With unemployment levels nearing record highs, the Dow sagging just above 8,600, and more bad news on the way, it’s no surprise that recruiters are becoming increasingly perplexed by their jobs.
The heady days of effortlessly moving kings and pawns around the chessboard are over (for now). Even pedestrian practices like cold calling and scouring LinkedIn for leads are no longer essential in the new, new economy. Headhunters who once made a priority out of hitting the phones to forge new relationships with mainstream and emerging talent are now being inundated with calls from executives at every level. At the same time, they’re being told to close open positions and postpone new hires.
So what’s a recruiter or headhunter to do? Manage talent. That’s right, actually manage the careers of the people you’ve placed (and prospered from) as you’re sitting idle and waiting for the economy to turn.
The problem is that many of these folks aren’t very good at managing talent. They’re hunters NOT managers. They seek opportunity and grab it for you but know nothing of how to point you north or actively manage your career.
This economy calls for re-calibration of skill-sets on the part of recruiters. Career guidance and assistance must include information on how to:
- Manage your personal brand
- Ignite your network
- Prepare for interviews
- Network using social media
- Utilize the Web and job boards
- Display your accomplishments
- Think 3 jobs ahead
Individuals looking for jobs should understand how to harness these elements on their own but also seek out ‘partners’ who take a long-range perspective on their careers.
Stumble It!
Bradley – couldn’t agree more. Particularly regarding your point re managing your personal brand. I am continually staggered by how many people in our industry – specialists in brand management and communications – have not registered theirownname.com and begun managing their own personal digital/online brand presence, in a world where the first thing anyone does on meeting you personally or professionally is Google you, and where therefore you need to ensure that you a) have a strong online personal brand presence, b) Google in the right kind of way, and c) don’t Google in the wrong kind of way. (All three are easily achievable and manageable – you can take your online personal brand presence from 0-60 within a very short space of time.)
Bradley, I agree the situation on the face of it looks pretty dire for my Industry. But I must say, I have been fortunate; in that I have always been a ‘manager’ of talent, in some ways more so than a recruiter per se. My representation has always embraced ‘creative management’, the only difference that might take place in the future, is how I get paid
There again, that difference also applies to Agencies alike, in how they will get paid, and in fact want to get paid. I think the two will ultimately work simultaneously bringing us all back to a very harmonious relationship. Remember, ( and history will profoundly back this up) ” where there is a recession, there is an opportunity”. Right now my eyes and my heart are focused on that 
Best, Dany Lennon, The Creative Register Inc.
You’ve all seemed to nail it on the head. Our industry, that is, the talent industry, needs a real facelift. Despite the troubling economy – or perhaps because of – we have a tremendous opportunity to really step back and re-evaluate what it is and how we do things. And frankly, it’s quite exciting.
As the creative industry is collapsing and expanding into new worlds such as branded entertainment, media, innovation, etc – there is more opportunity than ever for creative progressive thinkers. What’s difficult is navigating this new landscape, finding and defining these new roles, and understanding how to fit the talents skills and experience in to such. And that’s where we come in.
From the moment we opened our doors we have tried to take the long view on talent management. I think this is evidenced in the people we hire as well as the people we place. All of our talent strategists have had successful jobs in the business and we truly understand where the future is headed.
The irony is that while many of the big agencies are going through hiring freezes, many of the future focused ideas agencies are not. They tend to see the value in people particularly in a time like this where change and new thinking is vital. We hope to help the big agencies evolve in this new way of thinking about talent as we believe and are excited for the future.
Christine Alshin-The Talent Business
Rachel Farley – Senior Consultant – Janou Pakter Inc. rachel@pakter.com.
I absolutely agree with Christine on her thoughts. It is an extremely exciting time for agencies in this market – not to mention Talent that really ‘gets the dynamics/problems/opportunities’ of the future of advertising and marketing – not to mention the changing agencies agencies model (s). Like the economy noone knows really what is going to happen to the advertising and marketing model of the future, both from the client and agency partnership perspective. The best and most forwarding thinking type of Talent, that has a ‘vision’ of the future or know that the future will be different and have a desire to influence it, will be best placed to make change and ultimately influence the revolution of the industry. They indeed can craft and create their own opportunity, rather than just ‘dropping’ into a existing role. Indeed the roles for them haven’t been created yet partly because noone knows the future – they have the opportunity to create their own roles and value to an agency.
In regards to Talent – yes, the Independent and often boutique shops are still hiring and needing great talent. They can attract the best talent, and can ‘burrow’ into businesses that the larger agencies can’t do – with their combination of nibbleness, openness to project work, and ultimately, forwarding thinking work and talent. Recruiting wise, these types of agencies (most specifically the MD’s and CEO’s) are always open to recruiters introducing ‘the best and most fitting talent in the market’ to them, not for particular roles, but rather as ‘introductions’, so that roles can be crafted around them to enhance the agency’s business. Therefore recruiters are ‘talent managers’, because they can facilitate opportunities for talented individuals that aren’t planned, and can actually heavily influence the direction or part of a business that without this person would not have been possible.
The CEO’s want to see great talent and actively enourage recruiters to introduce them to them.
In challenging markets great and clever companies value and appreciate the importance of recruiting great talent to help them through the difficult market, come up with different strategies and stay profitable. Therefore they recognise the value of good and networked recruiters that can bring them the best talent who will have such impact on their business that it is well worth the ‘recruiter fee’ they pay.