The Search Business is Dead...or is it?

The Search Business is Dead….or is it?

Regardless of the industry you're in, there will be technology based advancements to streamline business or improve on inefficiencies.  For close to 20 years I’ve heard a common theme in the search business……”The Search Business is Dead”.  The comment is less than intelligent.... I've seen first-hand how technology can compliment the industry for internal recruiters and external search partners.  To compliment the negative sentiment from the uneducated, I've heard similar arguments and have read countless articles about how the end is near for the industry.   Most of the pessimism and negativity comes from underperformers in the industry, those who bounce from search firm to search firm, HR professionals who are really more administrators vs “people and culture strategists”, or those who are simply not understanding of the value a professional search firm can provide. 

For those who are passionate about the industry, adapt to some of the technology and philosophical changes, and continue to invest resources into the qualifying and research side of the business, and continue to nurture and build your client base, the industry will continue to flourish.  As many of you have noted, the human component within the qualifying of candidates is essential for most organizations and many organizations simply don't have the internal resources to allocate in order to eliminate external search firms.

Do you really expect that plugging in search parameters into a solutions platform will produce you the “ideal” candidate?  At best it will provide you with the names of individuals who potentially fit the criteria, however the most important part of the process relates to the qualifying, vetting, and overall validation of those individuals.  Are they even interested in the position and/or company, are they a cultural fit, are their remuneration expectations aligned, do they reside in the region, and can they actually support and back up the career which is posted on-line or on their resume?  This is just scratching the surface…..

The search industry was apparently "dead" when more companies invested in "internal recruiters", only to find that in many of these scenarios, leadership teams realized they were able to still identify more qualified and better quality candidates through external search partners.

The industry was also apparently "dead" when portals such as Monster, Workopolis, Indeed, and CareerBuilder entered the scene, only to find out that although they can play a part in the process, the quality of the candidates was sub-par and either unemployed for legitimate reasons or simply not employable.  If fact our firm has only seen between 4-8% of our placements from any form of portal since the introduction of these options.  LinkedIn has been a great tool to utilize in order to source potential candidates, but that is quite different than qualifying candidates based on other search criteria which you simply can't confirm with any search parameters, or technology advancements.  Bring on the algorithms,  technology, and any other advancements......each company is unique, industries differ, cultures change, and the human component to identify those softer skills, and actually see what a person is like in person vs on "paper" will continue to keep the search business alive and well.

Allan Welyk

President & Director

ELEVATE Search Group

6th Floor - 777 Hornby Street

Vancouver, BC  V6Z 2H7

Phone:(604) 678 5627 

Email: allan@elevatesearchgroup.com

Web:   www.elevatesearchgroup.com

Follow Elevate: www.twitter.com/ElevateSearch

People. Solutions. Culture. Results.

Elevate Search Group collaborates and partners with companies to identify, recruit, and retain top-tiered professionals within all levels of leadership and non-leadership careers within business development, sales, marketing, operations, human resource, and supply chain management. Our client profiles range from local, regional, national, and global organizations.

600-777 Hornby Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H7

604.678.5627

People. Solutions. Culture. Results.

www.elevatesearchgroup.com

Q3 Sees a Sharp Market Increase of Senior Level Professional Career Opportunities

The British Columbia career market, and Western Canada as a whole, has seen a welcomed “spike” in activity and all indicators are that it will continue.  Some of this activity is a direct result of confidence in the market and companies are starting to re-invest in attraction & retention programs in order to ensure they have access to top-tiered professionals relative to their scope of business. 

What’s Trending:

Expansion has been seen in most areas of technology, business to business, industrial automation, manufacturing, luxury retail, real estate/property management & construction, and the Non Profit sector. 

This includes a diverse selection of leadership and non-leadership careers within sales, marketing, operations, supply chain, technology, and human resource based disciplines.

It’s Competitive:

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a market such as this where it’s pretty much a guarantee that every offer being presented is being met with a competing offer from another employer or a counter offer from an existing employer.     

