Recently, I had a couple of aha moments in my career. I have been recruiting for 17 years and have seen many changes due to several factors. Factors that include:
- How utilizing technology has recruiters changing their ways
- How one seeks and chooses to work with a search firm
The role technology is playing in recruitment
My first aha moment came when reflecting on how technology has changed our industry. I remember the days when I had to pick up the phone book and start calling, asking questions, and building relationships and trust, now we can research, connect online and send a message in seconds. The effort to connect with people has changed. Some would say this is lazy, and others would say this is efficient.
Technology has made our research more efficient but we have lost the need or desire for the personal touch to reach out and find the right people and we are paying the price. I think our industry is getting slack. I am hearing the objections when asking clients with previous experience when dealing with search firms: “The quality isn’t there”, “The prices are high for the results”, and “The service is OK at best, we could do better internally.”
What has changed? We are missing that human connection, therefore, missing key elements of the right fit for the right culture. I believe technology has made our research more efficient but our actual efforts to reach out and connect have made some of us lazy. Technology has abled us to lose our creativity, and our drive to continually connect with the top performers and stay connected. It is so easy to send a message to a stranger and not have to build that trust, there is no motivation to stay relevant. Don’t get me wrong, technology is a great resource but it’s just one resource. Our value is our expertise, our ability to build relationships with key stakeholders and our dedication to finding the right people using multiple methods and resources.
The difference between national firms and boutique firms
My second realization was that when you shop for a recruitment firm, you may not want to understand our process. Essence has worked really hard on the process and is proud of our results. This is how we have been promoting our value ad, thinking this is what you want to know when making a decision to hire a search firm. We were wrong. At the end of the day, you want the best of the best, no matter how we do it, just get us the best because that is what we are being paid for.
Even so, I would encourage you to ask about the process and WHO is leading it. National firms vs boutique firms, what’s the difference? National firms seem to be ideal, as they market their national reach but at the end of the day, who is the person behind the recruit and do they really seek to understand your company and who you are looking for or are you a transaction? As a boutique firm, I am proud of our process and because we live and breathe it, our results haven’t changed. We still recruit the best FIT for your culture with personalized service. We don’t believe in quantity; we believe in quality.
Overall, we are successful at what we do because we build trusting relationships. Yes, we have implemented tools, software, and analytics to our process, but we ensure that is not what makes the final decision. It’s about the person behind the name and title.
It’s about having a live conversation, not relying on an impersonal message, a text or an email. As a recruiter, I want to get to know you, the person, not just what you can do. As a company, we work hard at our process to ensure we have the right FIT for your culture. Besides, would you not want to work with a local company, support your local economy, and stand behind the expertise in your own community? If you are looking for a personalized recruitment firm, let’s connect.
