Like most things in business, recruitment doesn’t stand still. So any recruiter who doesn’t change will be left behind and will lose out in the race to employ the best staff. In order to keep up, it’s necessary to understand the changes and adapt to them.
1. The Internet and Social Media
Recruitment used to be relatively simple, starting with advertisements placed in newspapers and magazines to attract suitable candidates. Now the printed media has been largely replaced by internet-based advertisements, including the use of social media. To attract the best candidates, you need to make use of all the latest job placement opportunities.
2. Candidate-Driven Market
Not too many years ago, job advertisements attracted a host of suitable candidates, but that’s no longer the case in a job market where skills shortages are growing. Candidates can now be more selective and recruitment needs to take account of this.
Candidates are no longer simply interested in the job itself and the salary package. They also want to know about the company and its brand, so you need to provide much more information to persuade people to apply for a particular post.
Candidate power is also increased by the availability of review sites and social media so that a poor candidate experience can result in a bad review that spreads fast and adversely affects future recruitment. It’s essential, therefore, that you have a good recruitment process and really look after your candidates.
3. Transient Workforce
There was a time when people could spend their whole working life with one company, but that’s largely no longer the case. Now they’re inclined to change jobs and even roles regularly and a good recruitment firm has to allow for this.
Having a good cultural fit with a company may have as much importance as a candidate’s skills and qualifications. It may be difficult to convince employers of that but, if employees are given the opportunity to develop, they’re more likely to stay with the company.
4. Changes in Employment
It is widely predicted that many of today’s jobs will no longer exist in the near future as automation takes over. They will be replaced by other jobs requiring different skills and the recruitment process must allow for this. Technical skills will become more important and it may be necessary to have recruiters who are specialists in particular skills and industries to take advantage.
5. The Advance of Technology
As well as technology in the form of the internet being used to advertise and find jobs, it’s also affecting the way the recruitment process works. It enables more data to be held on candidates, although legislation dictates how that data can be used. But it does mean the data can be searched more easily to find suitable candidates and that the screening of applicants can be automated and speeded up. This makes the preparation of short-lists much easier and means that unsuitable candidates aren’t interviewed.
The Need for Constant Change
The various changes to the jobs market and the recruitment process mean that companies have had to adapt to compete. In essence, they need to be more aware of employers’ and employees’ needs and capabilities and to spend more time looking after candidates on their database.
All candidates need to be kept engaged and feeling valued, so they’re available when the right opportunities present themselves. Failing to do this means the best people will simply go elsewhere.
At Schward Recruit, we appreciate the value of looking after both employers and employees. We are constantly striving to stay ahead of the market, keeping up-to-date with changes and being innovative. That way, we can provide the best recruitment process and fill posts with suitable candidates who will stay the course.
Dr Schultz spent 22 years working in psychiatry and then went on to qualify as a lawyer. He has spent 34 years helping people solve problems and the unique combination of medicine, psychiatry, law and mediation provides a unique academic and practical approach to life's challenges.
