Changing Landscape of Recruiting

Ere.net, an intelligence and community site for recruiters, recently wrote an opinion piece on the dynamic changes occurring in the field. In their article, A Vision for the Future of Recruitment: Recruitment 3.0, they summarize the impending changes saying “Recruitment is undergoing a change. Not just a small scale evolution but a fundamental seismic shift. A change that will see the recruiting landscape change forever. A change that will see many traditional recruiters falling behind and being replaced by new, differently skilled recruiters, ready for the challenges of Recruitment 3.0.”

At EDGE, our recruiters are seeing many of the elements highlighted in the ere.net article.  Among them:

“Competitors are getting smarter in mapping out talent pools and attracting your staff away.” For EDGE, we are seeing this with firms such as Teksystems and Sapphire.  Niche skill sets in banking that were pretty much off-limits to them in the past have been identified and are being actively recruited.  With our background and experience in the banking industry, we at EDGE differentiate ourselves from the other recruiters because we really know the best talent from the mediocre talent. 

“The Core Philosophy of Recruitment 3.0: Everyone is a potential candidate or brand ambassador, even your consumers.” We, most definitely, agree with this.  Leaving a great impression with everyone about EDGE is so important, especially when you hear it rebound to you later from another person who knew a person, etc.  That is why we spend a great deal of effort in staying connected with our consultants, both those on assignment (with us or with other firms) and those currently searching for assignments.

“The Core Philosophy of Recruitment 3.0: employment brand is pivotal to your success in talent acquisition.” The brand is who we are and the experience our clients and consultants have with us. It sounds cliché, but it is true for EDGE, our entire team – from client relations to recruiters to back office – is focused on supporting the best possible experience for our audiences. We are also continually looking for ways to open the lines of communications and get feedback from our audiences that we can then use to improve their experience.  

“The Core Philosophy of Recruitment 3.0: Building relationships and communities is key.” That is what we have always been about and we are glad to see the rest of the industry moving in that direction. In the article, there is a quote about the role of social media in this change, “Social media is not about immediate bums on seats. It will not lead to immediate mass new hires or pipeline. It is a vehicle to take people on a journey. A journey that people will board at different junctures. But, when reaching the destination, the goal is that they are either someone who wants to work for your company or that they are a Brand Ambassador. Brand Ambassadors are people who may not want to work for you, but they engage in your community, participate in discussions, sing your praises to friends and act as a champion of your brand.” All we can say to that is, EXACTLY.

This article is on-point for the direction the recruiting industry must take to continue to serve employers and clients most effectively. The emphasis is no longer just on filling a job or building a pipeline. It is taking on a more social, human, connected industry, as it should.

What are your thoughts? As a client, are you seeing changes on the way staffing companies recruit for you? As a consultant, are you seeing these changes? What changes would you like to see in the industry that aren’t occurring?