The Recruiting Blog | People First Recruiting

Today's blog post is brought to you by our Information Technology Recruiter, Marny Barnes.

I am sure you have heard the cliché, “War for Talent”. I hate to give wind to that sail but it is true. There is a war for talent and in the growing world of information technology it is made even harder by this digital, web-connected world we live in.

There are LOTS of recruiters out there doing the same thing I am doing day in and day out - directly headhunting potential technologically talented candidates straight off the internet.  I have heard from many of these candidates that they get a number of calls on a daily basis.  What I don’t hear often is that the calls are relevant or anything less than a nuisance.  Not only are they receiving multiple calls weekly and even daily, they are receiving calls that are sometimes not appropriate to what they are currently doing. Too often I hear that the roles are way too junior, too senior and in some cases, not related to their current job description at all! I have been told by these same candidates that they have minimized their online presence to be “harder to find” specifically to reduce the number of calls from recruiters.  So how could I be different?

Four years ago when I first started recruiting for Information Technology, I realized just how important it was to make sure I had a strong online brand and presence.  I knew that I wanted to be the recruiter that my candidates and clients could trust, engage with, relate to and “know” before we have even met.  I was in a meeting with a client that had gone pretty well but it was not outstanding by any means.  At the end of the meeting the client asked if I was the photographer by the same name that he had found online.  I hesitantly confirmed that this was true.  The client smiled and started asking all kinds of technically related questions; what camera did I use, how did I come up with this or that idea.  The conversation went on for about another half hour and at the end I felt we had truly connected – and I left with a new IT search.

The situation with the client above helped me come to the realization that in order to best connect with the IT community, I needed to be where they were.  They are online and so I need to be too.  Why shouldn’t I be giving them the opportunity to get to know me before I need them and more importantly before they need me?  It was very apparent that I needed to focus on building a transparent brand that allowed my network to really understand what I do and to share with them just how excited I am to work with them. One of the most important parts of being a recruiter is getting talented candidates to open up so I can help them find the right job FOR THEM. Building a strong online presence as an IT Recruiter became a priority.  I wanted to offer others the opportunity to learn enough about me, to talk with me, so that when we sat down in an interview, there was already a relationship formed.  I wanted to offer common ground, similar interests and a relaxed open atmosphere.

Thanks to the online community I have been connecting with, my network of IT candidates is thriving.  I love finally meeting clients that I have been conversing with online and I enjoy meeting IT candidates that know as much about me as I know about them.  I am excited to be a part of the way we do business in this ever changing market.  What makes my job incredible is the opportunity to share what I love about technology with these candidates and more importantly to learn as much as I can about what makes them tick!  What are they passionate and excited about?  What about their jobs makes and keeps them happy?  As a recruiter, it is so important to me that both candidates and clients get exactly what they are looking for out of working with me; “The Perfect Fit”!  I love my job and I want to help you love your job too.

This network is also a huge benefit to my clients.  When I advertise a new career opportunity, my network has been integral to helping me spread the word.  Twitter retweets and LinkedIn shares have brought me some of the most amazing clients and candidates I’ve had the pleasure of working with. From Skullspace to the Secret Handshake Society, Twitter to LinkedIn, I have been learning the best places where I can contribute and make connections.  I understand the power of targeted recruiting but I now also understand the power of being visible, of sharing information, of engaging in conversations and the power of digital relationships.

There is no one magic formula to recruiting.  It is a constantly changing recipe of targeted calls, networking and just being present in all the right places; physical or virtual.  And speaking of virtual, feel free to drop me a line on Twitter @MarnyBarnes or LinkedIn.

~ Marny Barnes

A colleague of mine tweeted this article yesterday: “Recruiters: Your Days are Numbered” and when I read it my first inclination was to re-tweet it.  The only problem was that I was limited by the number of characters and I wouldn’t be able to clearly express how I felt about this article concerning the “future of Recruiters.”

I know why she tweeted it.  She was equally disturbed by the fact that a blog could be written about a career she so passionately and firmly believes in and that the success of an entire profession which is built around people (and the relationships you develop with these people) can be thought to be replaced by technology.

