3 Things a New Recruiting Methodology WILL NOT Fix

After writing the book about Sprint Recruiting, I have had the opportunity to speak with several Talent Acquisition leaders about the challenges they face in their respective industries. I’ve noticed many leaders look to new recruiting methods as a way to fix all of their recruiting problems. Recruitment methodology addresses the practices of each stage in the recruitment life-cycle and process. I did address in the book how the methodology allowed the recruiting team to function more efficiently but I have to be honest, it didn’t solve all of our problems. Here are three things a new recruiting methodology will not fix.

Competitive Candidate Pool

Finding and hiring great candidates, especially those with sought-after skills, has become a costly and time-consuming endeavor. In the US market, the entry level job market has become even more competitive as cross-industry competitors like Amazon and other increase the wage levels within this sector. The market is still a little gun shy with the impacts of COVID so candidates in a number of sectors are hesitant to make a move to a new role because of this uncertainty.

In the tech industry, the fight to win the eyes and interest of candidates continues to be at a fever pitch. Companies are forced to keep up with the constant change in demand to meet the product maps they commit to. While recruiters fight for talent in the market, the cost of such talent can increase dramatically from the time a position is first posted to when an offer is ready to be made. The larger, sexier tech firms have also had to change their laborious selection process to compete with the more agile startups.

Embracing a new recruiting methodology will not address most of these issues but it can help you gain a competitive advantage in speed to market. For example, the feedback principle in the Sprint Recruiting methodology allows recruiters and managers to hone their recruiting strategy quicker through iterative feedback. I’ve often noticed how the lag time in the feedback loop will slow down the process and often lose candidates as a result. In such a competitive market, companies cannot afford to lose candidates over something so controllable.

“Old-School” Recruiting Mindset

You can change your methodology to the newest or coolest trend but if your team doesn’t have a growth mindset, you are wasting your time. A lot of longtime recruiters would prefer to keep the same recruiting tactics they have used over the last 5-10 years out of comfort. Attempting to implement a new strategy may garner some initial excitement from your recruiting team but it will be short lived. I’ve noticed over my career how quickly this type of recruiter goes from mildly excited to minimally engaged to finally reverting back to what they feel the most comfortable doing.

I worked with one group early in my career who always professed how they wanted to transform the recruiting methodology for the firm but rarely acted on it. When we held a workshop to address some of the needs for change, the silent detractors worked to conform the “new ways” to their outdated recruiting practices. Beware of this persona on your team! If you really want to evolve your recruiting methodology, understand that not everyone on your team will be on board.

Bad Culture

If you think other employers are looking after the best talent, you definitely want your culture to be the reason candidates want to come and work with you. If your job site and job postings promote your employer and organizational culture, you are more likely to attract candidates who think they will fit well into your business. Another benefit of finding a candidate that matches your organizational culture is that if employees value their colleagues and work environment, they are less likely to leave the company. Not only do employees who love the culture and values ​​of their workplace feel more motivated to give their best, they are also more likely to stay with the company if their day-to-day work responsibilities change. 

There is nothing more frustrating for a recruiter to deal with than a bad employer culture. You can change your methodology to help address some of the key issues but it will not be the silver bullet. Recruiting groups take the brunt force of a bad employer brand with lower number of applicants, harder sells to passive recruiters and higher offer declination rates. Candidates have access to numerous data points that serve as a truth serum to measure what they’re hearing from recruiters versus what employees are saying about the company.

If you find yourself dealing with a brand issue, be sure to work with your marketing team to identify the problem. A great place to start is reviewing employee and candidate feedback on sites like Glassdoor and others. I know many of these sites get discounted but it will at least give you an inclination of what the issues may be.

Once you have the data, conduct a design thinking exercise with your leadership team (both top and front line) to identify ways to increase employee morale and change the narrative externally. This is often the stage when the rubber meets the road. Leaders who just want you to “fix” the problem without investing time and effort in helping to create the solution will continue to be the downfall of your brand.

Once you have a list of suspects, create a design thinking style session with recruiters, employees and hiring managers. I’ve found this method to help all involved take ownership in the redesign and increases engagement.

---

There are a number of great thought leaders on the recruiting methodology topic. Of course, it’s one I’m incredibly passionate about! I wanted to clear the air and address the common misconception that a new or improved recruiting methodology can cure all of your recruiting issues. I do believe it can help you increase efficiency and focus which will allow you to address any obstacles you face.