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The World of Recruitment Has Changed

Recruiting in today’s world is taking on a whole new meaning. The tried and true methods of the past are not working any more. Advertising in the newspaper seems to be a waste of time and money because the response from newspaper ads continues to dwindle. The help wanted advertising of most newspapers is less than half the size they were a couple of years ago.

Posting jobs on some of the large web-based job boards often results in too many responses from unqualified candidates. Even when using the local job boards that are targeted at specific communities, it is a crap shoot at best. It is a lot like going fishing – sometimes you catch a lot of fish. Other times the fish don’t take the bait at all and you go home empty handed. Usually, you catch the kind of fish you don’t want. So what can you do to find the necessary talent? The answer is – you recruit. Go to where the candidates are.

Aggressively Pursue Candidates. The old way of putting an ad in the paper or on a job board and waiting for the best is an outdated practice. Talk to anyone trying to find accountants, IT specialists, trades people such as carpenters, welders, mechanics and electricians, civil engineers, anyone in the health care industry or just about any other field and you will hear the woes of finding acceptable candidates. Therefore, if you find a good candidate, pursue the candidate and do not let him or her get away. If you see a resume of someone you want to speak with, call them and follow up with an e-mail and do it quickly.

Get Creative. If the old way isn’t working, something new and different must be done. Do the employees of your competitors hang out at a particular coffee shop or bar after work on Friday? Contact the local charitable organizations who sponsor refugees or immigrants from foreign countries to see if they can refer potential employees to your company. Become a friend with the placement officers of the local colleges and trade schools. Give your company some exposure to the community. Get your public relations department to have articles written about your organization in the local paper. You’d be surprised at the interest generated by a positively worded newspaper article.

Stop Looking for Comparisons. One of the best ways to lose a good candidate is to keep shopping after you have found what you are looking for. If you have identified someone who meets your needs, negotiate a hiring package quickly. Too many candidates are held on a string for too long after the initial contact and lose interest. If you are interested, show the interest by giving them attention.

Look at Past Employees. If employees left your organization in good standing, contact them to see if they would be willing to return. People often leave jobs looking for greener pastures. Often times, they find the pastures are brown and are too proud to contact their former employer. Even if the former employee does not want to return, you may get a referral to a good candidate.

Develop Relationships. The successful recruiter of the future will be those who are able to have qualified people referred to them. The good recruiter will create good relationships with university professors, alumni associations and the people who are involved in specific trade associations. Get to know these individuals, take them to lunch and discuss your needs. Bring them to your facility and show them around. This is an excellent and inexpensive way to get referrals.

Do Not Scrimp on Your Recruitment Budget. When it becomes harder to find the people you need to properly operate your business, the cost of recruitment will go up. A comparison of last year’s recruitment budget carries little weight. Find ways to maximize your efforts and stop spending money on things that don’t work.

Determine “Must Haves” and “Nice to Haves.” Each time a specific qualification is placed on a position, it narrows the availability of qualified people. Many times so many “must have” qualifications are placed on a job that it narrows the job search to a very select few. Take another look at the must have qualifications and take away those that are not absolutely necessary.

Know Your Culture. The people with the best technical qualifications may not be the best person to hire. A prime example in the sports world is Terrell Owens who is probably the most physically talented wide receiver in professional football. The havoc he created with his two previous teams is well documented in the sports world. Make sure you hire people who fit in well with the values and culture of your organization.

If the old ways aren’t working, then changes must be made. The most creative solutions will win. When it comes to recruitment, start thinking outside the box. Now go get them!!