• Companies need to streamline their recruitment strategy and process.  Consider an “activity” a week in order to ensure that you hold the candidates’ interest level.
• Tell a story.  Candidates don’t need to be ‘sold’ per se, but they do want to see how passionate you are about the company and why your company should be their preferred choice.
•  Thoroughly understand the key motivators of the candidates’ interest and intention to consider your company.
•  Identify whether your selection group of candidates have other opportunities in play and where they are in process relative to yours.
•  Utilize your search firms expertise and knowledge of the market, and candidate,  in order to ensure a positive outcome and acceptance of your offer.

It’s a myth and misconception that top-level leaders and business professionals are always looking over their shoulder for the next opportunity.  Most of these individuals are definitely open to having a discussion, however in order for them to seriously consider making a move; it needs to trigger their motivators.  What motivates one individual, isn’t necessarily the same motivator for another.    Mitigating factors are:  cultural fit, brand of the company, future growth & development opportunities, remuneration, travel, and the unknown as it pertains to their family/personal situation.

Moving Forward:

Up until a couple of months ago, 2015 has been anything but stable in the West.  The current markets are much more stable and strong, and all indications are that this trend will continue.  We are seeing clients describe their projections for 2016 as cautiously optimistic and that the outlook for continued growth appears to be positive.

Discover What We Have To Offer….

Allan Welyk

President 

@fusiontweets

www.fusion-recruitment.com

Economic Downturn A Positive Outlook for Recruiters

How many times have you logged onto your favorite new blog or social media platform, picked up your local paper, dialed into your local news radio program, or caught the news headlines on your most watched TV station only to be barraged with economic doom and gloom?

Quite simply put, you have two options:  You can buy into the negative propaganda being forecasted in the media or you can take some initiative to make a difference in your organization.  This starts with your overall recruitment strategy and employee retention programs.

In 2008/ 2009, and recently at the beginning of 2015, a number of perspective clients had  indicated that due to the number of candidates on the market, they are going to recruit on their own as opposed to having a specialized recruitment firm manage the process and identify candidates on their behalf.  They are right about one fact;  there were more candidates available in the market.  That was clearly evident by scanning any of the on-line recruitment job boards.

What is actually happening in the market is that the majority of the candidates available through on line job boards are individuals you may not necessarily want on your team.  There is always that “diamond in the rough”, however these candidates tend to be the first wave that have been released from their employers due to the changes in the market, and they are also the same candidates having the most difficulty with finding a rewarding new career.  Companies tend to not release their top tiered employees at the first signs of economic challenge.  Whether these employees are in human resources, sales, marketing,  or operations,  top tiered employees are part of the longer term strategic plan and retention program for the company.

If you still decide to take a run at the on-line job boards, be prepared  for an ineffective use of your time as you start to review the plethora of real estate agents, mortgage brokers, investment advisors, insurance agents, and software sales reps…..all of whom are looking for a short term fix until the markets turn around again.

Partnering with a reputable recruitment firm that specializes in the area of your current recruitment needs will enable you to have access to top tiered candidates who are passively seeking a new career, enable you to have access to potential candidates from direct competitors, and be able to attract candidates with transferable skill sets if you are looking for an individual outside of your industry or sector.

An economic downturn is an ideal time for change.  The market is seeing more leadership positions becoming available simply due to companies realizing that they may have a better opportunity to attract direct or indirect competitors to their company.  Another benefit to the market is the opportunity to upgrade your sales and marketing teams, or to look at initiating new relationships with affiliated businesses and suppliers.

There is no hiding the fact that a number of industries and companies are being affected in today’s market.  How your company evolves through this challenge will in part be decided by being proactive with your recruitment strategies and ensuring that you have access to the most qualified and successful candidates on the market, as opposed to being able to attract the best of the unemployed.

Allan Welyk

President & Managing Partner

Fusion Recruitment Group

Is your HR team a hiring prevention department?

Having a “recruitment partner” is an essential piece to the overall success of your recruitment strategy for any organization.  Always remember that a professional recruiter works for the hiring company, not for the individual being sourced or applying to the position.

It is always a pleasure working with senior management groups who understand the importance of having access to the most qualified and successful candidates on the market.  When changes are being made within the company or if someone leaves unexpectedly, your recruitment partner should be one of the first contacts you reach out to.

