We all want the classic 5-point plan that tells us exactly what we need to do to solve our problem quickly. Whether we’re talking about personal development, recruiting or headhunting, we’re all looking for a simple solution to our challenges. But let me tell you – that’s not how our lives work. If you implement the same 5-point plan as everyone else, you’ll get the same results as everyone else. We’re talking about mediocrity and one-size-fits-all here. However, as soon as you understand how to get out of this dilemma, your results will change.
Your point of view:
If you are not satisfied with the results you are getting from your recruiting and headhunting activities, I recommend the following approach:
Accept that
- your results are clearly not good or good enough
- you are allowed to change and thereby also the recruitment process
- the IT talent’s point of view is the benchmark – and not yours
Let’s go through these three points in detail so that you can act more successfully:
- Recognize that you, your team and your company have certainly defined wonderful processes and that these have also been successful in the past. But the world is constantly changing and so you can also actively change. Admit to yourself that things are not going well at the moment! This admission is very important, because sugarcoating or the principle of hope will not help you here.
- Don’t blame others. Recognize that no matter what role you find yourself in, you are allowed to change. It’s not about saying that Gen X, Y, Z don’t understand the job market, that the candidates’ demands aren’t excessive, etc. These are all excuses. These are all excuses that won’t help you! Recognize that you have to change something. If you don’t have the means to convince others that something needs to change, then you are actively encouraged to delegate the problem to where it can be solved. Namely directly to the management – and not at your level.
- When IT talents make individual demands, you want to be able to respond with individual offers. In this way, you recognize that IT talent is in a better negotiating position. What’s the point of saying you can’t pay more, for example? The result is simply an unfilled position. Or what is the solution?
I know this all sounds very harsh and uncompromising – and yes, that’s exactly what I mean. If you start to understand that you need to change and become more flexible, you’ve already taken a big step towards success.
When I personally understood that I had to prepare my clients for this “new reality” that has been here for a long time, the recruiting success for my clients changed immediately. The resulting decisions need to be made at the executive level; you will get completely different results.
IT talent’s point of view:
Imagine you are an IT expert, have a decent permanent job and you are asked by 10 companies on social media every day whether you would like to do another job.
How would you react?
I assume that you are similar to other experts – you would only respond to requests that exactly hit your current “pain point” or where the new offer represents a massive improvement in your current situation. You can do without standard requests because you have a job.
Please realize at this point: nobody is looking for a job in this environment – everyone has one!
As soon as you are in a position to offer a candidate concrete further development by means of a “direct approach”, you are in the conversation! You just want to get to the point quickly and please don’t make promises you can’t keep.
As soon as you recognize that you are allowed to fight for people, you are a significant step further. Above all, this message should also get through to your specialist department!
Conclusion:
As soon as I prepare my clients for this reality and actively ask them to make decisions before we work together, the jobs will be filled! Mentally sit on the other side of the table and answer the question: Would you respond or agree to this request/offer?
You are only on the right track if you have a clear yes.