Sally Bartley on recruitment in the age of digital engagement
The world of recruitment is fast-paced and high stakes. Clients are looking to hire the right person to achieve their business objectives, and candidates are looking for roles that let them build a rewarding career.
As recruiters, it’s our role – and responsibility – to bridge those respective needs.
The competition to land the right introductions can be intense. I’d like to share some of the things that have helped my firm peoplefusion stand out, to become one of the leading recruitment partners in our region.
Video killed the newspaper star
Let’s get one quick win out of the way first – video is your friend. Utilising video effectively is a superb way to reach out to your candidate audience and promote the workplace and culture of your clients. The platforms, channels and technology to make and share video content have never been easier to leverage, delivering engagement from the get-go. Use it whenever you can.
A focus on quality, not quantity
Multi-listing is becoming a thing of the past for progressive businesses, who see they can get better results out of a dedicated recruitment partner prepared to directly approach potential talent. More and more employers are recognising that professional recruiters won’t multi-list to simply flick resumes at them. It all too often results in a half-baked process, and the damage they risk to their brand reputation among candidates simply isn’t worth it.
Using technology as your source of truth
I’ve worked in recruitment for some time now, and to say that there’s been an explosion in our product offering is an understatement. This can make it a daunting task for owners of recruitment agencies when deciding on the right tools to deliver fast, tangible results for both your recruitment staff and clients.
Integration is key. Making sure you have a solid, customisable Customer Relationships Management (CRM) system that can talk to other platforms will help immeasurably and serve as a source of truth for your business. I’ve found the best way to determine which product will work best for your needs is to talk to other users and business owners, so you can determine what you actually wanting to get from the product.
The majority of CRMs are available via annual subscription, so get the super users in your team to sign up to a trial run. They’ll be able to report back to you on what works and what doesn’t, so you can make an informed decision rather than relying on your gut, or the hope that it will fix the bottle necks in your business.
Always look for the value-add
In case you hadn’t noticed, those working on your admin team get asked about the market at dinner parties as much as you do! To keep ahead of the curve, recruitment leaders need to nurture and support their recruitment and talent specialists.
Sharing knowledge of industry trends and encouraging constant upskilling across your business is vital, resulting in a broader sense of shared authority and a consistency of knowledge that will help set you apart from your competition.
Such investments make all the difference. Because what we do is more than recruitment, in a sense. We’re advisers, looking to share our knowledge. We know about the market, the salary bands, trends in sourcing, and how to tap into passive markets. In many ways, recruiters are the original influencers.
Do your clients know everything you’re capable of providing them? If not, it’s time to engage. Because in the current environment, the onus is on you to show – not simply tell – everything you can accomplish for them.
By Sally Bartley
About the author
Sally Bartley is Co-Founder and Permanent Recruitment Director of professional recruitment firm peoplefusion, based in Newcastle, NSW Australia. For over a decade, peoplefusion has helped connect clients with highly specialised candidates across a wealth of industry sectors. For more information visit peoplefusion.com.au
