The Dumbing Down of Recruiting

The Dumbing Down of Recruiting - Originally posted on Jackye Claytons blog, "The Pursuit."

"Much to learn you still have...my old padawan."
... "This is just the beginning!" –Yoda

I didn’t walk 30 miles in the snow uphill both ways but I am
a bit old school. When I started recruiting, there was no LinkedIn, Monster,
CareerBuilder or other social media outlets that are used so highly today. When I started in this business, the word
“recruit” was a verb.

Recruiting and sourcing has taken a dramatic turn, adapting
with today’s technology which has changed the game. For experienced recruiters, these tools are
used to enhance the hunter skills that are embedded deep within the psyche of a
true recruiter. Technology, while it is
so necessary to do our jobs, has changed the way we play the game as well as
changed the definition of what a recruiter does. Often we call it “Post and
Pray.” I also refer to it as the
“Dumbing down of Recruiting.”

News Flash:

The Word “Recruit” is a
Verb!

If you are not enhancing your recruiting hunting skills as
well as the way you use technology to find candidates, you will become obsolete
faster than you know. The landscape looks completely different (as it should)
then it did 10 years ago but in some interesting ways. Look at the list below. These were requirements for me and other
recruiters to keep our jobs.

Meeting Candidates
Checking References
Face to Face Interviews with Recruiters
Building Candidate Pipelines
Daily/Weekly Communication with Candidates
Placed AND Sourced
Obtaining Candidate Referrals (Who do you
know)
Understanding the Environment of the
Company you are recruiting for
Skills Testing
Getting placements based on recruiter
recommendation rather than resumes
35% fees!!

Yes **Padawan, we used to get 35% fees. That was when recruiters were looked upon as
valuable and resumes were faxed or mailed. (I told you I was going to show my
age!)

The point is this. We are in the people business, Posting
jobs, using job boards and scraping the internet should be a part of your recruiting
strategy but not the entire strategy.
Meet your candidates. Get
referrals. Understand the market. It may seem silly but face-to-face is making
a comeback. OK so I am old school, but give it a try.” If no mistake have you
made, yet losing you are ... a different game you should play.” – YODA

Good Luck!

**Padawan - A
"Jedi" pupil, even with great skills he still needs to learn the Jedi
secrets.http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=padawan

Comment by bill josephson on April 10, 2013 at 11:27am: My day is similar to Theresa's. My LinkedIn activity's at night looking for names of leads to recruit or market to.

Once you have a candidate connection/resume it's wise to contact them by their prerefence. But to initiate a relationship with them I've found no better vehicle than the phone--most won't return emails if you've never spoken.

15-20 minute phone screens--I rarely meet candidates being a national recruiter--is the norm to present the position, find out what they do, want to do, motivation for considering another opportunity, title, salary, and asking for a resume.

It's unconscionable to send a candidate on an interview never having spoken with them, IMO.

Comment by Drue De Angelis on April 10, 2013 at 11:54am: This is an insightful and lighthearted post. Couldn't agree more. The fact that so many recruiters rely so heavily on internet "strategy" makes it easier to provide true value to clients who see the difference.

Thank you!

Comment by Pamela Witzig on April 10, 2013 at 12:31pm: Interesting. "Recruit is a verb" is a phrase that is both on our web site and email signatures.

Comment by Stephanie McDonald on April 10, 2013 at 1:25pm: Theresa, we have a very similar model. Nice to know others are high touch too! If a candidate doesn't call me after their interviews, I freak out...just a little :)

Comment by Theresa Hunter on April 10, 2013 at 1:37pm: @Stephanie Yes I am a little touchy feely when it comes to my candidates and my clients too. I tell them before they go to the interview to please call when they are done so I can get a sense of how things went and where the client left things. They say sure I will call you. I will be honest most of the time I have to call them to get the candidate debrief done. It is just part of the job. : )

Comment by Scott R. Baillie on April 10, 2013 at 7:43pm: Great insights! I, too, have been in the business since faxing resumes was state-of-the-art. Much more was required of recruiters then.

Comment by Nigel Coxon on April 11, 2013 at 4:31am: "It's unconscionable to send a candidate on an interview never having spoken with them"

I'd have this branded on the forehead of any recruiter who ever does it. I make a proud but slightly odd boast to our clients' hiring managers - "We're not as quick as some of our competitors". That's because we HAVE to call our candidates, and they HAVE to get back to us.

One of the worst parts of our job is when we take the time to speak to a candidate, ask them the normal "Has anyone else spoken to you about this vacancy?", have them tell us "No"...and then submit them to find out that A.N. Other Recruitment Limited has already dropped their CV on the hiring manager's desk.

And it's NOT about forgetful candidates (not every time anyway). We always go back to the candidate at this point (because another of our operating policies is to give feedback to candidates, so we have to tell them why the submittal was not accepted) and even when we give them the other agency's name they are adamant that they have not been contacted.

I am a very passive individual, but if anything makes me think "Pass me the shotgun" it is this...

Comment by RJ Evans on April 11, 2013 at 10:00am: This is right on!

Comment by Jackye on April 11, 2013 at 12:25pm: Nigel Coxon, not everyone is as good as a recruiter as you! Yes there are people who just use boards to recruit.

Comment by Jackye on April 11, 2013 at 12:25pm: Nigel Coxon, not everyone is as good as a recruiter as you! Yes there are people who just use boards to recruit.

Comment