek Handbook

Implementation of a company search system for mechanical designers using the Low-Code platform

The problem of choosing designers for a small company



It so happened that any project in our company does not do without the participation of a mechanical designer and they are constantly overloaded with work. Now there are 4 designers on staff. Over the past 2 years, we have already changed three. There were times when the problem of the lack of a constructor arose very sharply and we threw all our efforts in search of a new person.



I tried to choose the designers myself. He posted a vacancy, talked with people. He brought out the most interesting ones for a general review, and the team decided whether or not to communicate with him. Then there were interviews, which were attended by those employees who could, the rest were asked later to tell how it went. As a result, the decision was not always successful.



It was not possible to immediately answer the letters of the candidates; I really did not want to distract employees from important projects for reviewing the resume. The search for the designer has always been delayed. It seemed to me that putting most of the work into an individual employee (not an engineer) who could evaluate cool designers was impossible.



But it was not so. I want to share my experience.



Engineering company



Our company works in the field of automation of production. We solve the problem of eliminating the human factor from assembly operations where high accuracy and repeatability are required.



Our projects are divided into several stages:



  1. Search for ideas, development of the concept of the future workstation (AWP)
  2. Development of 3D models, drawings (CD), production parts ordering
  3. Purchase and supply of necessary equipment
  4. Development of machine vision software, PLC software and Operator software
  5. Workstation assembly
  6. Implementation, debugging on site
  7. Bringing to a state where AWP begins to produce suitable products.


It is the achievement of the last point that now allows us to grow and receive new orders. The company has 15 employees, including engineers, designers, programmers and electronics engineers. In parallel, we are conducting about 5 projects. A large amount of work and high requirements for specialists made us take the process of finding designers for the company very seriously. Hiring mistakes result in the loss of 3-4 months of work on the project.



Business process development using the Low-Code platform



I am sure that any instructions are better than their absence. But if the instruction is formed inside the information system, then the effect of the implementation is an order of magnitude stronger. Employees simply have no chance of doing something wrong. We decided to introduce the company search process of the designer in the information system. Here's what we got:



The main objectives of the system implementation:



  1. As much as possible to unload specialists and directors from the routine work of selecting candidates.
  2. To build an objective process for finding the best specialists in the market.
  3. Create a process of continuous search and processing of candidates. Not once a week when there is free time, but constantly.
  4. Arrange the process so that it is possible to quickly and easily replace the HR specialist without losing the quality of the candidates received.
  5. Once everything is set up so that after a year you do not have to rethink everything and organize it.


System selection



We opted for the Low-Code platform, as it allowed us to quickly change and edit the process without involving programmers. I myself could change the tables, introduce new roles and change the process, and the changes required several hours of work with the platform.



Next, I will give internal instructions for the employees of our company with the rules as we are looking for a new designer.



Instructions for finding new designers in the company



We have 2 roles in the system:





General scenario for working with the system:



  1. Selection of suitable resumes (HR + Customer).
  2. Calls to suitable candidates, answers to standard questions (HR).
  3. Assessment of candidates (Customer).
  4. Sending the candidate a test task (HR).
  5. Saving test task (HR).
  6. Evaluation of the test task by the customer (Customer).
  7. The procedure for face-to-face interviewing of candidates (HR + Customer).
  8. The procedure for completing work with a candidate (HR).


1. Selection of suitable resumes (HR).



We place vacancies, we look for people according to the necessary parameters on hh, we collect respondents.

Add candidates to the board in the “Inbox” column. This work is carried out by HR and the Customer. At this stage, their task is to find a candidate and get a card on him. We enter the data (name, year of birth, telephone, file summary, if any) in the table ( link ).



Board with cards of designers in the system:





On the board, the card may have the following statuses (columns):





HR specialist works with cards from the columns “Inbox”, “Send”, “Solves”. The customer connects when the “Call”, “Decide” columns appear cards that need to be decided.



Information is accumulated for each candidate in the system, by opening a card it is always available. And even if in a year we come across a person again, we will already know how the past conversations ended.



Candidate card editing form in the system







2. Calls to eligible candidates



All candidates from the “Inbox” column are phoned by an HR script specialist:



1. Ask the candidate if he is looking for work. If “Yes” we go further.



2. A story about the company. The following information must be transmitted:

“Our company LLC“ ... ”is engaged in the automation of technological processes. The company has 20 people, including engineers, programmers, designers and mathematicians from 25 to 40 years old, on average about 30 years.



