Door 18 of our #TRN Advent Calendar is Lisa Jones of Barclay Jones with what is going to be big in 2018 for the recruitment industry.
‘What’s going to be big in 2018 for the recruitment industry?’
There’s a lot of talk about innovation and technology (which should be seen as two different things). AI theoretically will be “big” – but for who? I suggest that it’ll help internal recruiters develop faster screening processes, but this could be to the detriment of the agency recruiter. And when it comes to technology, I often find that recruiters have got too much tech and not enough process… and this is coupled with recruitment leaders yelling “get on the phone”. So – what’s big in 2018? The recruiter. • Trained recruiters • Using tech to drive process, not replace it • Candidates who want to speak to recruiters, as recruiters have invested time in them – and the same for clients… GDPR will be BIG, but I hope it’ll simply be a catalyst for recruiters to really “get good” at recruitment and capitalising on the relationship economy which is driving business.
‘What should we be leaving behind in the year 2017’
We did a lot of work on this with recruitment leaders in 2017 and have our own ebook on this. The consensus was:
“less systems more process”
Recruiters suffer from FORMO (Fear Of Recruiters Missing Out) and this is demonstrated through the amount of systems / apps / extensions / job boards that they have, just to deliver their roles. The recruiting process has been so disrupted that the average recruiter cannot pin-point their cost of hire or time to hire and thus they compete on price… and we know that this creates a fight to the bottom!
Let’s start 2018 with the goal of getting back to the process – speaking to people, generating equity with our 3Cs (candidates, clients and consultants) and demonstrating our worth as way beyond matching candidates to jobs.
“less content more marketing”
Content has become a goal in itself, and I’m not sure that this is right. It’s a strategy for generating the 3Cs (clients, candidates, consultants) and should be created with that goal in mind.
‘What can recruitment companies do right to be ready for the future’
Simply put:
1. Define your process 2. Refine your Systems and data 3. Train your staff 4. Market your business
The industry is having a crisis of confidence. This is what I hear when I go into a recruitment leader meeting:
“why can’t they just get on the phone?” “what’s the coolest tool for recruiters?” “how can I find more talent?” “why are my staff not using my CRM?” “why am I spending so much on job boards?” “why am I only placing 2 out of every 10 jobs I am given?” “GDPR – I’m scared about the impact and I am hearing too many conflicting messages”
It all comes back to thinking about what you NEED not just WANT.
GDPR is of course a wakeup call. It’s the excuse you have for dealing with all of the above and generating a genuine reason for candidates, clients and consultant to want to work with you. And these 3Cs are the key to your growth.
Lisa Jones helps recruitment leaders, IT leaders and recruitment marketers to set ROI-led goals and use recruitment technology and digital marketing strategically. ROI is key!
She’s a keen technology strategist and recruitment advocate. She’s passionate about making a difference to recruiting firms. As a founder of Barclay Jones, Lisa brings a wealth of experience in recruitment technology and digital marketing. Clients love her passionate, strategic and impartial advice and how she challenges their processes and helps them to grow their businesses.
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