Why Traditional Recruitment Models Are No Longer Enough

Traditionally, internal recruitment meant posting an ad on a job board or even in the newspaper. You would sit back and wait for applications to come through and pick out the ones that looked suitable based on keywords within their CV. Those would be shortlisted and sent to the hiring manager. From here, a telephone or face-to-face interview would be organised and the most suitable candidate from that group would be offered the role.

Organisations sticking to this traditional approach are really missing out. Not all the best talent are on job boards or even actively applying for roles. It’s up to us as recruiters to reach out to those passive candidates, build talent pools and network. These techniques not only mean potentially finding the best candidates but also a huge opportunity to increase company and personal branding.

Issues facing recruitment today

Complacency

The sad reality is that people aren’t open to moving with the times and keeping up with all the new platforms, processes and training provided to us to succeed. These are all being created to make our lives as recruiters not only easier but also more professional. When recruiters fail to adapt to modern methods it slows the hiring process down and provides an unacceptable service to candidates and stakeholders.

Reputation

With competition for talent at an all-time high, it’s no surprise that it’s a candidate-led market. A great candidate will end up with five offers at the end of their job search. Statistics show that 38% of candidates who are happy with their application and interview experience are more likely to accept a job offer at the end of the process. Likewise, 87% of people say a positive recruitment experience can completely change their opinion on a company they were once hesitant about. As an internal recruiter, we are the face of the brand and should be providing both candidates and stakeholders with a seamless experience to ensure a positive reputation is kept.

Misconception

There’s some general confusion about what recruitment is and the processes involved. Line managers tend to think recruitment simply involves giving a role to an external agency to fill. But this isn’t recruitment – it’s coordinating a hire. Hiring managers often believe that working with multiple recruiters is better, which is also incorrect. The recruitment process becomes messy when too many people are involved, which is why education is key to ensuring everyone understands their role in the process.

Changes to the recruitment landscape

Historically, everything was done ‘by the book’ and there wasn’t a lot of flexibility. In recent years, the power dynamic has really shifted and employees now have more of a voice. Baby boomers and Gen Xers came in with the mentality that the company dictates the way they operate. Millennials and Gen Zs have higher expectations and more of an opinion. With millennials now making up nearly 50% of the workforce, businesses are becoming more proactive and entrepreneurial around the way they’re recruiting, so they can set themselves apart from their competition.

Over the next five years, we will begin to see metrics becoming more of a necessity. Time to hire is one thing, but a recruiter’s quality of hire is another. Hiring quickly doesn’t necessarily mean hiring the best. We need to dive more into answering the question, ‘What’s the quality of that hire?’.

Cover letters and resumes could also begin to be phased out, as platforms like LinkedIn become more popular. We are also likely to see businesses and recruiting teams continue to phase out traditional recruiters.

There’s talk that recruitment will die altogether due to technology, but this certainly doesn’t need to be the case if we’re using the platforms correctly. If anything, the need for recruitment specialists in tech and for individuals with an understanding of analytics and recruitment marketing will become more critical as competition increases.

It’s also predicted that technology will take over and automated recruitment software will be the only tool needed to recruit. The reality is, computers will never be able to have that human touch and get a true sense of someone’s personality or culture fit for an organisation.

Innovative recruitment strategies to stay ahead

A common problem is that not all companies work closely with their HR teams. Once the hiring stage is complete, it then becomes a matter of retaining that talent. This can be done by providing training and guidance, ensuring a safe and compliant workplace and offering useful and worthwhile employee benefits.

In an ideal world, individuals would come to recruitment or HR to discuss internal career progression. It would then be down to both teams to work together and help guide that person along the right path.

To stay ahead, recruiters need to become more technical and strategic, able to analyse data and feed this back to the business/hiring managers, work with passive candidates, team up with new technology and effectively plan for the future.

Tools and technologies that aid effective recruitment strategies – and that we use at Flight Centre Travel Group – include:

• Video conferencing – tools like Zoom and Skype make it easy to accommodate interstate and international candidates. By implementing technology like video calls into the process, we make sure we’re not discounting a candidate simply because of their location.
• Mobile-compatible careers websites – the latest statistics tell us that nearly half of all website users in Australia browse on mobile devices. In light of these figures, having a mobile-compatible careers website is essential.
• Automated talent-sourcing platforms – there are a lot of start-ups in the market changing the way recruitment is done. They work alongside the internal recruitment team to attract and source top talent and remove the need for recruitment agencies. Powerful and very cost-effective stuff.
• Social media platforms – LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram are all being used more and more for advertising and company branding, as well as simply attracting talent.
• Psychometric testing software – psychometric tests are a scientific method used to measure candidates’ capabilities and behavioural style.

At Flight Centre Travel Group, we leverage technology and work closely with our HR functions to provide the best experience to our employees and candidates.

Although we’re not a tech company, we champion innovation, which is why we’re always looking for like-minded individuals who recognise the value of technology in doing better business.

If you’re interested in working at a company that’s committed to innovation in the recruiting process and beyond, stay tuned and keep an eye on the Flight Centre Travel Group's Careers page.