This morning as I opened my e-mail, I had this message from one of my social networks: “Nathalie, 520 of your contacts changed jobs in 2010!” Not only was I receiving direct statistics from my network, but I also had a list of the people concerned. With no direct effort on my part (I’ll get back to that, because nothing is free, and these results are actually the result of several years’ investment)—I have access to a current database corresponding to 20% of my contacts in this particular network. Now that’s interesting—very interesting!
None of the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software available on the market can compare to this information. Why? Because this would mean that the update has been done by a third party. Someone in the company has ensured that the information in the database is current, instead of the reverse, i.e. individuals themselves being responsible for updating their own profiles. The power of RSS feeds and social networks is huge for those who know how to harness it.
The former recruiter in me had a thought for her headhunter colleagues who are constantly pursuing this type of information. Which contact is working where and doing what? Who has changed jobs recently? And especially, how to keep track of people who leave without leaving an address or spontaneously updating their resumés in recruiters’ internal or external databases? Hello, anybody out there? Facebook, LinkedIn, Viadeo, and Spoke are now your new best buddies.
A recent Wall Street Journal article (that I shared via my LinkedIn and Twitter profiles) highlighted this phenomenon, saying that recruiters have no choice but to get organized in order to find candidates before they put themselves on the market and poach them before the competition does. The example given was that of several companies who use social networks more than other types of third-party job postings (including agencies and headhunters). Eighty percent of companies said they plan to increase their use of job board alternatives this year in favour of platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn and employee referrals. The power of niche job boards is on the rise; they weathered the latest recession with a much more targeted and segmented offering matching today’s need to favour quality and relevance over quantity. Potential candidates want to receive select, targeted ads directly on their cell phones rather than consult job sites.
Also very revealing is the tendency to hire internal recruiters with more of a headhunter, i.e. proactive profile, who use direct approach methods. No more scruples! For Sodexo in the U.S., recruiting is no longer about managing or administering the selection process, but of continually monitoring the market for talent. Intermediaries should therefore expect to suffer some consequences. Today, companies realize that corporate recruiters are flooded with unqualified applications, to the detriment of those from passive candidates (see my column on the art of recruiting passive candidates in February 2010). Recruiters who have become experts in the art of screening applications, managing the process and shuffling paper and e-mails will have to quickly recycle themselves in the “art of building and developing a contact network and becoming an expert headhunter.” Recruiting is no longer about posting job ads and waiting for applications from potential candidates, nor about hiring a recruiting firm and waiting for it to present you with applications, but about acting strategically by keeping some assignments in-house and working upstream of future needs to better anticipate and prepare for building a useful network.
We will soon be seeing two types of recruiters—the first are those who work internally on database maintenance and communicating with the market. While not all applications are qualified, they should be processed and answered out of respect for the individuals and the company’s corporate image. The second are those recruiters working in the field, at business and industry events, and in professional and alumni associations. In short, this type of recruiter will be closer to an ambassador in profile than a traditional recruiter.
What a great comeback for a profession that has not always been appreciated at its true value!
Nathalie Francisci, Adma, CHRP