A Response to “The Power Has Shifted To The Candidate, So Current Recruiting Practices Will Stop Working” By John Sullivan
Article for reference: http://www.eremedia.com/ere/the-power-has-shifted-to-the-candidate-so-current-recruiting-practices-will-stop-working/
It shouldn’t be news to any recruiter in this industry that the power has shifted from the employer to the candidate; meaning employers are desperately seeking good talent, while candidates have too many options to choose from. While the overall unemployment rate is high, if you look at technology specifically, it’s lower than any other industry. These are the candidates that are hardest to find, and the reason why companies spend a large amount of their resources attracting them. While recruiters typically act as a soundboard between the client and the candidate, and trust me we hear it all, it’s important to analyze what is happening at each stage in order to improve the process.
I have experience with larger agencies prior to my experience at Sage. While these bigger, powerhouse agencies provide extremely thorough training (both in technology and sales) and place thousands of people per year, they are lacking something important, which led to me questioning the industry as a whole. From both experiences, I discovered that the process needed to be more personal, and dare I say, sympathetic; don’t treat people like a commission cheque! Their careers are their livelihoods and if you cannot respect that, then you should find something else to do.
This article hits the nail on the head in terms of how to better approach candidates, but also how to make that side of the business as efficient as possible. I believe these changes the article discusses are not only imperative in a candidate driven market, but invaluable towards making a change in the recruitment industry as a whole. Our people are our product, don’t take them for granted. The more you listen to their professional goals and personal needs, the better your relationship will be, the better quality the placement will be, and the better your life will be when you look in the mirror!
The point he really drives home is finding passive prospects and proactively directing your sourcing towards the individual. This is what we value here at Sage — the first two week of training was learning the importance of extremely tailored emails to top notch candidates, that’s what it now takes to attract someone good. We continue this approach with our “no mass mail policy” and encourage people to take time reviewing candidate profiles, ensuring the best fit, and learning about the wants, needs, and goals of our candidates. That being said, finding a candidate is half the battle and the client brand is often just as important (I will get to that in my next post!)
Recruiting in 2016 should shift, if it hasn’t already. A candidate driven market means that recruiters need to rethink their process by appealing to the candidate. These people receive an absurd amount of emails/calls daily, so put yourself in their shoes, and think about how you can better connect with them.