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YOUR BUSINESS : RECRUITMENT
44
In previous editions we have touched
upon the virtues and variety of
recruitment services available to
businesses of all sizes to help them
grow. Whether your recruitment
strategy is penned on an old envelope
or embedded in Corporate Operating
Plans, the question that now follows is
simple: Where is all the talent?
Pre-recession, in boom time, print and
IT reseller businesses were flying. Business
was plentiful and a less cautious approach
to business and long-term financial
commitments was the norm. The labour
market was buoyant and rapidly expanding
companies were prepared to ‘take a punt’
on underqualified but eminently trainable
candidates.
The recession changed all that.
Businesses woke up, grew up and tightened
up their recruitment.
Post-recession, in growth mode again,
most businesses in the IT reseller sector have
a more cautious approach to recruitment
and frequently bemoan the lack of available
talent. There are some fundamental reasons
why the talent pool seems to be running dry.
Quality and Quantity
In many ways, the downturn had a positive
effect on the candidate pool. As businesses
downsized and managed costs, the pool
of available talent began to swell. Those
who had been displaced by businesses for
reasons that were no reflection on their
performance were able, relatively easily, to
find suitable and comparable employment
among thriving competitors. Those that
had been plodding in their jobs found it a
little more difficult. The rest either migrated
out of the sector or compromised on
previous financial packages. The training of
newcomers with an expected 9-12 month
ROI slowed to a dribble. New blood coming
into the sector dried up.
Experience and Expectation
Five years on, the sector is growing
once again. Companies are recruiting to
grow their business, but the effect of the
recession on the labour market has created
its own problems. A transient labour force
has produced a generation of candidates
with fragmented CVs, while a lack of new
blood, combined with fewer graduate
schemes delivering a constant stream of
new talent to the industry, have created a
skills gap at junior level – the sweet spot for
most SMEs to recruit from.
The Candidate Conundrum
Most worrying of all is the candidate
conundrum.
Take the example of a recently acquired
MPS client that needs to grow its sales force
following an acquisition. It has invested
in an Academy for non-industry trainees,
with an ROI expectation of less than 12
months, but also needs people with industry
experience to manage existing business and
mentor colleagues.
“Pragmatically, we recognise that in
recent years people may have CVs that are
not as clean as we would hope, but if they
can give genuine reasons for their moves I
don’t see it as a problem.”
Refreshed by this approach, a colleague
sourced three candidates with 10-15+
years of solid industry experience, bar the
last few years when things had become less
consistent. Good candidates. Bad decisions
and bad luck.
The interview feedback highlights and
summarises the candidate conundrum:
“Excellent experience up until two years
ago when it got a bit jumpy…..not what
we’re looking for.”
The conundrum is simple:
Today, if a candidate is on the market it
is assumed to be for one of the following
reasons:
•
They are currently failing;
•
They are great interviewers but poor
performers;
•
They are too jumpy.
Is the skills crisis as bad as people think or are recruitment practices also at
fault? Spencer Taylor unravels the candidate conundrum
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals,
adjust the action steps.” Confucius
Recruitment and the IT Reseller:
Where Is All The Talent?
What the employer really wants to
see in a candidate is:
•
A successful and consistent career;
•
A client base that they can bring with them;
•
The ability to hit the ground running and
be invoicing from the second month;
•
Someone looking for a low basic and a
very good commission structure.
What the employer overlooks is:
•
Consistent and successful candidates are
not on the market; they are embedded in
their current roles and delivering;
•
Their success is due to their consistent
and loyal client base;
•
They are respected and rewarded by
their employers financially and only a
significant financial incentive would turn
their head.
To overcome this conundrum before a
recruitment process is embarked upon, it
may be worth considering the following
questions and applying them to your
candidate search from the very beginning:
•
Demographic: Are you looking for an
entry-level junior trainee, a person
with some experience or a seasoned
professional?
•
What are your differentiating factors as
an employer? Why will a candidate in a
competitive market want to work for you?
•
What are the ‘must have’ skills?
•
What are the ‘desirable’ skills?
•
Where would/could you compromise?
•
What should/could you pay? Good
candidates will probably have multiple
offers on the table, so don’t try and save
£1,000 just for the sake of it.
•
What training and development can you
offer? Can you afford the time to train or
do you need an immediate ROI?
•
What are your time-scales for a Return on
Investment? Set your expectations with
candidates during the recruitment process,
work towards them together and, if
necessary, ensure the correct training and
development is in place to achieve them.
Potential employees can make informed
decisions that could save both parties
money in the long run.
It is true that good recruitment defines
a business. But recognise also that talent is
being overlooked due to prejudice against
‘transient candidates’ who may have
been employed in haste by ill-prepared
employers. The talent pool is shallow
and will take a while to replenish. In the
meantime, be diligent and thoughtful and
you may just find a gem that others have
missed….
Spencer Taylor is Director of Blackrock Search.
He can be contacted on 07875 108999 or 01892 527054.
uk.linkedin.com/in/spencertaylor1
