This is the third article in our Blog Carnival Series written for us by Karen Stewart of Nine Twenty. If you want to write a blog for us just drop me a note.
There is no doubt about it, there is a war for talent out there. The recruitment landscape has changed dramatically yet many companies in the recruitment industry, both direct and indirect are failing to move with the times. Long gone are the days where companies put out an advert and expect to have a choice of star candidates to select from. So why are companies not putting more thought into their talent attraction strategy?
The companies who are focussing on this (and quite rightly so!) are bringing in in house recruitment teams, they have strategy around employer brand and bringing in the most up to date recruitment software they can find. This is all great and very much needed but looking at the industry as a whole from my side of the fence, something seems to be lost…….the human element of recruitment.
There is a real art to being a great recruiter and it is down to people skills, communication, listening, creativity, relationship building and influencing. I have been in recruitment for a reasonably long time and have seen these skills become less and less available in the market place. Feedback from candidates and clients on who they are speaking with or how they have been treated is pretty poor out there (sad state of reality) and this can unfortunately manifest into giving our wonderful industry a bad name. It seems very few people return calls, give feedback or coach the candidates into making the right decision for them (its not just about a fee or filling that role to hit your KPI!) and this has become detrimental to our industry with many people now unsure of who to trust or where to turn when looking for a role or to find the right company to hire for your company.
If you are in recruitment (agency or in house) then here are some important things that seem to be disappearing but very much needed:
Take time to listen
It appears no one has time for anyone in this busy market, unless that is, you have a need for the candidate. This comes across as poor and makes the candidate feel used. Take some time to answer calls, return calls and manage people’s expectations.
Be honest
Don’t shy away from an awkward conversation, most candidates and clients prefer honestly and it helps build those all important relationships. Building trust is important and if people know you are out to help them rather than help yourself then they are more likely to listen to your advice.
Feedback
Good or bad, give the candidate or client the respect they deserve
Build relationships
Don’t look for something in return from people and your network will get stronger. It takes time to get to know people and for them to understand you. Work on that and through time you can understand how to help each other.
Be nice!
This sounds silly but I have heard horror stories about how people have been treated or been spoken to. I have to admit to being on the receiving end of some horrible emails from hiring managers or in house teams when there really was no need. It takes less energy and time to send a polite response and that will always be remembered and appreciated.
Collaborate
In house and agency can work together in harmony, you and your client can work together in harmony. Respect each other and knowledge share to help get to the end goal.
Let’s focus on being human, use our newly available technology and put more thought into how we approach recruitment and I am certain our industry will flourish and add real value to everyone involved. With or without the technology, a good recruiter is the most important cog in the wheel so get passionate about what you do and treat people with respect (no matter how busy you are) and you will reap the rewards in the long term.
