By Christo Badenhorst, Director at Search Partners International

Before the onset of COVID 19, changes in the recruitment industry were already occurring. Recruitment, being a dynamic industry, is always looking for new ways to find, attract and hire possible talent, and as the world changes so do these processes. Welcome to the new age of recruitment.

“Just as with all businesses, change is inevitable, and when it comes to recruitment in order to find and retain the best of the best, there needs to be a move with the times, and not against it,” comments Christo Badenhorst, Director at Search Partners International.

“It is no good sticking to the same process when the candidates’ themselves as well as their skill sets are evolving, the way in which business is conducted is taking a new path and new job positions that didn’t exist before are being created every day.”

Although change is a fear that many have, standing still should create more fear. Bringing the changes of the world into recruitment allows new avenues to be explored and developed:

• Being proactive, instead of reactive is important for a recruitment team to stay relevant. Simply waiting for candidates to apply for a position is not doing a service to the client. A candidate is someone who suits the role of the position, whether they are available or not, and if it is the latter, it is the recruiters job to make them excited about an opportunity they didn’t know they were looking for. These individuals will not be on any competitor’s radar, and therefore is the perfect person with whom to grow and cultivate long term relationships.

• Make technology work for your benefit. Artificial intelligence can be used to help identify and streamline the candidates that suit the role. Making use of tools such as Chatbot to access candidates and direct them to positions suitable to them; Sentiment Analysis to adjust a job’s specs to make sure that there is no off-putting or bias language; and, Talent Rediscovery which can be used to scan data records and find previous candidates who are suitable for a position that needs to be filled.

• Online meetings grew in popularity over the past year, and this is a tool that recruiters should be making use of when conducting interviews. No longer is a candidate too far away to be considered for a position, or for an interview to happen.

• Almost everyone’s lives are on social media, and although this isn’t a “credible” place to research candidates, except for the possibility of LinkedIn, finding out more about a candidate before interviewing them and referring them to a client might prove useful.

Recruiters are no longer just recruiters – they need to be able to take part in digital research, create a brand that candidates want to be a part of and network every chance they get.

“Training recruiters to not only approach candidates who apply for positions, but to grow business and create relationships through proactive engagement is the best option for the recruitment industry. Recruiters need to grow with the recruitment agency and create opportunities while embracing a new age of recruitment,” explains Christo.