Reactive Recruiting Is a Symptom of the System
Incentives dictate behavior. And because the system itself still incentivizes speed and volume, it feels like most recruiters just want the latest hacks and tools.
45-second read (+1:45 video)
Recruiting is a notoriously reactive practice.
It’s a cycle of hiring fast to reach a milestone to then go and repeat the cycle to reach the next milestone. On it goes.
Incentives dictate behavior. And because the system itself still incentivizes speed and volume, it feels like most recruiters just want the latest hacks and tools.
After all, a butt in a seat means success. At least for today. Let’s worry about tomorrow (aka retention) later.
Few recruiters have the time—or desire—to create anything of value for the majority of candidates who aren’t in-market. (You know, the ones they spend all day cold InMailing.)
What if recruiting leaders were able to spend more time thinking about how they could meet their target audience in ways that create value and build trust—well before they need to fill a role?
What would that change?
Maybe we could move past content about how to write a better "we’re hiring" post on LinkedIn and into real brand marketing strategies that fundamentally change the way that companies and candidates meet.
A brand marketing strategy is available to anyone—including those without a following.
Here’s why:
Most people with a trusted following used a brand marketing strategy to build and grow that following from scratch. It’s one of the few models where you can easily overcome the cold start problem by simply doing it.
With the tools and distribution available today, content can be created and shared exponentially faster than ever before. As a result, brand and trust are scaleable for anyone who’s willing to take a different approach.
FTR, I’m not criticizing recruiters. I’m criticizing the system. A system that craves the scale that demands the volume that squeezes under-resourced recruiting teams.
It forces continual misalignment with the way that we as humans make buying decisions.
An evolved system means a better experience for all parties involved.