As competitive as the recruitment industry is, there’s no magic method to always get the right candidate. The best, most sought-after candidates can adapt to just about any situation. Their technical and soft skills are well-balanced as well. Being able to find those kinds of candidates is every recruiter’s goal. However, many of them employ the wrong tactics.
Let’s look at good and bad methods of recruitment.
The Bad
- Using Outdated Methods & Not Adapting an Active Strategy
Passive recruitment involves in-house recruiting or waiting for candidates to approach the company. This is typically accompanied by outdated methods such as posts on an office bulletin board or open positions listed on the business’s website.
The solution is to adopt an active recruitment strategy. Recruiters should be reaching out into the world through various external job postings, for example.
- No Recruitment Plan or Process for Applying
There are recruiters who fail to properly establish a detailed recruitment plan or clarify the process to apply for open positions. Recruitment plans are extremely useful and can help account for preventable obstacles during the process.
A solution would be to make a list of ideal characteristics, skills, and experiences. These are used as a general guideline for what the company is looking for. However, they shouldn’t be strictly adhered to because that would lead to discrimination. Another option is to divide the entire recruitment process into different stages, identifying the goal for each stage.
The Good
- Focus on the Human Part of the Candidates
Companies are beginning to understand that looking beyond just technical skills is successful when trying to find the best candidates. A spotlight has shifted in the recruitment process to settle on a growing significance with soft skills. These include communication, relationships, problem-solving skills, and so on.
- Recognize That Excellent Candidates Might Not Have a Degree
The number of self-taught developers, as well as other similar fields, is steadily increasing. In fact, recruiters could ultimately be hurting themselves and the companies they’re hiring for by specifically requiring candidates to have college degrees. They will, ultimately, prefer degrees if the candidate is properly qualified, which is a good method to employ. Recruiters must still pay close attention to any subconscious preferences in order to prevent bias. The ideal candidate would most likely have either a degree with good experience or no degree and excellent experience.
Final Thoughts
In any industry, recruitment is a difficult job. The tech and IT industries are among the most difficult due to their highly competitive nature. Overall, good recruiters will be able to keep up with the latest tools and methods to find the candidates that best fit their client’s needs. Whether the client knows exactly who they’re looking for or they only have a general idea, mental flexibility and adaptability for a recruiter are important. Keep in mind the methods mentioned here and formulate a solid recruitment plan. This is the perfect way to begin the process.
