As the economy shows signs of recovery, businesses have once again started their hunt for the best talent. Though most of the US companies have their own internal HR professionals, they still contact an IT staffing firm for finding the right IT candidate for a vacant position or for a new position. This is mainly because of two reasons. First, recruiters of staffing firms can find candidates faster and second, they are assured of the technical acumen of the candidate.
Changes in the staffing process
Over the years, staffing has dramatically changed. Before the usage of PCs and the internet, newspaper and directories were the only source of finding vacancies and telephone the only way of contacting prospective candidates. Now recruiting includes finding a candidate online via job boards and most recently via social networking sites and email is the most preferred way of contacting a prospective candidate.
Traits of a successful recruiter
A successful recruiter needs to have a lot of intangible qualities. An experienced recruiter does not only depend on the resume of a candidate to gather information about him. He must be able to read the body language of a candidate and assess his psychological make-up. Additionally, a recruiter must have good networking skills and the ability to establish a relationship with a potential candidate quickly.
A recruiter must have all the traits to suit the changing recruitment environment. The modern technology staffing trends need a recruiter to have good networking skills, great skills in building relationships and of course be a master in assessing the psychology of candidates.
Here’s a quick look at some of the dominant trends of technology staffing companies:
Using the internet:
The rise of the internet has revolutionized the staffing industry. Staffing firms connect with candidates from different countries using cloud computing or other technologies. Recruiters have to be very conscious while screening candidates from a different country or staying in touch with them online and also with the clients.
Using social networking sites
A recruiter must have a good presence in social networking sites and he must also be able to network with prospective candidate. There may be a few passive candidates, who are not interested in a position right away, but a recruiter must have them as well in his network to build his profile bank.
Using other sources
A recruiter should also have knowledge in traditional advertising. He must have knowledge about print advertisement and internet advertisement, so that he can leverage these mediums as well in his search for the ideal candidate.
Other sources of getting candidates
Among the social networking sites, LinkedIn continues to be a dominant networking site for professional recruiters. It’s the favourite meeting site for both candidates and companies. A recruiter needs to have an active presence in LinkedIn.
A recruiter can also ask employees to refer their friends and families for a position. Referrals streamline the hiring process. Referred candidates are likely to know something about the business through the friend or family who has referred him/her.
The changing IT atmosphere has forced the staffing firms and their recruiters to evolve their roles. The trends of staffing industry are changing and so are the traits of a successful recruiter.
