Many hiring processes have been in place for decades, and recruiters today are looking to improve on them. New recruiting methods have arisen to replace the old, outdated practices. Most of the old practices are outdated simply because new technologies have been introduced that help streamlines the job of a recruiter. What are some of these outdated recruiting practices, and how can you get up-to-date on the best new methods? Here are a few suggestions.
The big job boards used to be flooded with job seekers and recruiters spent 99% of their time on them. Whenever a new job was available, the job board was the first place a recruiter would go to post the listing. Now the reverse is true—it’s the last place they go. Instead of job boards, companies are creating talent communities that allow two-way communication and networking among employees, alumni, and other related professionals. These informal and informational networks allow recruiters to build up connections that lead to a talent pipeline where candidates are sourced. If these talent pipelines are nurtured and developed, recruiters no longer have to rely on job boards.
The job board hasn’t quite kicked the bucket. But recruiters are relying more and more on smaller, niche job boards that are specific to their industry. This way, they can post a position and get the candidate numbers up, but they won’t attract every random person out there looking for work. The candidates they get are much more likely to have the education and experience needed for the job. Posting on a niche site with a link to an online assessment is a way to cull the results even more, and narrow the results down to only viable candidates.
Once again, social networking has changed the playing field. In the past, cold calling was the method of choice to contact candidates who were already working in the desired capacity. Another option was to search employer sites to find candidates they thought they could steal. Nowadays, recruiters are using social networking to develop relationships with candidates in order to recruit them. LinkedIn has become one of the biggest sites where recruiters spend the majority of their time looking for and sourcing candidates for their company. The focus is on developing ongoing relationships that may lead to fruition sometime down the line.
In the old days, temp agencies would step in with candidates to fill positions temporarily, and these individuals were often hired permanently after getting their foot in the door. Online resources have made it easier for recruiters to source candidates directly, so companies are no longer paying the hefty fees temp agencies charged for their services.
These older recruiting methods have been abandoned because they don’t make sense anymore due to costs, ROI, or even the quality of the hire. With the new technologies and social media, a recruiter’s job has been remade. In many ways, the job is easier, but it requires more know-how. If you feel less than a master at recruiting with the new social media tools, there are many resources out there to help you brush up your skills. And keep your eyes open for the next great recruiting innovation, it just might be the answer to your current and future needs.
4 Comments
I agree with most of the above said, but see no issue with cold calling. Sometimes it’s the only way to reach the candidate. But I agree that it very time consuming, because it should be well planned and every word should be weighed in order not to sound inappropriate or imposing.
Sorry, but I find cold calls to be the waste of time both of the recruiter and the candidate. I’m sure most people find it annoying, they are more comfortable with impersonal forms of communication, like email. That’s why I try to contact people via email first and then, as a result of successful correspondence, set up phone calls.
As regards major job boards, I think they’ll soon become the relics of the past, since employers value candidates with specific job skills more and they can find these candidates on niche job boards with less efforts.
The problem with big job boards is that employers are being flooded with non or underqualified candidates. But using these job boards makes sense when you have to fill in hundreds or thousands of positions in different locations, so I think big job boards will continue successfully coexist with the niche ones.