As I reach 20 years in recruitment at greenwellgleeson I got to thinking about what has changed since the last century and actually what has remained consistent (in recruitment). Liverpool are still without a PL title, England haven’t reached the semi-finals of a major football tournament, but we have won Rugby World Cups (men & women), won the Ashes (and retained them). The music charts are based on downloads and streaming not single sales but vinyl has made a return. Blockbusters, Woolworths, BHS have disappeared from the high street and been replaced by Primark, Zara and Poundland. I wasn’t engaged, but am now married with two girls (the eldest starting at Secondary School). Anyway back to the matter in hand:
Recruitment in 1997
Record Cards (no CRM)
Dial-up internet (remember to log off)
Calling candidates on landlines outside of hours
Company research – photocopying Company accounts to send out
Sending CVs in the post (or by fax if urgent)
Job listings in monthly magazines/lineage adverts in local press
CVs received by post or fax
Shiny fax paper that faded over time
Recruitment in 2017
Integrated CRM (email and telephony capability)
ADSL connections and flexible working
Unlimited mobile phone use
Emailing CVs quickly
Job boards (real time information)
CV databases and company websites
Plain paper fax machines (though now redundant too)
Social Media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram etc)
Nothing beats actually speaking to, then meeting, a client and establishing their requirements before matching them to a candidate that you have also met and qualified. It is important to block out the noise that the proliferation of information can create and remember the basics of recruitment and if all else fails just pick up the phone.
Whilst things have changed for the better technologically speaking and we are privy to much more real time information the essence of recruitment hasn’t changed that much and it’s all about communication and engagement.
greenwellgleeson recruit from FD to AP/AR/Payroll and everything in between on both a permanent and temporary basis. Contact us on 0121 233 9911 or email duncan.wise@ggltd.co.uk
