Where we are at now?
I recruit for all types of recruitment businesses and represent all levels of recruiters, although generally I tend to specialise more in very experienced individuals, given my tenure in the sector, from a peerage perspective.
As someone who physically enters and immerses themselves into their clients cultures, getting to know their processes, nuances, systems, culture inside out, there really is no parity across recruitment generally speaking.
There is still a disparity with recruitment companies embracing social media policies within their candidate and brand strategies, database systems used with how that management data is used to a business’ advantage; there will always be a vast contrast in the operation of a business and how it uses KPIs and other measures of its performance to manage the staff billing the revenue.
There are so many options on the market for software, databases, integrated systems to bring you the best candidates, quicker, faster straight to your pc. Who needs to headhunt, right?
Reflection
Who would have predicted 10 yrs ago how recruitment would look now in 2015. I set my business up in 2005 (yes my 10 yr anniversary in October!) and as long as you had a fairly decent website and a mobile, you were sorted! Can you imagine doing that now? I can recall clients saying their biggest threat/worry was competitors and job boards.
LinkedIn and Facebook- friend of foe?
As we all know now, the fact you are reading this via a social media link somewhere, we haven’t made ourselves extinct. Yet! Sensible recruiters have either been trained properly in HOW to use social media and how each application is relevant to that audience. Having said that, I hear regular anecdotes of those who seem to think it is a free for all and a blanket approach to potential candidates is a wise attraction method- NOT!
Face2face or Skype
I personally meet every single candidate and client I represent- however, that is because I focus purely on the local area so it is physically possible for me to do so. I advocate the use of skype and facetime for those who cover a vaster/international areas as at least then you can watch and observe in the next best way. (although personally, i get distracted by my own camera and feel very vain flicking my hair and fiddling with my pen!)
There are pros and cons of how the recruitment landscape looks currently, aren’t there and personally, I think there is a definite trend towards the “old skool” approach of personal recommendations, a more quality focused approach (well, this has been my focus for 10 yrs+ anyway….)
So what will the recruitment market place look like in 2025?
Specialists and exclusive
I predict we will see a more clearly defined split in the market into market and discipline specialists. Recruitment is all about being the “go to” person and I think in any over crowded market place, discerning job seekers will grow to realise the benefit in trusting the one person to do this.
Recruitment companies should think about this now and incorporate it into their training of staff and ensure they have an incentive too to get the best candidates ring fenced.
Candidate led
As skills shortages continue in the growth markets such as technology and manufacturing to name just two, I think that most perm and interim market will remain very candidate short and therefore recruitment companies should think about this when setting targets and their methods of recruiting now. Focus on what the candidates need not just the clients briefs!
Technology
I think that mobile technology will be the main focus as it already is for large employers; how does your website and candidate attraction work on mobile?
Will robots replace humans by then? Well, I think that portal based recruitment already removes the human element for large scale based clients. There is already a backlash against this way of recruiting and I think we will see a rise in RPO providers to bring back the human element for these sized projects.
Therefore, recruitment businesses need to ensure they have a robust training and development program to allow their hires now and in the future adapt a reactive style to a much more proactive one to ensure they are not left behind in the past as so many are. I hear of many draconian style recruitment businesses who are stuck in the 1990s (“time for the guru!”) and refuse to adapt or move ahead of the curve.
What do you think? What will recruitment look like in 2025? I hope I am still recruiting then, with as much passion and love for the sector as I have now. Will you still be in recruitment or not? As always I want to know your predictions and whether you agree with my forecast. See you in 2025 to see if I was right!
