I read an article recently titled “Recruitment industry will die in 2018”. It seems through the many years I have been in recruitment the industry has been put in the firing line time after time.
This article got me thinking, do companies truly understand the value that a good recruiter can add? I say “good” as unfortunately there are a lot of bad recruiters out there that certainly give the industry a bad name. These recruiters are in recruitment for all the wrong reasons and will offer the bare minimum to earn their commission, think short term and are certainly not interested in building long-term relationships. Value from a recruiter will only be generated from a genuinely passionate consultant who has the best interest in mind for both their clients and their candidates.
So why is the recruitment industry under threat and what is set to wipe us out in 2018? The main culprit here seems to be the rise of technology and the ever-increasing popularity of social media. I have been in recruitment for over 10 years and I have found that success in recruitment always comes down to the people, specifically personal relationships and interactions.
In my opinion, technology complements the recruitment process, but certainly doesn’t replace it. It will free up a recruiter’s time to concentrate on those value-adding tasks. It only really assists in one aspect of the recruitment process – candidate sourcing. What are some of the most critical aspects of recruitment that technology can’t replace? Technology doesn’t understand the intricacies of a company’s culture to match the right candidate with the right workplace. Technology can’t build trust and rapport. And above all else, technology doesn’t have access to the quality passive candidates that are currently in jobs and aren’t actively looking for work. This network of high calibre candidates that I have established through long term relationships, which are built on mutual trust is certainly the greatest area of value ad a recruiter has to offer to their client.
Unfortunately, all but the larger companies do not have the resources internally to deal with ad hoc recruitment, and in some cases, they also don’t have the capability to effectively recruit. Technology may be available to support this process, but without the resources and skills to utilise it, hiring managers can at times feel overwhelmed and quite frankly a bit lost. In such a competitive and growing market, good Educators can have their pick of the available opportunities. Without the knowledge and experience in recruitment, centre directors/owners are not always adequately equipped to attract the best talent.
To put this into context, I recently supported a small community-run service who have not had to recruit new staff for several years. After 25 years at the service their Director was retiring. This is an integral role in the success of the service and it was a very vulnerable time for both families and the existing Educators at the centre. With the departure of the director and the knowledge that she took with her regarding recruitment, the service required a lot of guidance and support throughout the recruitment process. After advertising the position for weeks they had no potential replacements and time was running out. They had exhausted their personal connections for referrals and unfortunately their very short and brief advert on Seek generated no quality applications. After they contacted anzuk Education I reached out to my network and within a few days I had a shortlist of 3 potential Directors. I then helped the centre construct their interview process including tailored questions to ensure they were appointing the best Director for their service. I was also invited to sit on their interview panel, following which they made an offer to an amazing director. I managed this process, securing the candidate a competitive package, again utilising my knowledge on current market conditions.
So I ask myself, should I be scared of the advanced technology being introduced to the recruitment sector? My answer is no. I am excited and I will be embracing this technology to ensure that coupled with my knowledge, connections, and strong relationships, I will continue to offer service of the highest quality to my clients and candidates. The fundamentals of recruitment will always remain the same and technology will enhance my ability to effectively match the best educator to the right opportunity. Which ultimately will assist in my personal goal to increase the quality of care offered in the Early Childhood sector.
If you are looking to recruit the right Educators for your Early Childhood service or you are currently looking for a new opportunity please don’t hesitate to contact me for support or even just some advice.
