In 1930, when six engineering firms needed over 4,000 workers to build the future Hoover Dam, the companies assessed its labor needs, advertised the openings, attracted interested candidates to Nevada, screened them, and hired the candidates with the appropriate skills. They understood where their new labor force came from and were able to return to those sources when more engineers were needed.
In 2003, hiring new employees still follows these same fundamental steps: assess, advertise, interview, hire and then repeat the process. What makes this seemingly elementary process so complex, are the quantum leaps in technology and the overabundance of specialized tools and service companies. For example, HR.com lists over 400 staffing vendors and the e-search/training company and information portal AIRS.com lists 15,000 articles and web sites on recruitment in its e-Recruitment Library and offers to place employment ads on over 2,000 "niche" job boards.
For any company, large or small, these choices are overwhelming, and steadily growing. And with a finite recruitment budget, many companies select just one service or technology and pin their hopes on that one source.
Unfortunately, there is no one "silver bullet" in recruiting. Great candidates and hires come from many different methods and sources, from online job boards and newspaper ads, to employee referrals, job fairs and executive search consultants. By concentrating recruitment dollars in just one area there is no way that you can produce the desired results in this challenging market.
The health of a company is inextricably tied to its ability to recruit top people effectively. The first step in Recruitment Engineering is to realize that there is nothing magical or mysterious about recruitment. Much like the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz, once the curtain is pulled back, there are only four levers for you to consider.
- One is resume databases and they do provide the unemployed with a way to market their services to companies worldwide.
- Job fairs provide entry-level candidates an opportunity to review the qualifications and locations of major engineering firms.
- Employee referrals have a mixed result and during uncertain times you may find that friends and colleagues fearing for their own job may be hesitant to introduce you to their employer.
- Executive search in my opinion is the correct approach for the professional candidate.
Leave the job to a proven professional!!!
