This change will mean more placements

Should Agency recruiters turn their definition of a ‘good client‘ on its head?

There are limited candidates. These candidates have wildely changing priorities.

Are we being smart enough about where the likely hire actually is?

For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I have started to feel that smaller and medium-sized businesses are securing an advantage over the big corporations when attracting talent.

The motivation and aspirations of ‘candidates’ have changed so significantly that in many cases, the ‘benefits’ that big companies offer, like brand and great offices, and career opportunities and visibility, are just not that important to many.

This is a generalisation, but often more prominent corporations have a cumbersome and inflexible hiring process. It was designed for that era when the hiring boot was on the employer’s foot.

Now, smaller companies are sometimes more agile, more in tune, closer to their employees, and they work much harder to understand candidate ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors.

Many smaller businesses are closer to understanding the shift in candidate motivation. It is not just salary and a corner office anymore. Instead, it’s nuanced, complex, and particular to the individual.

In some quarters, I almost feel the pendulum has swung so far that people have become sceptical of the motivations of big organisations. This is often unfair, but there are so many stories of corporate malpractice, poor staff treatment, wage theft and previously high-profile businesses now with damaged employer brands. A massive social media company comes to mind. Wasn’t that a cool place to work 5 or 10 years ago? The coolest? Many would not even give working there a second thought now.

People’s values have shifted. Their priorities have been re-calibrated. And this has collided with an evolving labour market where they have more choice than ever.

The implications of this for hiring managers and talent acquisition professionals is so fundamental, I wonder how so many of them are still being slow to react.

You will end up like one of my favourite restaurants in Sydney.

Open only three days a week because they simply cannot get staff.

But recruitment agencies must sharpen up fast too, because surely it follows. Agency recruiters have always prized ‘bagging the elephant‘. A big brand name on our client roster! Lots of hires. Everyone wants to work there.

But that may no longer be true. Candidates seek something different. You know this because they are turning down offers you would expect them to accept, and taking counteroffers, and much more besides

The definition of a good client is one who works hard to attract and hire good people. Works in partnership with you. Moves fast.

And most importantly, where candidates WANT to work!

Think about it.

We have always thought ‘getting an offer’ for our candidates is the holy grail. Not anymore

Put your energy where the acceptance will come.

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