We’ve taken a look at what the experts are saying about smart strategies for recruiting top talent in the 21st century.
Keep in mind the following factors, which are influencing recruitment in a significant way:
- The internet is forever changing the way employees do their jobs and look for new positions, as such, it has an immediate effect on the ways employers need to go about finding talented employees.
- South Africa, like many other countries, is experiencing a major shortage in highly skilled workers, which means that skilled candidates can pick and choose between competing firms.
- The tradition of making a career out of one position does not exist anymore. These days, people spend on average three years on one job before moving on – which means that companies need to be on the lookout for potential talent all the time, as you will never know how long employees will stick with your firm.
- The issue of intellectual property – which is obtained by employees via the skills and knowledge they acquire at the company – makes it even more imperative to be able to source talent, especially in high tech, specialised industries.
With these factors as background, let’s take a look at a couple of major trends in the recruitment industry.
1. The company’s brand has become a major factor
Research shows that more and more candidates consider a company’s brand and reputation before considering a position or application. Any recruiter that means business, should therefore start by finding out what candidates and other professionals think about the firm’s brand.
“The challenge here is to market the organisation by understanding the main things that people want out of a career these days, among them the opportunity for development, travel opportunities, to be part of a great culture, to work with a great manager, and to make money,” advises Mano J. Parmesh, Country HR manager for Weatherford’s India Business Unit.
2. Tailor your approach according to the candidate
A common complaint among employees when it comes to recruitment agencies and processes, is that they are treated as “simply another applicant”, i.e. there is a lack of individual attention in the process.
Try to find out what individual candidates value or want from a particular position, and then try to match these expectations with the company’s needs when you present the position.
3. Always be recruiting
As mentioned previously, you will find that employees do not stay at one company for decades any more. In order to ensure that your firm does not suffer short or long term skills shortages, you should always be on the lookout for potential talent.
Furthermore, it is recommended that companies create a plan to address future talent needs that stretch far into the next decade. The key is to create a database, a pool of potential talent that can be drawn from.
There are a host of different ways to do this, common practices include keeping all CV’s that are received and filing the ones that show potential, networking at industry related events and also recruiting among passive employees – those talented professionals who you know aren’t actively looking for a job, but who you would like to recruit anyway.
Another area where firms should actively be recruiting, is what is known as the “college run” – among talented students who, if nurtured, can become the company’s future stars and leaders.
4. Redefine the way you network, recruit in new ways
For the purposes of the article, we will not be looking into online recruitment, which can get very technical and is worthy of its own, in depth study.
Instead, let’s take a look at another online opportunity, which is social rather than profit driven – the rise of online communities.
Eric Kramer, contributing writer for www.recruitingtrends.com, writes that he has “seen the future of recruiting and it is communities”.
Think LinkedIn, and then think further. “Communities will from around interests, industries and careers,” he predicts. “As workers change jobs every three years, their primary connection and loyalty will be to a career, not a company.”
Kramer believes that talented employees will have a highly visible presence on these communities. “Concomitantly, identifying high talent individuals will become easier . . .”
And it goes both ways. Recruiting firms will have to be very aware of what is being said on these kind of community forums, as “a company’s brand as an employer will be discussed and defined in these communities by the people that know the inside story.”
Finally, Kramer suggests that recruiters will need to be very present in these communities. “Recruiters who are ahead of the curve will begin to build and manage communities. (In this way) recruiters will have a trusted connection into the community and the community members.
Sources:
I have seen the future of recruiting and it is communities – Eric Kramer, www.recruitingtrends.com.
Smart Recruiting Tactics – www.greenfieldbelser.com.
Recruiting Secrets of the Smartest Companies Around – Christopher Caggiano, Inc. Magazine.
The Need for New Recruitment Strategies, by Manoj Parmesh. (HR Perspective)