Recruiters need to re-invent themselves, not hide behind technology, says Savage
26 November 2013
A global ‘re-invention of everything’ is changing the way recruitment must be done in the future, according to Greg Savage, international speaker and consultant on staffing issues and social media.
Tue, 26 Nov 2013 | By Vanessa TownsendA global ‘re-invention of everything’ is changing the way recruitment must be done in the future, according to Greg Savage, international speaker and consultant on staffing issues and social media.
In this second report from his masterclass, hosted last week in London by Elite Recruitment Network and attended by Recruiter, Savage gave a number of examples from the world around us as to why he believes recruitment agencies should become social recruitment companies.
He cited the music industry, which has gone from vinyl records, cassettes and CDs to downloads, meaning artists and music labels are having to make their money performing live; photography, where the film has all but died and pictures can now be captured digitally on a phone; and job advertising, which has gone from classified ads, to job boards and moving on to social media.
As many of the established names have vanished or had to transform, such as the pioneer of the photographic film Kodak, similarly recruiters need to re-evaluate what they are doing. “You need to shift or you will be ‘Kodaked’,” Savage told the audience. “Your current recruitment business model is broken. It needs to be rebuilt.”
Savage came down hard on recruitment companies who were hiding behind technology. “Many of your recruiters are using technology when they should use human interaction. We no longer speak on the phone, let alone meet clients or candidates face to face.”
He also urged recruiters to ban the use of the term “passive candidate”. He explained that not everyone is looking for a job but everyone is available to change jobs if the right job is presented. The aim of a recruiter is to “seduce unique talent”, he said.
“Just about everything that is scary about the future of recruitment is to do with candidates, not clients,” Savage stressed. Talent identification is available to all, but “unless you have a social media strategy”, recruiters will just be sourcing data and “not recruiting”.
However, he emphasised that social media is “not an overt sales tool – it’s not a place to sell jobs”. Indeed, Savage told the audience they should always reply to posts on social media. “You have to truly engage,” he said.
It’s a tool to build credibility and loyalty – to build a talent community, he argued. “The future of recruitment depends on the ability of your company to build a brand that resonates with your target audience,” he said. “Talent pools aren’t good enough.
“Community is so powerful. No one can steal your community; it can’t walk out the door with your consultant [when they leave the company].”
Vanessa Townsend
In this second report from his masterclass, hosted last week in London by Elite Recruitment Network and attended by Recruiter, Savage gave a number of examples from the world around us as to why he believes recruitment agencies should become social recruitment companies.
He cited the music industry, which has gone from vinyl records, cassettes and CDs to downloads, meaning artists and music labels are having to make their money performing live; photography, where the film has all but died and pictures can now be captured digitally on a phone; and job advertising, which has gone from classified ads, to job boards and moving on to social media.
As many of the established names have vanished or had to transform, such as the pioneer of the photographic film Kodak, similarly recruiters need to re-evaluate what they are doing. “You need to shift or you will be ‘Kodaked’,” Savage told the audience. “Your current recruitment business model is broken. It needs to be rebuilt.”
Savage came down hard on recruitment companies who were hiding behind technology. “Many of your recruiters are using technology when they should use human interaction. We no longer speak on the phone, let alone meet clients or candidates face to face.”
He also urged recruiters to ban the use of the term “passive candidate”. He explained that not everyone is looking for a job but everyone is available to change jobs if the right job is presented. The aim of a recruiter is to “seduce unique talent”, he said.
“Just about everything that is scary about the future of recruitment is to do with candidates, not clients,” Savage stressed. Talent identification is available to all, but “unless you have a social media strategy”, recruiters will just be sourcing data and “not recruiting”.
However, he emphasised that social media is “not an overt sales tool – it’s not a place to sell jobs”. Indeed, Savage told the audience they should always reply to posts on social media. “You have to truly engage,” he said.
It’s a tool to build credibility and loyalty – to build a talent community, he argued. “The future of recruitment depends on the ability of your company to build a brand that resonates with your target audience,” he said. “Talent pools aren’t good enough.
“Community is so powerful. No one can steal your community; it can’t walk out the door with your consultant [when they leave the company].”
Vanessa Townsend
