Why You Shouldn’t Scale Back on Recruiting Efforts During a Downturn

In these uncertain economic times, some may think it wise to scale back their recruitment efforts. Yet, while it is important to be prudent, now more than ever organizations should press ahead and focus on talent acquisition. It’s a critical step in driving growth and staying competitive during a recession.

As the job market evolves, employers should strive to create top-notch talent pipelines for their most important positions. One great way of doing this is by making connections with individuals who work at their competitors.  When it comes to constructing pipelines, there are many strategies and approaches that companies take. Unfortunately, one of the most common methods is to post positions they have no intention of filling. This can lead to extreme discontent among those who applied, leaving them feeling disheartened. Before the company is even ready to hire, they have already alienated great candidates.

For the best possible results, it may be wise to hire third party recruiters to conduct outreach campaigns. They can make introductions to future employees without being misleading. Unfortunately, most recruitment firms’ fee structures do not incentivize them to work for an organization that has no immediate plans to hire.

Finding a company that works with an hourly fee structure is key.

Hourly-charging recruiters may be rare, but the advantages they provide companies are priceless. Not only are there no surprises with cost, but they can also be completely transparent when it comes to information they learn about candidates. There is no need to withhold candidate names, nor do they coach candidates to negotiate for higher compensation packages.
It’s also important for companies to work with a firm that specializes in passive candidate outreach. If the goal is to avoid posting jobs that are not ready to be filled, then they need to make sure they don’t engage with a recruitment firm that posts jobs as their main way to source candidates.

Cold calling potential candidates takes skill and expertise. It is the first impression the future employee will have of the hiring company, so it needs to be handled with care.