A Pandemic, Great Expectations and the Headhunter
As a recruiter, my duty is to give talented and skilled people their due by enabling them with an offer which is most suited to their skillset. Until recently, I was waking up to a set pattern to my workday but the rules of the game have taken a 360 degree turn since 2019. With the new reality (the pandemic), our homes double up as workplaces and laptops and virtual meeting platforms have replaced meeting rooms. In these erstwhile meeting rooms, candidates used to come dressed up in their best formals, along with great professional etiquettes. Now, in the virtual meeting rooms, the presence of the candidates is more often than not elusive. Times have changed and so have the rules of the recruitment sector.
The absconder with Great Expectations
Remote working, Work from Home and Virtual presence have thrown recruiters at the deep end where they are left fishing in the dark. They are at the mercy of candidates who do not bat an eyelid before absconding, even after the final offer has been rolled out. A candidate located in India is now ready to take up an offer based in the U.S because of remote working. The demand for talent has given way to unrealistic expectations, wherein the candidates now demand a 100% hike in remuneration. Their bargaining skills have certainly improved owing their virtual presence and remote working conditions. Thanks to remote working and Work from Home, a candidate can attend as many interviews as they like, that too without any compromise in their deliverables. Sometimes it makes me wonder, where is this heading to?
The Head Hunters and their predicament
While I sat to put my thoughts together in this blog, I realized that I speak on behalf of many who are facing the same situation and it is important you hear our side of the story too. According to Manav Jain, Co-Founder of hiring tech startups UniHyr & Hyrr, “The pandemic saw a spurt of demand for skilled professionals in Tech/digital/ internet firms. With most organisations adjusting their talent strategy to allow for wider geographical flexibility while sourcing candidates, this has further strained the demand vs supply equation for such skills. As a result, over the last year companies have seen an unprecedented increase in candidate dropouts after accepting offers which has negatively impacted them and the recruitment industry as well. We advise clients to be more flexible & open in exploring candidate pools from different industry backgrounds and factor in offer drops in the total hiring requirement and identify backup candidates to avoid business continuity losses on account of drops. The immediate way forward is for companies to leverage newer Hiring models which allow them to expand reach in an efficient and cost effective manner. In addition, companies and the recruitment industry have to come together and identify, groom and cultivate alternate supply pools and leverage technology/e-learning models to enable readiness. However, this change is going to be gradual, till then the recruitment industry would have ride out the storm”
A critical aspect of a recruiter’s job is to help candidates realize their true potential in the skills/job market. This requires months of hard work, honest conversations and perseverance. These variables have changed post pandemic. Now it is all about chasing an unrealistic dream while stepping on people who are trying to do their job honestly and sincerely. I believe this behavior is aided by the pandemic, where candidates are recklessly running after a number which they may not deserve, at times. Would they still be able to ask for a 100% hike, in person?
Things to remember- The world is a small place
The world is a small place and thanks to social media, we are all connected. Before candidates go offer-shopping or abscond with an offer letter in hand, they need to consider that they are wasting an opportunity which at the opportune time, could have truly transformed the life and career of someone else in need. An opportunity rejected by someone is an opportunity denied to someone else.
At this juncture, where we are dealing with loss of lives and sickness, there is a greater need for all of us to be more conscientious of our decisions. Pandemic or not, word spreads easily in the hiring fraternity and good core values are always going to be given more precedence than any other skill set.
LinkedIn post
As a recruiter, my duty is to give talented and skilled people their due by enabling them with an offer which is most suited to their skillset.
Until recently, I was waking up to a set pattern to my workday
But the rules of the game have taken a 360 degree turn since 2019
Know how, in this heartfelt article penned by me
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