If your policy is that the Human Resources department manages the tactical aspects of your recruitment strategy, ensure that they understand the value your recruitment partner brings to the table.  Your recruitment partner should be more than just funneling resumes; they should be an extension of your company which enables you the following:

• Ensures access to top tiered professionals based on your profile
• Understanding of your cultural dynamic
• Understanding of your business
• Validates the candidate through a thorough interview and qualification process
• Provides you with information as it relates to market conditions or the candidate landscape
• Compliments your corporate values, integrity, and ethics.

The challenge recruiter’s face is when your Human Resources department feels that they want to save money on paying a professional services fee and try recruit on their own.  This may show a short term cost savings, however it isn’t the answer to a long term recruitment strategy. 

Job boards, social networking sites, and employee referrals are not much different to running a newspaper ad (been a while since that happened…) and managing the resumes driven from those sources.  What your HR department is doing, is essentially enabling random access to the active job seeker who may or may not be qualified for the position or the company.   What they tend to find is the “best of the unemployed” vs targeting the top 20-30% of their preferred profile.  I’ll be the first to admit that you will may find a needle in a haystack, however this is the exception, not the rule.

Your recruitment partner enables you the access and validation you are looking for.  They take traditional, non-effective methods as well as proven direct sourcing methods and engage a process which will enable validation of a select group of qualified, top-tiered candidates for your team to consider.  Does your company want access to the best candidates, or does your company want to fulfill your recruitment strategy with limited access to the market?

Why would you not want to engage a partner who can assist you with sourcing, qualifying, and validating top-tiered candidates who could benefit your team?  The long term benefits of hiring the right candidate far exceeds the short term costs of utilizing a recruitment firm.  Job boards attract the best of the unemployed, social networking sites and employee referrals are random and potential candidates require validation.

Do you really feel that your human resources department and all of your hiring managers have the time and resources to thoroughly review, source, qualify, and validate these candidates?  Do they really understand the candidate landscape?  Are they understanding of the competitive compensation levels they are seeking?  Are they well versed with the intricasies of your business and market segment? Based on our experience, most companies would prefer their leadership groups to focus on what they are great at, and leave the sourcing and recruitment of candidates to a professional.

Allan Welyk, President & Managing Partner

Fusion Recruitment Group

allan@fusion-recruitment.com ; www.fusion-recruitment.com

Why headhunting is still the best option when looking to identify top-level talent

There are more ways than ever for companies to advertise roles. Their postings “spider” through the different portals and the end result is generally the same….Bringing a plethora of issues for both the candidate and the employer.  This generally consists of lethargic application processes for the candidate with little to no recourse on following up as to which black hole your resume now sits,  and for the company, trying to analyze and review 50-100 resumes where 95%+ of the applicants have no relevance in their career experience with the position.

Where does this leave the top-tiered  candidates? Will their application stand out in amongst so many applicants? What about providing feedback to everyone that applied? Does anyone really have the time to provide feedback to over 100 people for each role?  Are top-tiered candidates even applying to postings?  What is your recruitment strategy in order to attract these candidates to your organization?

It is usually the case that the best candidates do not have the time to be trawling the internet looking for their next role, because they are too busy doing a good job in their current role. They would rather be approached about a specific role that they can see offers them their next career move, than search job boards. They also benefit from the recruitment consultant selling them in to what they hope will be their future employer.  Time and time again we hear that our clients are “trying” to utilize their internal recruiter…..only to engage us because they are not finding the right candidates or they are too busy.

Applying for a role through a trusted recruiter should mean that you are one of several candidates being put forward. The likelihood of you being invited in for an interview should be very high.  At Fusion Recruitment Group, close to 100% of the candidates we submit to a client obtain an interview.  The end result should be that the candidates are strong enough that the position could be offered to either of your top two choices following the interview process.    If not, we haven’t done our job!  Remember that by the time the candidate meets with your team for their first interview, it should feel more like a third interview due to the selection, qualifying, and validating being done by our team.

The team at Fusion Recruitment Group goes beyond just the initial interview.  We work with our candidates to find them a role that will offer a career progression, meet their career needs, and compliments our clients’ requirements.   Although candidates will consider a lateral move, more often than not, they want progression or at least a different challenge. The best recruitment consultants will have a good understanding of your skills and how these may be transferable to different opportunities.