We work in 2 main areas: the creation of unique machines for factories and the development of automated workplaces in order to completely exclude people from production - we replace people with robots. ”



3. If we are interested in the candidate, we ask him to answer a number of questions (10 minutes):





4. The answers are entered in the card on the “Call” tab:





5. Note.

It is necessary to fill in the field "Notes" on the tab "Call", where to describe your opinion about the candidate. Try to evaluate communication skills, adequacy, pliability, initiative and independence.



6. End of conversation and arrangement.

At the end of the person, thank you for answering the questions. To say that the answers will be passed on to management for study. To promise that we will contact him in the near future: we can offer a test task or an interview.



Say that in the near future we will send a test task.



7. If the candidate could not be reached, he will be transferred to the “Problem” column. You must leave a note about this in the comments. On the third unsuccessful attempt, you can close the card.



3. Evaluation of candidates by the customer



Candidates that are interesting to the company, the Customer rearranges the status of "Send". HR will send them a test task. Those who are not interested are sent to the status “Not suitable”.



4. Sending the candidate a test task



The order of the test task.



HR sends letters from the mail xxxh@gmail.com (password: “xxxh”). The text of the letter with the test task:



Topic of the letter:

Test task for the mechanical designer of LLC “...”

Body of the letter:

Good afternoon, Ivan Ivanovich!

In the event that you are interested in cooperation with our company, we offer to think about our test task:



Our designer proposed his own version of the roller assembly for the rewinder, presented in the drawings (in the appendix).



  1. Everything is assembled and somehow works, but either because of design miscalculations, or because of manufacturing errors, the rollers have play both on the axis and radially.
  2. It was conceptually assumed that the roller would self-center on the conical part of the axis. But this does not happen. Either manufacturing error or insufficient angle / surface area. Therefore, the "axis_changed" appeared (in the appendix).
  3. Cases are excessively massive.
  4. One of the special requirements was - easy and quick removal of the roller from the housing and the axis for washing.
  5. Bearings: 4x7x2.


It is required to analyze the design and propose changes in design / dimensions / tolerances.



Please inform about the receipt of the test task

- Respectfully,

Xx xx

+ x (xxx) xx-xx-xxx

LTD "…"



Letter attachment:

Archive “Test task.zip” must be attached to the letter

Candidate card must be transferred to the status of "Decides".



4. Performing a test task



During execution, applicants can ask questions by phone to an HR specialist, a list of Frequently Asked Questions and answers to them will be compiled.



Frequently Asked Questions List:

one.?!

2.?!

3. ...



If there are a lot of questions or they are not clear, please fill out in text form and send by mail. Questions are forwarded to the Customer. He answers on his own.



5. Saving the test task



The execution results (response to the letter and files) must be attached to the table in the database in the appropriate section:





6. Evaluation of the test task by the customer



Candidates that are interesting to the company, the Customer rearranges the status of "Call". HR will agree on a schedule of face-to-face interviews. Those who are not interested are sent to the status “Not suitable”.



7. The procedure for in-person interviews of candidates



Conducted by the customer. After the interview, the candidate is assigned the status of “Good / Not Good”.



8. The procedure for completing work with a candidate



After all the manipulations, the candidate is in one of the statuses:





In any case, it is necessary to complete the work on the candidate. Inform by phone that we are not ready to offer him a job now. To control this task, there is a “Completed” field in the cards on the board, with the options “Yes” / “No”. Once a week, you must open the list and refuse to all unfit and incomplete. Set “Completed” to “Yes”.



Implementation Results



  1. We were able to launch this system in a week.
  2. We managed to create a process not on paper, but in an information system, this greatly simplified the interaction of people and following the rules
  3. We were able to transfer all the routine work from the specialists involved in the projects to one person who, at the same time, is far from the designers in the field of activity
  4. It was possible to cover a much larger number of candidates in the market, while the search time was reduced
  5. All information remained in the system forever, and we will be able to continue the dialogue with candidates next time
  6. The team did not have to come together to make decisions on the candidate. Everyone could participate in the discussion at a convenient time for him.
  7. Candidates not deserving of attention or not suitable for us were screened out from the very beginning by transferring the card to the appropriate status without meetings and conversations.


I rate the experience as successful. Later, we established processes using the same system:





I hope that our experience will be useful.



Success in the work and organization of the processes!


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