Today in the year 2012 , society is developing and evolving faster than ever before and unless you have been under a rock would know this has been largely due to the growing presence and usage of online media. I remember back in 2006 whilst travelling around the world , I met with fellow travellers and just started to connect with people on Facebook; a website just starting to emerge beyond the universities to more of a mainstream audience. It quickly dominated previously popular sites such as MySpace; a site which would have been five years since I used myself!
Outside of our social circles , the business world has been drawn further into everything online, with the emergence of LinkedIn surpassing Zoominfo as a means to connect professionally with people. Because of this trend, recruitment has also seen trends develop by way of more businesses post GFC, assess budgets for recruitment and explore these online avenues, hoping to acquire the talent they need. As a consultant working in the staffing solutions industry, on the surface of it, it would seem we are presented with a growing set of challenges in terms of our existence, with some companies looking to source people directly via online and if possible, avoid using consultant services. However, working within staffing solutions, I have learned that solutions is a key term because ultimately that’s what we should be doing for our clients; providing solutions to their problems which may not always be recruitment.
So what we are saying is that yes, if there is a vacancy out there and it needs to filled it may be possible to find a candidate through a well placed advertisement online, but at the same time it’s not a bad idea to talk to a consultant and discuss what options are available. This may be working with a consultant who can engage with passive candidates in the market, through means of tapping into an established database full of qualified and experienced people as well as utilisation of referral partners. Additionally it’s also an excellent opportunity to work with a consultant in making discreet approaches for particular people in the market, perhaps already known to your company as solid performers or maybe just carry the right skillset for the job. A discreet approach may also be particularly useful where the vacancy is not to be disclosed to the greater market.
Beyond all the recruitment “hype” though, the utilisation of other services can also be a great value add and sometimes the right solution for the situation. I was recently pleased to hear from companies requesting assistance from Optimum in undertaking references on their behalf, as they were looking to employ a candidate directly and required a detailed reference to be undertaken. Additional to this, growing companies also may wish to consider the use of their payroll services and the cost of employing a person full time in their office to carry out the function. Together with the purchase of appropriate software versus outsourcing this to a recruitment provider, can take the burden away on a weekly basis. And finally, Psychometric testing is another great value add for businesses looking to either reassess their current workforce in terms of current ability and skill gaps and as a general approach to work or during a recruitment process, all of which we have found to be very useful to our clients.
So whilst the business world will continue to follow the trends of onlin , we as solution providers will continue to seek to demonstrate our value, not cost.
Tim Hooper – Team Leader