Over the last five years, we have seen that the top concern of all executives is finding, hiring, and retaining talent. As we approach 2020, company leaders will still lose sleep. Want to put their minds at rest? Here are my top five skills recruiters will need to be successful in the coming decade.
Recruiting and Sourcing Will Become One and the Tools They Use Will Need to Be Used to Their Fullest Potential
Each group — recruiter and sourcer — will be required to do both. That is, recruiters must possess the ability to go out and source for candidates using tools such as ZapInfo, Hiretual, and Seekout, to name a few. Talk to the top sourcers in the space and ask about the tools they are using and how the impact their day-to-day ability to multitask.
Word of caution: Once you purchase the tools, dive in, and learn every functionality. In my opinion, recruiters and recruiting leaders purchase tools, use 35-40 percent of their functionality, and give up on the technology when they do not produce results. Purchase the right tools for your organization, understand and implement all of the tool’s capabilities, and be patient.
Post and pray will be dead. Recruiting and HR keaders will need to start equipping recruiters with the tools to find talent and hold recruiters accountable for engaging passive talent rather than waiting for them to apply.
Recruiters Will Need to Become Storytellers
Good marketers are excellent storytellers because they are explaining how purchasing a brand will make life better, easier, and worry-free. You can see the connection to the recruitment side of the house.
Storytelling will replace the boring job postings of regurgitated job descriptions and three to five- line job posts. They don’t work. Job postings no longer effectively attract and engage candidates.
Stories should be used in various forms on different channels, including video posts (see No. 3), interviews, and when closing candidates. The stories will need to strike a chord with candidates and resonate emotionally so that engagement takes place.
Videos and Live Events Will Be the New Way to Attract and Engage Candidates
I just attended the Video Marketing World Conference. I spoke with CEO Scott Simson about the importance of adding conference tracks on B2B, especially in attracting and engaging talent. The common theme that came out from speakers was that we should be focusing on videos now. In two years, you will be too late and the space will be too crowded. Recruiters and hiring managers should partner together in making the videos and telling a story about why their position and company are going to be the right opportunity.
It takes time, but make the time. You do not need expensive equipment. A mobile phone, a microphone, a tripod, and a well-lit room is all you need. Build out a content calendar (I have a tool I can share) and start with at least two videos per week to get your cadence and grow from there.
As for live events, they’re a terrific way to get the word out about multiple opportunities. I did this at the American Heart Association with Twitter and Periscope. We averaged 1M plus impressions with each show, and it helped us identify and hire five percent of our workforce each year. So many options with Facebook Live, Twitter Live, Instagram Live, and LinkedIn Live (still not being given to everyone just yet).
Invest in AI Platforms
The better terminology in our world is Automation. While we have heard a lot about it, HR and recruiting have not adapted as quickly as we should.
Organizations are looking to recruiting to hire faster, simpler, and cheaper. The AI tools in recruiting already here are sourcing tools, automated calendaring, automated assistants, texting engagement, hiring and matching platforms, as well as chatbots. These are the tools to be purchasing for 2020.
Applicant tracking systems will become obsolete if they do not fix the algorithms for recommended-opportunities messaging and their internal system-search features. The candidate experience will continue to push candidates away until systems determine how to identify returning candidates, know their skills, and suggest positions that match candidate qualifications.
Recruiters Become Hiring Manager Advisors
Serving as an advisor has helped me and my team’s success over the years. As an advisor (more in Washington, D.C.), you will need to become a better listener to effectively source, recruit, and deliver quality candidates to your hiring managers.
To be an active listener, you will also need to ask the right questions in your intake meeting.
Ask:
- How is this position making an impact on the company?
- What are some of the exciting projects this position will work on?
- Why choose this position over the same position with our competitors?
- What is the growth path for a person who takes this job?
The answers will help you develop your storytelling when speaking with candidates.
We all want our executives and hiring managers sleeping well at night. As you are building your budgets and strategy for 2020 and beyond, take advantage of the five action items above.
No longer will your executives be counting sheep, but they will be counting the dollars you are saving them while they sleep soundly.