Understanding Today’s Job Seekers

Times have changed. Job postings alone don’t cut it anymore. Promoting and developing internally is great but will always leave gaps in your infrastructure and a skills deficiency. Reaching out to former colleagues can lead to frustrating cultural replications.

The approach of savvy job seekers evolves faster than your talent acquisition practices. A decade ago, you wouldn’t call a candidate who posted a resume on Careerbuilder because they were too accessible, too “active”. Fast forward to 2020, and candidates won’t apply to your job posting for the same reason – too public, no mystique, a dilution of your brand.

Consider that job seekers have their own brand that they guard and protect. We are asked all the time by candidates if we have a search exclusively. Savvy job seekers may not speak to us if the answer is “no,” which is why we have trended away from contingent searches. There is power in exclusivity – when a job seeker is contacted specifically – we call it sharpshooting – they feel special, sought-after.

This is why specialized skill sets need to be actively pursued, not fished for. Think of how you market to consumers – you want to send a message that you know them and are speaking directly to that one individual or that unique business. Take that same approach in your talent acquisition practices and you will upgrade your talent.

By: Ken Jordan