Designing Your Own Recruitment Strategy

Used with permission of the author:
Author: Robert Ridout
CEO
The Ridout Group
www.ridout.co.za 
24 May 2007

Back to ... Workinfo.com Human Resources Magazine Volume 1 Issue 8, 2007

Most business schools today coach their business leaders how to develop and launch successful business plans. We are told and correctly so, that great businesses have even greater business plans. But what about job seekers? Shouldn’t individuals who look for opportunities in the market place also have a business plan and pursue an organised form of managing their career plan?

In complete contrast, companies offering jobs to job seekers are becoming more organised. The majority of candidates do not understand the inner workings and legislation pertaining to how internal recruitment processes work and affect the job seeker.  

But enough about the problem; let's examine the solution. What components make up a successful recruitment strategy? Like any business plan, certain proponents prevail as being important. If I were to choose the three most important items of a personal recruitment strategy it would be the following: setting goals, identifying and managing your recruitment partners and establishing a marketing strategy.

Setting Goals

When would I like to move and how long would I give myself realistically before being in a position to move especially?

Many candidates today, move in a reactive manner without having consulted their career or recruitment plan. This is not necessarily wrong but if a job seeker fails to fulfill, for example, a planned stay with a company for two years, the move should be a worthwhile venture. 

The opposite is true, a lot of candidates decide to stay in a company past the point where their career benefits. Setting goals includes deciding why one should move, when one should move and what will happen if a counteroffer is presented. Most candidates rate money as a key motivator. This is not necessarily a long term move motivator or a move inhibitor. Identifying your move motivators will make you move more easily and also assist you to realize your ultimate goals.

On average six months is enough time for a middle manager to plan and organise a normal move.  

The Marketing Strategy

To achieve your recruitment goals you should consider all the various options available to get your details into the marketplace. Identifying the available and most relevant channels is important especially considering most job seekers will use only two, such as recruiters and responding to newspapers advertisements.

The more aggressive your move motivators and move time frame, obviously the more varied your channels should be. The most common marketing channels available at the moment include the following: newspaper advertisements, career portals, recruiters, company websites and word of mouth. The complexity of your potential move need also be examined, before deciding on your final channels. Moving industry sectors will rate as a more difficult move and therefore require a greater scope of exposure.

Let’s touch on some of these channels. 

Advertising jobs in the newspapers in South Africa has progressively become a lesser used technique to find staff. Yet this channel is worth considering. Monitoring and responding to newspaper advertisements need to be done on a regular basis and with a very organized strategy. Keep a careful track of which advertisements you respond to in the media and ensure regular follow ups with company or recruiter.

Using career portals has become a huge part of our daily lives when managing potential roles. Important to note when using a career portal; to ensure that your details remain confidential - do not load references onto to a website if you have not spoken with your employer. Most career portals are automated so once you have logged onto this service the entire process moves along. I suggest choosing at least two career portals. Oversees career portals are an excellent way to source international opportunities.

Company websites

An increasing number of companies today use their own websites to promote internal opportunities. When setting your goals you should also research and identify what types of company you would like to target. Whilst researching your target companies you can then establish how to promote your CV through their career website. Most larger blue chip companies have very active career portals. Make sure you keep track of what company websites you apply through as you may want to follow up on your application in person.

Identifying and managing your recruitment partner

Using a recruiter for the first time to assist you locate your talent can be a daunting experience. I believe the most important aspect of selecting your recruiter is to establish their credentials in your industry sector of choice. Selecting more that one recruiter is vital. I suggest at least three and no more than five. I also suggest keeping in contact with your recruiter via e-mail and understanding the workload that your recruiter faces when speaking with so many people on a daily basis.

Most job seekers will stop communicating with their recruiters if they do not receive a call regarding an opportunity within a few weeks of being interviewed. Your recruiter is your partner. Keep an open communication line for at least six months before replacing your recruiter. You should also mix your recruitment partners and have at least one or two smaller recruitment companies in the mix.

The key to establishing a successful business plan is to ensure that you update your plan on a regular basis. As your career goals are reached your plan should change accordingly. Keeping tabs on the companies that you would like to move to is also an ongoing project. 

Your recruitment plan should become an integral part of your daily life, the importance of making the right move at the right time for the right reasons cannot be over emphasized.

Born in Cape Town 1972, Robert Ridout began his recruitment career in the fast paced medical recruitment industry in London after studying a diploma in Marketing Management. After returning to South Africa, Robert joined Don Gray in Cape Town as search consultant. Thereafter Renwick International approached him to start a Search Business called Speedsearch and after relocating to Johannesburg Robert grew the business to a competitive force in Johannesburg.  Whilst with Renwick, Robert was involved on various projects in web recruitment and recruitment software. Robert then joined Paracon and managed a team of project mangers before returning to Cape Town to start a search business for the Laser Group. In 2001 Robert finally decided to start Ridout and Associates, his own search consultancy. Working from home the business grew into offices in Claremont to eventually open its doors in Johannesburg in 2005. With over twenty staff strong at the moment Robert continues to lead the business as CEO with his capable team of executives. Robert has dedicated his career to the advancement of Search in South Africa promoting this specialist form of recruitment as the preferred form of talent acquisition. The Ridout Group is testament to the passion that he has for his trade. Robert Ridout can be contacted at www.ridout.co.za or 011 465 2800.

Short description
A successful recruitment strategy should include goal setting, marketing, targeting identified company websites and industry recruiters, and maintaining links and contacts.

Key words and related phrases
Career goals, marketing, motivators, recruitment, recruitment partner, website.

Back to ... Workinfo.com Human Resources Magazine Volume 1 Issue 8, 2007