Hi Recruiters,
To say I was inspired by the speakers, presenters, and ideas flowing from this year's RecruitCon 2024 would be a massive understatement. This year's theme, Navigating Change in Talent Acquisition, is so relevant—so right now. And, the advice is so immediate for recruiters as they confront a marketplace in crazy flux. Our experts were eager to share the latest insights and tips TA pros need to stay sane and move forward.
For those of you who couldn't make it, or those who did but are still digesting all the goodness, below is the first half of my recap of this year's event.
Let's do it.
Steven Jiang, CEO and Co-founder of hireEZ set the tone: “This is the right moment to talk about pivot, navigation, and change.”
His point is that the talent acquisition industry is both evolving and volatile. To keep up with the pace of change, professional recruiters need to stay informed and agile. He underscored the overarching importance of continuous learning and development—and the demand for it—citing how hireEZ's free Academy has now grown to over 26,000 registered recruiters.
Steven counsels, and I agree, that we must pivot and adapt to data-driven decision-making. TA leaders are focusing more on metrics and strategic conversations, indicating the shift toward more sophisticated and more productive recruitment practices, which is driving more efficient talent acquisition but disrupting the business of hiring as we know it.
The keynote from Steven was the perfect introduction and segway to Mike Wolford's talk. A seasoned professional recruiter, as well as prolific writer and commentator on recruiting and TA, Mike gave us a pretty dry-eyed analysis of the market and how to stay afloat in the rising tide of change. Here's the gist:
Our profession is experiencing a shift due to automation, necessitating a focus on data and strategic insights for recruiting teams to remain relevant to their business (and to stay employed).
To paraphrase Mike, the tactical delivery aspect of recruiting will be handled by AI in short order, pushing the human role in recruiting to be more about delivering strategic advice.
He explains, “The advantage of TA pros is we know a lot about the recruiting process, but often don't know a lot about what's happening in our market or with our competition, or even our own company.” These norms drive inefficient recruiting practices and lead to a lack of value for recruiters to the business. If you want to stay in this business, that has to change. Good news is, data from talent intelligence tools can be your edge, by having a pulse on labor market demand, skills, salary expectations, competition, etc.
The reality is, automation is driving some shrinkage of the industry. However, recruiters can up their value by leveraging AI tools and the unparalleled amount of data they offer to increase their value—and job security—to their org. I'd go a step further to say that it's no longer about what recruiters can do, but what they must be doing by now.
For those who are not feeling comfortable with that change, Mike highlights that recruiters' skills translate well to many sales roles, which could offer an option for a successful career pivot.
The inimitable Brian Fink, Sr TA Partner at McAfee, followed to give a master class in refining recruitment messaging techniques—the goal: to effectively engage candidates through email outreach. That means that your message has to get through, get opened, and be of value to the candidate. His advice:
For those who are looking for a new opportunity, Amy Miller, Sr Recruiter at Amazon, offered an important perspective on navigating a path to career growth. The key observation? Think internal. As we're all pretty well aware, current employees at a company have an edge on external candidates.
Amy counseled folks to research what roles are available within the organization that align with their skills and ambition. These roles may often represent unexplored opportunities, and sometimes, a lateral, or even downward move can lead to better long-term opportunities. Keep your eye on the prize.
A few other tactics to maintain competitiveness and boost your visibility as a candidate: Continuous learning, taking on and completing stretch assignments, and volunteering. Additionally, try approaching the decision-makers in departments where opportunity lies. Try asking for an informal chat to understand more about a specific role—and keep your carefully crafted pitch in your back pocket.
I agree with Amy and add to that one critical truth: The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Christy Spilka, CSSGB, Head of TA and Anna Vizzini, TA Manager, both at Smile Brands, gave a tandem presentation on future-proofing your TA teams, emphasizing trends, evaluation, networking, and development. My two big takeaways: It's crucial to keep abreast of industry trends so teams can remain relevant. Specifically, technology—adapting to new tools is vital to staying competitive and improving efficiency. AI can be a terrific assistant to automate routine tasks, like scheduling.
For leaders, coach team members to be true business partners, maintain focus on improving the candidate experience, and encourage them to build their networks. This is how you spur their evolution to strategic advisor status.
In case you were wondering how exactly to pivot with the times, Trent Cotton, VP of Talent and Culture at Hatchworks, provided a high-level formula, consisting of: People, Innovation, Vision, Optimization, and Transformation.
Here's the rundown.
People are at the heart of this. We must prioritize the well-being and engagement of employees, fellow recruiters, and candidates. Innovation, to be successful, requires clarity and communication. Without clarity, innovation can breed chaos. Vision gives employees the answer to “What's in it for me?”. Clear, simple definitions of success guide decision-making and help teams stay focused. Optimization can't take place without metrics and benchmarks—the measurements of progress. Transformation is irreversible because it means moving from a failing state to one that promises advancement and success.
Talk about perspective.
Celinda Farías Appleby, Global Director of TA at Visa, and Melissa Grabiner, Sr TA Leader at Christine Matthews Consulting, got together to discuss the unique challenges and strategies for women in leadership, emphasizing mentorship and adaptability.
Mentorship is the catalyst for personal and professional growth, especially for women. This applies to those who mentor you and those whom you mentor, providing guidance and support as challenges arise. It's also fertile ground for transferring skills and proactive networking to open doors, bring collaborations, and find opportunities.
Adaptability to changing roles, industries, and market conditions is vital for long-term success. It reinforces the concept of non-linear career paths. Increasing adaptability builds confidence and resilience in the face of adversity and encourages women to make their voices heard within corporate structures.
The point is that navigating change well is about doing it together.
Aaron Ibañez here! Global Talent Acquisition Day may be over, but we're keeping the celebration going. 🎉
Relive all the insightful sessions from hireEZ RecruitCon 2024 with our YouTube playlist! Whether you missed out or want to revisit your favorite moments, now's the time to dive back in and continue elevating your talent acquisition game.
Thank you to all the amazing recruiters and TA professionals in our community for constantly raising the bar and sharing your insights to help shape the future of talent acquisition!
— Recruiters
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