Friday, September 5, 2008

Inside Recruitment & Talent Development

Web technology for recruiting: The basics still count

In this new age of recruiting, where 24/7 means 24/7 and “implementation” and engagement are the new buzzwords, knowledge is practically fed to us intravenously. How we organize information has inspired a new push toward the use of technology in the recruiting industry.

In fact, many offerings are provided at no cost to the audience that they are marketing to — the job seeker or the recruiter. With these technologies, the recruiting process is streamlined. Recruiters have access to more knowledge. They have the opportunity to market themselves to a wider audience, and they have access to strategic opportunities that help penetrate and develop a network of human capital previously out of reach.

The recruiters who are able to adapt to using technology as a medium for attracting the right person for the right organization are the ones who will succeed. And attracting the best human capital means broadening the recruiter’s online marketability, as well as devoting time and resources to researching technologies that open previously hidden doors. If the basics are your foundation, technology and the use of it are the new tools of the trade.

The basics of recruiting are key: You establish yourself with a strong work ethic, with the recognition that the more you know, the better you serve, and that it’s not the size of your network, it’s the depth of it.

Technology is a bridge to efficiency, not a way to bypass picking up the phone and cold calling, or getting out there and participating in networking events and placing recruiters visibly within associations where they can contribute and network. There are no shortcuts in recruiting; the phone is still the No.1 connection to candidates and clients. Personality doesn’t permeate as well via e-mail, instant messaging or a FaceBook page. “Virtual gifts” do not replace the “Let’s catch up over dinner and drinks” meeting. Recruiters still must put themselves in front of as many people as possible. Using technology to improve your game is important, but the basics are what establish respect as an expert who can attract top talent.

Networking in the online social medium as well as online interaction and presentation are important adaptations. These days, if you aren’t “Googleable,” you just aren’t there. Blogs, online articles and social networking are key factors to marketing yourself as a strategic human capital partner. It’s not just about pushing paper and it never really was. Clients want to involve recruiters in the bigger picture, and depend on them to understand how they can attract the best talent. It has become more important that recruiters establish themselves as experts who can offer expertise on the current job marketplace.

The recruiting business has one consistency — it will push you to continually improve your business acumen. A willingness to be malleable to new ways of recruiting and an ability to quickly filter through the latest technologies will provide a recruiter with better opportunities to connect with the right people. Recruiting has, like the rest of the marketplace, amended itself to include ways to streamline, to give you the ability to take in more information and filter it more efficiently. No feedback from your client? Send an IM. Want to know what your candidate is doing right now? Check out Twitter. Looking for a new introduction? Visit LinkedIn. And last, a vital component to organizing a recruiting network is a dashboard or candidate tracking application, preferably a web-based product to help keep that information at your fingertips by pulling it all into one neat little organized package.

Recruiting definitely has cool, new, online technology tools. Adopt the tools that help to improve your recruiting process and give yourself access to candidates who live and play in a technology-driven society. If not, you’ll lose your strategic edge and find out just how quickly you’re left scrambling to catch up.

 

Jennifer Tortorella is a director at FootBridge Co., an Andover-based staffing company. She can be reached at 978-474-4455.