Choosing the right recruitment firm is key for both the company and the candidate.   Qualifying candidates for the right client goes well beyond sourcing the right background and someone looking good in a suit.  It is not about making a placement at the end of the month….it’s about making the right placement.   If you don’t choose the right firm,  then companies may as well rely on online postings and inadequate internal recruiters as there would be no intrinsic value otherwise.

People.  Solutions.  Results

Allan Welyk, President & Managing Partner

Fusion Recruitment Group

allan@fusion-recruitment.com   @fusiontweets

Entrepreneur Revolution – Outsourcing Big for Boomers

For many of the Baby Boomer demographic, retirement has become a time of change and opportunity as opposed to golf clubs and RV’s.

Small business continues to be on the rise, with many of the stakeholders evolving from soon to be, semi, or already retired Baby Boomers.  They are looking to continue a balance of generating additional income, keeping their minds active, challenging themselves, and enjoying life.

Entrepreneurship is taking the place of the stability of the company pay cheque and benefits.  The Baby Boomers are taking their years of experience from traditional corporate backgrounds and transferring these skills into consulting and services based opportunities.

There may not be a six figure salary to lean on, however the financial rewards coincide with flexible work hours and the variety and diversification of project focussed work.

Outsourcing continues to be a trend among the SME and Enterprise sectors.  Some statistics have outlined that outsourcing will increase by 80% over the next 3-5 years.  This business phenomenon has complimented the timing of Baby Boomers who are interested in their quest to be intellectually challenged, continue to earn an income, and share their knowledge and skills with companies in need of their expertise.

We should all take note that the ‘Boomers aren’t ready to go away quietly”, and embrace the new entrepreneur that is evolving from the corporate sector.

Article By

Allan Welyk,

President & Managing Partner

Fusion Recruitment Group Ltd

www.fusion-recruitment.com

@fusiontweets

Social Media and How it is Impacting Executive Search.

The Executive Search and Recruitment  industry have seen some dramatic changes in the past 24 months, however keep in mind that all of those potential candidates being sourced on social media still need to be validated, qualified and interested in the opportunity being presented to them.  We have found that with many of our Regional, National and International clients, they are starting to scale back their internal recruiter programs as they are simply not effective.  As recruiters, we do need to embrace and evolve with Social Media.  Social Media aspects of sourcing have definitely assisted with the effeciency of sourcing potential candidates (as it is a quick and easy channel to identify employees from specific industry sectors or companies), however that doesn't necessarily mean the candidate is a good fit for the client or even if they are interested in the opportunity....it simply provides you with a name and a brief summary of their experience.    

This is just the beginning of the process and by no means have you found your placement!   The path of least resistance seems to be a direction many new firms or new recruiters take in the business.  "Job Board Recruiting"...those recruiters that seem to focus most of their efforts via Social Media, the Monster's of the world or sending out random LinkedIn messages to  the masses, are a dime a dozen and offer little to no value. It's really no different than years ago when we saw firms running an ad in the newspaper and seeing who would apply.  Job Boards are similar....it's passive recruiting.   They may end up with some initial clients, however  their candidates simply don't measure up to firms that actually direct source, speak with and meet their candidates in person (or via Skype), and have an actual office with meeting rooms vs working out of their home office or basement.

Direct Sourcing or "Head Hunting" (for those that have been around) makes up just over 90% of our placements.  Our firm manages leadership and non leadership roles in sales, marketing, operations, supply chain, and human resources....this works best for us.  Whether it's Job Board options, Social Media channels, our Network, or Direct Sourcing...it's all a part of our process in order to source the "right fit"......there just seems to be a significant amount of watered down firms and individuals (internal or external recruiters) that focus and rely too much on passive recruiting techniques. 

In Canada, we still find that the strong majority of our clients have an expectation that we have met with our candidates.  They also expect that we understand and know significant aspects about their business, competitors, stakeholders, and their culture.  This level of service is an expectation and for those that are truly passionate about the business, it's an understanding. 

Allan Welyk, President

Fusion Recruitment Group

www.fusion-recruitment.com

@fusiontweets