I think by now, we all agree that the recruitment landscape has changed. For better or worse, depends on which side of the recruitment fence you sit on, however!
I am hoping that the recruitment landscape has has really changed, because I for one ( and I am sure you feel the same way!) hope that the 'cowboy recruiters' are slowly being pushed out of the industry (even off a high cliff if we are lucky!)
They are the bain of any good recruiters life, by continually deceiving clients that they actually know what they are talking about and forever lying to both clients and candidates alike. They really have lowered the reputation of our industry. Let's be honest, they are only interested in one thing.............money.
In all the years I have been recruiting they still don't get it. How does p***ing off a client and screwing them over, make for good business practice?
In my (hopeful) opinion, they will need to change or die, in an industry that has now become more aware than ever of what value a good recruiter can really add.
So out must go the brash, fast talking, unscrupulous and arrogant recruiters who make lying and bull***t look like child's play. In must come much improved recruitment skills. Successful recruiters in the 'new world' will need to be more team-based and have real listening skills. They must put themselves in the clients's shoes and develop long term relationships across the organisations they work with.
To cope with this shift in the recruitment marketplace, recruitment firms will really need to change. They will need to:
1. Think like the customer. Empathy and understanding of the client's business objectives will be at the heart of future recruiting.
2. Focus on relationship building. Creating a long term partnership across the client organisation rather than the traditional transactional based relationship.
3. Work as a team. Recruiters will need to collaborate openly with colleagues across their own organisation to ensure the best possible service to their clients.
4. Gain more knowledge. Successful recruiters will have an in-depth knowledge of their clients's business and overall market that allows them to find opportunities to deliver value.
5. Deliver impeccable customer service. Providing consistently excellent customer service is critical to retaining business. Therefore recruiters will need to be closely involved with ensuring ongoing client satisfaction.
The rise of the internet and the proliferation of the many social media sites, has armed clients with unparalleled access to candidates. Many clients will have used the recession times to implement robust direct recruiting strategies. The majority, however will not have been this forward thinking.
But they will expect something different. The words 'adding value' springs to mind!
Of course there are many great recruiters, that have been doing all these things for years, and will continue to prosper, recession or not. For the recruiters that recognise change is needed, good luck.
For the recruiters that just ignore all this and continue to wear the '10 gallon hats', then I hope that you end up where all the dead cowboys go - the Boot Hill Cemetery!
