IT Recruiting 2014- It’s All About Relationships!

The only thing that is constant is change and the key to IT recruiting is still relationships!

As we roll into 2014 I had the chance to take a quick stroll down memory lane and discuss how recruiting has evolved over the years from a paper centric process to an electronic process. When I first started recruiting… oh about 17 plus years ago, there was very minimal in regards to technology. The basics that were needed were a phone, database, fax machine (yes a fax machine), and paper “hot books”.

This process has evolved drastically over the years in terms of technology, but the basic premise of good recruiting is still building good relationships with people and finding the right match for the candidate.   The puzzle game of putting the correct piece into the correct position is a constant challenge. As we have moved forward the need for paper “hot books” has been replaced by an online “hotlist” and everything is stored and kept in the CRM database.

The “basic” phone is still a powerful tool but now you have to utilize your “smart phone”, which can be used for everything… from texting, database access, and of course social media. With technology ever expanding the ways to reach candidates constantly evolves. There are always traditional tools like email but the new social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, there are all sorts of ways to reach the potential candidate pool.

The key with these tools is once you have reached your target audience is to go back to the basics, which for me are building relationships with your candidates so you have a good understanding of where and why they would be a good match for your potential opportunities. As time rolls on there will be additional changes in the industry, but still it comes down to people and relationships.

Good luck in 2014! Hope you have a great year!

Andy Oliver