Two Decades in the Making |
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When we began our recruitment careers, shortlists were either delivered in person or by facsimile. It was the dawn of the next evolution of technology and dotcoms were launching at a phenomenal rate promising automation of which we could yet dream. Recruitment, search, headhunting and all variants of an industry that relied on a seemingly antiquated notion of a little black book, were destined for the history books. Computers would rule the recruitment world and humans would be surplus to requirements.
We are still here.
How has the recruitment landscape evolved over these past 20 years? - Advertised Vacancies: We have seen a striking shift in the way that vacancies are advertised and marketed. Pre-2000, an advert in the FT was central to many campaigns, although this quickly made way for on-line advertising, which in turn, is now also in decline. Whilst brand name employers can still attract candidates through their own website, the attitude of candidates has moved beyond this. We hear too often that the candidate experience is lacking and in line with this, their general expectation is that they will be approached directly.
- In house recruitment teams: High volume accounts that make a vast number of generalist hires is now largely overseen by in-house teams. We have certainly seen these teams become more sophisticated and recognise the value that they play in delivering these high volume solutions.
- Client Expectations: Client expectations of their recruitment and search partners has increased dramatically during this time, as our industry has itself matured and developed its service. Clients expect expertise in their market and that their partners are able to demonstrate market knowledge, cultural trends, benchmarking, process management and a broad consultancy service.
- LinkedIn: It would be remiss of us not to recognise the impact that LinkedIn has had on the market. It is still our firmly held belief that LinkedIn is not however the silver bullet. Not everything is advertised, posted and displayed here and most importantly, very few ‘members’ are actively engaged. Personal networks, referrals and recommendations still hold more value than a ‘connection’.
- Educated Talent Pools: The further that we move away from the ‘job-for-life’ generations, and in line with the increasing maturity of the recruitment industry, the talent pool has become more educated and sophisticated. Online activities such as facebook, glass door and Linkedin (yes a second reference) have increased transparency and more accessible routes to track and engage with their networks such as former bosses, colleagues and advisors.
- What are they like? This is still the most common question asked by hiring managers. There is only one way to answer this question.
Rise of the Machines? There is a clear distinction between the transactional and specialist recruitment processes. In-house teams, online portals and the like play a key role in recruiting high volume roles for large scale employers. Smaller businesses and those looking to make key finance and leadership hires, still look to us for guidance, knowledge and to secure that key talent.
Relationships and the human touch are more important than ever. |
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10-12 East Parade Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 2BH |
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