In recent years, the recruitment industry has been transitioning from a CV race to a talent acquisition business, focused more on the long term. The job market is always changing, and it becomes increasingly hard to find the perfect candidate in good time. Most recruiters make a great effort to keep up with the newest trends, but given the fast-pace of today’s world, their skill set may already be out of date. Therefore, how can you maintain your professionalism, attract great talent and be on top of your goals when the job market is changing week to week?
Play multiple roles
Today’s job market is increasingly competitive and recruiters need to constantly switch between roles: talent sourcer, closer, brand ambassador, salesperson, but most importantly – marketer. Great recruiters know how to effectively market their open roles and they understand what drives a candidate. They write compelling and SEO optimised job ads. They promote the employer as a trustworthy brand and know how to market their expertise to candidates.
With more social channels acting as recruitment funnels, the sourcing process becomes faster. At the same time, it will be more difficult to capture the interest of candidates as the rising stars will be contacted by many other recruiters. Here is where advanced marketing skills will make a big difference. To be successful in today’s recruitment industry, you need to know how to serve the right content to candidates so they are interested in what you have to say, engage with them on a personal level through social media and finally funnel them into your talent pipeline for the future. Your job becomes much more complex, but the rewards are also higher.
Think ahead and keep an open mind
Great recruiters are constantly seeking new ways to improve their existing processes, they keep an open mind, stay up-to-date with recruitment trends and are not afraid to embrace new technologies.
You still need to act fast when a new vacancy comes in, but adopting a more long-term mentality will increase your efficiency. Switching to a talent acquisition mindset, by engaging more with passive candidates during slow seasons and creating a strong network of contacts will allow you to be more prepared when new opportunities open up or when the market goes through another series of changes.
Build relationships
What makes a great recruiter stand out is the ability to interact with a candidate in a way which makes them memorable. How you approach a candidate, how you support them along the way, how you offer the good news or how you reject them is equally important. By personalising each interaction, you can build an actual relationship, and be sure that they will remember you at the right moment or recommend you to other potential quality hires.
Nowadays, your social media presence plays a very important role in strengthening the relationship you have with your candidates. As much as you might research them, candidates need to get a sense of you as well before responding or agreeing to meet. So always make time to build an honest online identity that reflects your professionalism, expertise and personality. It will pay off in the end, when candidates will feel more comfortable to communicate with you and trust your competence.
—
As you can see, today’s recruitment is increasingly intertwined with marketing. In order to maintain your competitive edge, it’s essential you begin to think and act like a marketer.
