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This blog was originally a LinkedIn thought piece published by Clarity Recruitment’s founder Joe Diubaldo.
The dodo bird, native to the island of Mauritius, had no natural predators and as such no highly developed fear of danger. This meant that when a Dutch ship landed on the island of Mauritius, the dodos were none the wiser to their impending doom. The newly landed and hungry Dutch sailors and a stowaway species of (even hungrier) rats caused the dodo to go the way of…well…the dodo.
So why talk about the fate of the hapless dodo? It’s simple. If finance and accounting recruitment agencies don’t perceive the current and advancing threats to our existence, our fate may be sealed as well.
The Problem
There’s a transformation happening and we’re not riding the wave. Until fairly recently we haven’t had any ‘predators.’ We’ve been blissfully hanging out on our metaphorical island, doing things as we’ve always done, but the Dutch ship (cue Darth Vader theme music), in the form of technological advances for sourcing talent, is coming. Couple this with the fact that our clients see us as a cost centre and not a profit centre and you have a recipe for disaster.
Historically, as top performers in a firm developed a client base they would start their own agency. Unfortunately, while they understood how to acquire talent, most didn’t understand how to run a business. In essence, investing in the right technology, marketing, R&D and human capital development strategies were completely foreign to them.
The result: clients felt that the person sitting across for them didn’t understand their business needs, candidates felt ignored and we kept plugging along.
Solution 1
Evolve our thought processes and by extension our technology. Recruiters will need to start investing in tools that lead the industry, instead of adopting tools that have been retrofitted for our purpose. If our access to a unique database of quality talent defines us, than it truly needs to be a differentiator. We need to prove that we offer more value than technology driven social media platforms like LinkedIn, or job boards like Indeed.
Solution 2
Build a better promise and product. Increase transparency so that clients know what they’re paying for. Make sure the person sitting across from his/her client understands the company’s business and needs. Keep in touch with candidates and create a system of continuous feedback. Our industry needs to show value to survive.
We’re at a critical juncture right now. We either evolve, or we go the way of the dodo bird. I, for one, know which option I prefer.
Your Next Step
No one should walk the job search or hiring road alone. At Clarity Recruitment we help others realize their success through a process that marries proprietary technology with unwavering commitment. Contact us today to take control of your career, or to partner with us to hire well.
Clarity Recruitment, connecting exceptional people with remarkable companies.