The Future Of Recruitment: How Things Could Change

The recruitment industry is constantly changing. 

In the last decade alone it has changed vastly. Thanks to social media you can reach more candidates than ever before and also anywhere in the world with just a click of a button. Whereas, before you had to advertise a vacancy in a newspaper column or magazine, sometimes even just stick a piece of paper in a window and hope the right person saw it. 

On a similar note, networking has bloomed with most of the world using the internet. No longer do you have to attend post-work events, where if you did not attend then you were missing out until you could find another one. With LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc you can network with whomever you want whenever you want.  

Video interviewing is not only easier but has also come into fruition. If a candidate was overseas it would cost a lot for either them or you to fly them to an interview. Of course, over the last year video interviewing has become all the more popular and necessary. 

These are but a few ways in which the world of recruitment has drastically changed in such a short period of time. 

So, what does the future of recruitment hold?

The obvious stuff

So there are a few changes that are all but set in stone coming to us, and some are already here. Let me preface these and say that the world of recruitment is going to rely on technology more than ever before.

It was expected that technology would be used more in 2020 than previous years, however, I’m not sure anyone predicted quite how much. Almost all recruitment will be done via technology certainly until the pandemic is over, however it may be that things don't ever go back to how they were before 2020. 

Working from home. Many companies have had to begin working from home and recruitment agencies are no different. Many businesses, however, have come to the conclusion that this method of work works for them. Working from home allows more flexible working hours, which makes it easier to do things such as the school run. However, recruiters often like to get to know candidates and employers. This is where video calls come in. 

Video meetings and interviews. So when you have worked out your set up and know which buttons to press and not press, online conferences can work really well. As lots of people aren’t allowed to meet up with others, or even leave their house, video meetings have become more and more crucial throughout the year, and that too is not likely to change. 

Finding a time that works for both parties can sometimes be difficult when booking an interview, however, with the option of a video call it can be done at midnight if that is really what you want.  Whilst video conferences are not a new concept, they are something that will be implemented more and more throughout recruitment. 

Remote onboarding. There are often a lot of forms to fill in when you start a new job, there may be some learning material to go through, an employee’s handbook etc. It’s recommended you read all those sorts of things.

Along with companies working from home, there are also ones cropping up that have no offices and therefore, the only option will ever be to work from home. So what do you do to get them started? Well, one good thing to come from remote onboarding is you save a lot of money on printing. Contracts and all the other required paperwork can now be done electronically as well as said employee's handbook. 

It is imperative that you send out any equipment an employee may need early, it won’t look good if it comes to their first day, but the laptop you promised them hasn’t arrived in time. 

Setting up some scheduled video meetings will be necessary to ensure you can not only answer any questions they may have but also get up to speed on company culture and make sure they get to know people on the team as best as possible. 

Trust and Relationships

Recruitment agencies work a lot through trust and the relationship they have with their clients and candidates, this is becoming more true all the time. Word of mouth/social media is a very powerful tool which can both make and break your company. At Cameron Kennedy, we take our relationships with all clients incredibly seriously and want to keep those intact. 

To protect brand integrity we also do background checks to ensure you get the best of the best, this is something that we believe will be more and more important as time goes on. It should perhaps go without saying, however, recruitment firms need to be robust financially to make sure Contractors get paid.

Mentality

Working from home has many benefits both for the employee and the company, however, there are downsides too. It becomes increasingly difficult to maintain a healthy work/life balance when the two are in the same place. This can lead to a lack of motivation causing complacency and laziness. 

What happens when your recruiters stop going the extra mile to help candidates? Word of mouth comes into play again. Candidates aren’t happy as you didn’t find them a job. Clients aren’t happy because you didn’t fill their position, or you filled it with a lacklustre candidate. 

Candidates searching for a job could also be going through a tough time. They don’t have much to do and they don’t know what is happening with their career. Ensuring you have regular check-ins and keep them up to date will not only make them like your agency more. It could do them the world of good, just by having you do your job properly. 

At Cameron Kennedy, we pride ourselves with consistently and constantly maintaining a passion, not for recruitment, but recruitment excellence. By making sure our candidates are doing well, we inspire ourselves to work harder and make more clients happier and happier. 

We have an enviable reputation in our chosen specialisms and are able to provide innovative recruitment solutions to clients and candidates alike. We pride ourselves on the number of excellent job opportunities we are able to provide our candidates access to and the committed delivery service we offer our clients.

We seek to partner clients and candidates by offering a professional, personalised and transparent service. Our aim is to ensure that candidates are introduced to positions and companies that will enhance their careers and that clients meet applicants who will fit their specific requirements and add value to their organisation. Our aim is to treat both candidates and clients with integrity and honesty both during and after the recruitment process.

If you want to know any more or would like to work with us, get in touch today. 

https://www.cameronkennedy.com | [email protected]