Say goodbye to “post and pray” recruitment

A paradox has emerged in the search for talent. There are more people working than ever, but it’s never been harder for companies to find the right candidates for the roles they want to fill. This is because the best people don’t go looking for jobs. They know they’re in demand, and so do their employers – who are doing everything possible to keep them happy.

This doesn’t mean great candidates aren’t open to a career move, but it does mean that a traditional “post and pray” approach to recruitment no longer works. In fact, recruitment itself is an antiquated term. This is the age of talent acquisition, where social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook have created a more transparent and fluid exchange of information between companies and the people they want to reach.

Professionalise your practice

The biggest change for talent acquisition specialists is that their role is becoming more specialised. Companies need people who understand the industry they’re recruiting for as much as they understand the recruitment process itself. Being aware of major industry trends and keeping an eye on how competitors are performing have become just as important as the ability to engage candidates directly.

The job has also gotten more technical. In addition to amazing people skills, talent experts need the technology skills to track candidates down and manage a fluid talent pool. They also need a high level of business acumen to be strategic and choose the best people to serve the organisation’s wider ambitions.

Whether working with in-house specialists or external firms, companies need to professionalise their practice. At Siemens, we created an internal talent acquisition organisation across our entire global operation. We’re a global business but we know one size doesn’t fit all, so we split our talent acquisition practice into regional teams and managers to maintain a local presence and expertise.

Work with systems that can support a more fluid approach

When trying to attract a passive candidate, it’s unlikely they will make a decision overnight. It often takes weeks (if not months) of back and forth to build a relationship with them before they actually consider a move.

This is another area where the “post and pray” approach falls short. Without a system that allows them to identify candidates, secure their information in a centralised talent pool, and engage with them regularly, businesses will struggle to maintain and nurture these relationships.

Candidates are also more likely to engage with a potential employer that has a modern application and recruitment system. Good people have no patience for filling out long forms to share their details – they’re comfortable enough in their current roles to avoid the headache and will just quit after 30 seconds. An ideal process involves minimal clicks. For instance, we give candidates the option to share their data by simply uploading their CV to our talent acquisition portal. This experience is more convenient for candidates and so intuitive for our talent acquisition teams that they didn’t even require additional training.

Be patient, but not too patient

While it takes time to build relationships with potential hires, the quality of candidate you end up with is often directly related to how long it takes to find them. Great candidates are contacted each week by a wide range of companies, and if you take too long to get them interested they will have no shortage of offers from the competition. Speed is of the essence, making it even more crucial to deliver a seamless and personalised journey from first contact through to hiring.

A final word on data privacy

As with most functions in a modern business, the advances we’re seeing in talent acquisition are built on a more advanced approach to data. New analytics technologies are enhancing the function, but we have to be careful about how we use the data candidates share.

There’s no need to dig around people’s Facebook pages or try to build psychological profiles for them. These tactics not only reflect a lack of integrity, they tend to result in unconscious biases. Privacy and security are paramount. In addition to robust security systems and controls, companies need to be open with potential hires on how their data will be used and stay true to this.

Finally, there is also an education piece to be done internally. In addition to being trained on how to make the most of candidate data, talent acquisition teams must be qualified to handle that information responsibly. With the right mix of technology and safety measures, businesses can make the most of the information they collect and find new ways to attract good people in today’s highly competitive environment.