10 Years of Changes in the Recruiting Landscape

Ten Years. It’s a significant amount of time. In a decade, a child can grow into a teen, a sapling can turn to a tree, a new computer can become an antique, and a startup can become an industry stalwart. And in ten years, an entire industry can change so significantly that when you look back, it’s hard to recognize parts of it at all.

In the last ten years, the recruiting landscape has both changed dramatically and stayed the same. While we’ve seen a proliferation of tools and technologies, even new processes and philosophies surrounding the craft of recruitment…we’ve also struggled through recessions and tight talent markets, sought the same purple squirrel candidates, and wrestled with the fact that even the largest pile of resumes and profiles doesn’t mean you have even ONE truly qualified candidate.

Considering the iPhone came out in 2006, and we all started using Twitter around 2008, ten years ago meant our industry was on the cusp of change. And not just us. Jobseekers were about to find new ways to look for work, surprising life decisions could trip up even the most intrepid prospective employee, and the perils of being always on, and always watched. Political views that may have been private a few years ago are now on display for potential employers. Misspellings on social posts now may indicate to a recruiter the person is not as qualified.

Employers as well have to be on their toes. From poor Glassdoor reviews to being roasted on Twitter for a poor interviewing experience, there are a hundred ways the new social and mobile transparency in the jobseeking process can hurt employers as well.

So how does the modern recruiter stay on top of all these tech trends? Well, the answer is by learning the new tool, understanding its flaws and strengths and ultimately, using it to our advantage.

Staying on top of social

Depending on who and where you recruit, social recruiting may not even BE an issue. But when it comes to certain industries and demographics, there is much to be said for learning how to recruit on social the right way. At IQTP, we’re able to have a significant presence both in our local area (Nashville) and our alumni network (Vanderbilt!) by focusing on what truly matters to us…our employees.

When people see our social feed, they see how we treat our amazing team, what they learn at IQTP, and get a glimpse into what it’s like to work here (hard but worth it!). Staying on top of social means NOT putting your ATS RSS on autopilot but letting your prospective talent pool see inside the windows of your opportunity.

Getting used to SMS

For many of us, recruiting via text was not even a possibility when we started. Today, so many candidates are not only interested in texts about potential opportunities, they prefer it. And, it just makes sense. 75% of US adults use a smartphone and 80% of people are now using text messaging for business in some fashion. Alerts about career fairs, reminders of upcoming interviews or referral nights, FAQs delivered before the first day are all ways you can use texting or SMS communications with your talent pool and employees to keep them updated, informed and coming back for new opportunities. Many recruiters aren’t aware that SMS recruiting can be combined with other, more traditional methods like email and (gasp!) an actual phone call.

Adjusting to AI

For many, the term AI conjures up thoughts of chatbots and auto schedulers, but the truth is, AI in recruiting is a MUCH bigger deal. AI can make the most of the ever-shortening employee tenure in a way many recruiters aren’t quite grasping yet.

In an era when recruiting leaders and practitioners are being asked to ensure retention or at least being held partially responsible for it, AI tech can shorten the screening and recruiting phases significantly. Artificial Intelligence, when used in matching and rematching (when a candidate applies for a job for which they are un- or under-qualified, and the technology then assists them with a more suitable role within the organization), can save sourcers and recruiters massive amounts of time in just one stage of the process.

Of course, chatbots and schedulers are also helpful from a recruiting administration or operations perspective, but if you’re worried about AI automating or replacing your job, don’t be. Just plan on what you’ll do with all that extra time!

Sticking with the standards

While lots of things change, it seems, even more things stay the same. For example, if you visited one of the many (although fewer than today) recruiting or HR conferences of ten years ago, you’d hear many of the same tenets coming from the stage as you do today.

“Don’t let candidates fall into the black hole…”

“Audit your own candidate experience…”

“Revisit your job advertisements…”

“Pick up the phone…”

All great advice, all still true.

A sourcer who loves the challenge of finding that perfect candidate isn’t going to change all that much despite the tools she uses or the new platforms she gets access to. A recruiter who can sell an executive opportunity to someone who wasn’t even thinking about a change a week ago will never be out of a job.

A lot has happened since IQTP opened its figurative doors ten years ago, but one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to the art and science that is recruiting. We’ve been thrilled to introduce concepts like our upcoming IQTalentX and our Diamond Recruiting methodology. We’re excited to be the innovators of offering sourcing and recruiting as a professional service with an hourly billing model, and we’re passionate about watching the recruiting profession grow and change.

Whatever the next ten years hold, we look forward to guiding our team and our partners through it; assisting and vetting new technology, researching and understanding how emerging tools can augment our processes, and training and building onto the tried and true standards that make this profession great.

This article was originally published on the IQTalent Partners Blog.

About Chris Murdock:

Chris Murdock is the Co-Founder and Senior Partner of IQTalent Partners. Chris has over 12 years of executive recruiting experience and leads search execution and client relationships along with supporting searches across the firm. Prior to Founding IQTalent Partners, Chris was a sourcer with Yahoo!’s internal Executive Recruiting team in the corporate offices in Sunnyvale, California. Previous to Yahoo!, Chris was an Associate in the Menlo Park, California office of with Heidrick & Struggles, where he recruited for software, hardware, professional services, and semiconductor clients. Before Heidrick & Struggles, Chris worked in the Retail Practice of TMP Worldwide in Atlanta, Georgia. While with TMP Worldwide, he worked on CEO, General Merchandise Manager, and various VP and Buyer level searches. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University.