Maryland-based CollabraSpace provides web-based software and platforms to improve collaboration in government agencies and private sector companies. CollabraSpace needs a consistent source of highly qualified systems software engineers who also have high-level clearance.
The Company
CollabraSpace’s robust, secure software solutions help employees at businesses and government agencies collaborate and work more efficiently and effectively.
CollabraSpace’s solutions are developed by the company’s highly qualified technical team. “We have a very streamlined, laser beam focus on hiring systems software engineers,” says Michelle Flesher, who is operations manager and serves as the company’s recruiter. “We have about six different projects and they’re all constantly looking for this skill set. I always have an opening.” Because many of CollabraSpace’s contracts are at nearby Fort Meade, an Army installation, employees not only need excellent technical skills, they also must have high-level security clearance. Flesher only looks for candidates with either “top-secret” or “full-scope poly” clearance.
To source those hard-to-find professionals, Flesher used her professional network and had convinced company management to subscribe to a few well-known national job boards. After trying the national boards, she reports, “I was disappointed in them and didn’t feel like I was getting the results I needed.”
The Solution
Not surprisingly, Flesher’s management was wary when she asked to add ClearanceJobs.com to her recruiting toolbox. “It was a tough sell,” she says. “They didn’t want to spend more money and not get any bang for their buck.” But after several successful demonstrations by the ClearanceJobs.com salesperson, Flesher got management’s approval to sign a 13-month contract.
Now she posts her jobs on ClearanceJobs.com and has automated search agents deliver qualified candidates via email. She also does her own searches. Using all three processes, Flesher says she’s able to keep up with the competition for candidates, which she says is “steep.”
ClearanceJobs.com has yielded dozens of prospects that Flesher has talked with and interviewed; she’s offered jobs to a few. “I’ve had more success with ClearanceJobs.com than I have with other job boards,” she comments.
Flesher also likes the fact that ClearanceJobs.com is a two-way street where candidates also reach out to companies. “It’s refreshing to have someone out there looking around and saying ‘Let me check out this company.’ I think that’s great,” says Flesher. The fact that several ClearanceJobs.com candidates have also referred Flesher to friends who aren’t on the job board is an added bonus.
Given the challenging economy, Flesher has to keep an eye on the bottom line and she’s pleased with how ClearanceJobs.com measures up. “ClearanceJobs.com is worthwhile — the value is definitely there.”
