Welcome back to BRS Global’s Recruitment Roundup – this is where we’ll be showcasing the best content we’ve found over the past seven days relating to the recruitment industry. Expect original content from our own expert team, articles written by industry leaders and other top tips from across the web for keeping ahead of the competition.
First up this week we have an interesting article from the Undercover Recruiter on the influence of social media on the business of recruitment. Beginning with advice to the candidate, TUR advocates the application of social media platforms, particularly LinkedIn, to source new employment possibilities. Speaking of LinkedIn’s new plug in feature, ‘Apply with LinkedIn’ TUR hails it as ‘revolutionising both the way people use [LinkedIn], as well as the way we search for jobs.’ More broadly Twitter is also mentioned as an excellent resource for directly contacting potential employers, likewise blogs and other forms of instant electronic communication. However, while this is all undoubtedly good news for the candidate, what impact might this be seen to have on the recruitment profession – specifically does TUR feel that LinkedIn and its like have replaced recruiters?
The answer is a resounding no. Echoing sentiments expressed by Luke Collard at The Written Reference, both articles remind us that there is more to filling a position than just finding the right resume. What LinkedIn can’t do, but a recruiter can, is all the additional leg work required to place a great candidate with a company. In particular, companies searching to fill senior positions need to see more than a social media page. To quote Collard, there is yet to be invented a platform “that can persuade an individual to consider moving jobs or attend an interview. Or one that can negotiate between a client and candidate to get a vacancy filled”. In short it appears that while the landscape of recruitment is undeniably changing it is not the recruiters who are necessarily changing or being replaced, rather “all that’s changed is the way recruiters source these candidates”. Certainly this seems to tie in with our philosophy of sourcing the best candidates, irrespective of web presence.
Next we turn to China and a fascinating piece by ere.net on the challenges of global recruitment and the importance of culture fit. Despite a population of over a billion, Raghav Singh, partner at The A-List and the author of the article, was surprised to find that filling a position he initially expected to be “easy” turned out to be anything but. Citing a lack of mobility and heavy restrictions on relocation, a shrinking workforce and a determined effort by China to recall its talented professionals home, Singh shows us that even in such a hugely populated labour market unexpected hiring obstacles can still occur. Often these hidden problems can only be solved by an in depth understanding of the local culture and adjustments to suit it. This is not a situation unfamiliar to us: as a globally operating company BRS often has to recruit for businesses far overseas. Recognising what is important to candidates, whether it be “career advancement and supplementing retirement savings” or a clear line of career progression, is an invaluable method we find helps greatly in increasing candidate tenure post hire.
Lastly, a little something unexpected from tlnt.com. Asking us to imagine if 80’s cinema icon Ferris Bueller had a technology start-up tlnt asks us “what would he do to find the right talent?” Ferris, the article reasons, would “find confident people” and “spread the word” of his recruitment opportunities via social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. He’d understand what motivates his applicants and what makes them unique. Ferris, it seems, would be the ideal MD (so long as you don’t mind a little impromptu karaoke on the company night out).
The world of recruitment is opening up; new skills are now required to see beyond the CV and cover letter in front of you to the candidate beyond. What motivates and inspires that person are going to be factors just as vital to the hiring process as a desirable salary and a healthy bonus. This seems to fit with the approach that BRS Global already takes when selecting talent to present to a company, but what do these insights mean to you? Did any of these growing trends surprise you? Did you already suspect you knew which way the market was turning? Fill us in on your thoughts in the comments.
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