I began my career in recruitment back in 2004, joining straight from University. After 5 years, I decided that it was time to explore the world and see what else was out there. However 4 years down the line I have returned to recruitment with a mixture of excitement and trepidation – what would it be like? How much would it have changed? Would I enjoy it? And would I be any good at it? All these things ran through my mind the night before I started at Macmillan Davies. My background had been in finance working for a global recruitment company where the strength of the brand resulted in a constant influx of newly registered excellent candidates who were actively seeking new employment. Sadly, building relationships had played second fiddle.

When searching for candidates, I had relied on advertising and database searching and invariably suitable candidates had not always been met and I had no real relationship with them. At the time, they would happily attend interviews purely on the basis of reading a job spec. Fast forward 10 years and into HR recruitment, how times have changed.

According to Niki Chesworth quoted in the Evening Standard on Tuesday’s (May 13th 2014) Business Recruitment section “the number of people on the jobs market is falling at the fastest rate since 2004”. The supply of permanent candidates has fallen for the 11th month running, says Tom Hadley, Director of Policy and Professional Services at the REC Confederation. In today’s market, companies need agencies to have a strong candidate network of candidates sourced from numerous avenues. The days of database searching, placing job adverts and hoping for the best are over!
But candidates may not necessarily be ‘active’ in the market and applying for roles. Some are waiting to be contacted and seduced by consultants who can understand their needs, who are willing (and able) to build relationships with them – ultimately a partner to find them the right role in the right company.

E-sourcing tools such as Linkedin are proving to be a very effective way to find active and passive candidates who now often rely on their network to find them their next role rather than applying via an advert. However, LinkedIn isn’t the be all and end all. Greg Savage at the recent REC Business Brains on Tour highlighted that some candidates are taking themselves off LinkedIn frustrated with being continually approached, ultimately suffering from ‘Job Board Fatigue Syndrome’. They are actually applying less and less for jobs and are frustrated by the process. Savage also quoted that people will now use around 15 different unique resources to find their next role.

So in summary has recruitment changed in the 4 years I was out? Yes. Without doubt the challenges have significantly changed with the pace at which technology is advancing and how quickly people embrace it and then reject it. It is clear that the route to market for people looking for their next role is varied and very much a personal choice. Companies are relying on us to navigate this changing and complex arena to tap into the very best talent and get to them before their competitors do.