Regardless of which business sector you are in, it has
become increasingly difficult for businesses to recruit the
right people in recent years.
The reason for this lies in the dramatic change in the
business environment over the last 10-15 years. This means
that the traditional methods of recruitment just aren’t as
effective nowadays
In the same way that you need to be aware of the key issues
in your market in order to trade successfully, you also
need to be aware of what is going on in the candidate
market to successfully attract and recruit the right people.
• No More Jobs For Life - Gone are the notions of ‘jobs
for life’ with any one employer. Similarly, people tend to
have less loyalty towards any one employer. Today’s school
leavers will have not just a number of different jobs
throughout their lives, but also a number of different
‘careers’ through their lifetime
• More Mobile Workforce - As people become much more open
to changing jobs and careers, the internet has made
changing jobs so much easier. There is also much more
movement of people to different cities, countries and
continents.
• Technology – The advance of technology means greater
competition on a global basis, changing job roles and
skills. This has enabled more mobile and home working as
well as many more small business start-ups which mean that
people have more choice in where and how to work.
• Demographic Changes - Many of the western economies are
facing increasing challenges brought on by declining birth
rates since the 1960s. The result is an ageing workforce
with less talent coming through the ranks and shortages of
people likely to continue.
• Wealth - As many of the modern world economies become
wealthier, so the workforce is looking for more from their
work and their lives. We travel more, are more cultured and
want more fulfilment in our lives and our work.
• Work-Life Balance – With this wealth has come the
increasing emphasis on a ‘work –life balance.’ People no
longer want a job for life, but a job with life. They want
a healthy balance between work and their lives away from
work and are therefore much choosier about the jobs they
take on.
• Sense of Purpose - Linked into the above factors, many
people these days are looking for a sense of meaning and
purpose from their work.
Unlike previous generations who may have looked at work as
a means to earn a wage, more and more people look to their
workplace to give them a sense of purpose and will readily
move on if they don’t find it.
This may be because of the job itself, or indeed the
company and the way they operate.
• The Pace of Change - Increased competition in most
sectors coupled with increased technology means your
business has to keep changing faster than it ever used to
just to survive.
But the labour market cannot always keep up with this pace
and so it often appears that there is “no one out there” in
the market, when in fact there is; they just don’t have the
exact skills and experiences you need to fit your changing
business.
• A More Discerning Candidate - Just as your customers and
clients have become more discerning, so too have candidates
in their job search.
They are more knowledgeable, better aware of the
marketplace and more demanding than previous generations
and so it’s much harder to attract them than it used to be.
Collectively, a combination of these factors has led to
some of the challenges many businesses face today in
finding the right people.
To what extent each of these factors affects your own
business will be different depending on the market you are
in and the conditions in your local economy. But
fundamentally, the rules of recruitment have changed – you
cannot just do what has worked for years, because it’s
simply not effective any more.
Those businesses that change the way they recruit will be
the ones that succeed in attracting the right people.
My approach to recruitment takes all this into account –
you need to start thinking about your vacancy as an
opportunity and a lifestyle you are selling, not just a job.
You need real clarity about what is you are looking and
real clarity around your unique proposition as employer.
And then be highly proactive in getting out and finding and
selecting people to fit your requirements.
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Sital Ruparelia, ‘The Recruitment & Retention Expert’,
publishes the twice monthly Authentic Resourcing
Newsletter. If you’re ready to jump-start your efforts to
find and keep the right people so that you can make more
profit in less time then get your FREE tips now at:
http://www.authenticresourcing.com/
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