So often you read, regardless of the position or industry, that eventually a company or a function will no longer be relevant because technology will replace it.  Don’t get me wrong; we here at People First Recruiting completely support and embrace technology – in fact I love it and would like to have more of it.  What was shocking to me about this article is how recruiting can be boiled down to “3 critical ingredients” - sourcing, screening and verifying.

Boy, if only it were that simple. 

Any recruiter, one paid by a company like us here at People First Recruiting or one who works internally for a company, knows that recruiting is just not that simple – an industry focused on people never is. 

What’s interesting about this article is that it refers to technologies that only cover a small piece of the world of recruiting.  Recruiting isn’t just about finding 'key words' that match a job profile – it is about finding the right person for the role.  Sure, technology can run 24/7 - sweeping LinkedIn and/or the online world to hone in on the right keywords – but can technology then call that person up? Talk to them? Get a sense of whether or not they are truly happy doing what they are doing?   Analyze the actual fit between employer and employee, culture and personality?  Needs versus desires?

While we do embrace technology and look at technology as a partner in our business to help round out our skills, we still ensure we invest in our people.  An example is adding and training people to join our Talent Discovery Group; individuals who everyday utilize research techniques, social channels, and networks.  They turn to their existing relationships to reach out and engage with potential candidates to inform them of some of the incredible opportunities we have with Canadian businesses. 

When our clients come to us they need 3 things:

• find me the best candidate
• within a reasonable amount of time
• for a fair fee

Never do they ask what specific technological tools we used to find that person.  Instead they ask us how we will go about our search.  Where will we focus?  Have we filled a position like this before?  Do we understand the role we are filling on their behalf?  Once they are satisfied we then use a proven methodology and approach to finding them candidates.  The next questions our clients ask us are: What is our screening process?  Do we know how to interview for these roles?  How do we assess candidates?  And so on.

The point I am trying to make is that leaders of companies are not looking for a person to just fill a role, they want the whole package.  They want to partner with experts who use the best processes to find the right candidates; experts with the strongest experience and knowledge to assess the fit and qualifications of candidates.  Companies want to be assured that the person we find for them will be that right fit so that they can retain that individual and remain free to focus on their business.

If you are a Recruiter right now and you believe your job is to simply source, screen and verify then you are missing out on what is the most fulfilling and rewarding part of your job as a Recruiter.  We have the privilege of meeting new people who are making important career decisions every day.  We get to learn about great companies and meet great leaders and then we get to bring the two of them together in what is hopefully a perfect match.  That cohesion is what gets us excited around here.

In an industry that is all about people, technology can never be, and will never be an aspect that will replace the human touch.

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If you haven't figured it out, I am pretty passionate about recruiting, as is the team that I work with.  Because we love what we do and because we are growing - we are looking for more Recruiters to join our team here in Winnipeg.  Never considered recruiting before?  Take a look at our 10 Reasons You May be a Recruiter...and not even know it.  If you identify with these 10 reasons...drop us a line.

~Karin Pooley

We Recruiters really want to know one thing when it comes to candidates: “Are you the ideal candidate for our client?”  However the answer isn’t a simple yes or no as there are many layers that Recruiters consider.

• Do you have the right skill set and education that is necessary for the role?
• Do you come from a similar industry to that of our client?
• What type of environment are you going to thrive in? (After all, we do want you to succeed!)
• Are you motivated for a new career for the right reasons?  (Hint: money shouldn’t be the first one because it takes more than money to support your success).
• And finally, are you excited about the opportunity?

Why do you need to consider these questions?  Because it will save you and your Recruiter a whole lot of time and energy.  You are the only one who knows yourself well enough to know whether an opportunity is the right one for you.  Is it in an industry you love or always wanted to try and work in?  Is it a role that intrigues you, excites you and captivates you?  Is it with a company that you admire or that you heard has an excellent culture? 

It is one thing to hear us out about the newest Marketing Manager role or that sought after Web Developer position, but it’s an entirely different thing to be honest about whether or not you truly have the skills (and desire) to knock it out of the park.  This is probably the biggest frustration for us Recruiters; candidates applying for a job that doesn’t match their experience or skill set in anyway.  So save you and your Recruiter time - know thyself. 

If you are on the job search and are considering working with a recruiter, download our whitepaper to get some more insight on the recruiter/candidate relationship.