The traditional hiring and management practices of the past are increasingly irrelevant in today’s market and we are already starting to see a shift with Generation Y. Businesses that are strategic and have a proactive and future focus towards their human capital will be the most sought after places to work by the best people.
Australia is fortunate enough to have a culturally diverse, skilled and educated workforce, with 2001 ABS statistics showing 38% as degree qualified. We are a prosperous country that supposedly values the phrase of ‘have a go’. For many businesses though this does not seem to translate so well into the workforce, with a fear and reluctance by many businesses of hiring staff who have not already done the same or very similar job to the position they are seeking to fill. With businesses now not having the luxury of choice between many applicants for their positions, they would no doubt find themselves more successful in filling their vacancies if they followed this attitude of allowing people to ‘have a go’, though obviously within reason and within certain parameters / guidelines defined by the business.
Often when recruiting we overlook the fact that for the majority of positions, there is a thread of common skills that weave through them all including communication and interpersonal skills, coordination, time management, flexibility, attention to detail, team work, problem solving and so on. On top of these skills sit more specific skills that may require certain educational qualifications or on the job experience and training. Some of which are essential to the position from day one, others of which can be learned within a reasonable timeframe and are not essential to the position initially.
I can empathize with Recruitment Consultants, as clients are not always willing to look outside the square at applicants who are not a direct match to what they perceive is essential to the position. However it I believe Recruitment Consultants need to take responsibility for the education of their clients in looking more broadly at their applicant’s transferable skills.
For example someone who has worked in the hospitality industry at a five star hotel or restaurant will have terrific relationship building and communication skills, they tend to gain energy from interacting with people, building lasting relationships, listening to and helping meet their customers needs. If you then look at an Account Manager in any industry, these are very similar skills and attributes to what makes a successful Account Manager. Very rarely however will you find someone from the business sector hiring an Account Manager from a hospitality background due to their inability to see the transferable skills from the two positions.
Likewise you can look at the example of Teachers; they generally are organized, have great written and verbal communication skills, like to share information and knowledge with others, enjoy learning, work well in teams and autonomously, and are good at following rules and guidelines. The occupations that they can transfer into readily include Human Resources, Training,
Administration, Researching, and many more.
The key is for those hiring to be able to take multiple factors into consideration and look beyond what positions the applicant has done in the past. What is more important is what they are seeking to do in the future. The hiring manager needs to be able to assess the applicant’s skills and real desire to move into another position, which may differ from what they have done in the past. This can be done through many avenues including probing questions as to why they are applying for the position, do they have any education or volunteer work to support their desire and commitment to transitioning into a new position type, are they willing to take a salary cut, undergo further training or education of their own free will and so on. Often these people who have the enthusiasm and commitment to taking on a new position can prove to be more successful than someone who has done the same position for many years and perhaps has lost their edge and motivation and are really just going through the motions.
What we really need is a paradigm shift away from the traditional recruiting practices of ages gone by. We are living in a new age, the information age, the technology age which has forced business and employees to approach employment with a new perspective - it is exciting and should be embraced. We should be hiring on skills, attitude, flexibility, team work, future performance, creativity and other such attributes. We should be hiring for the future, not on the past, which is what current and traditional recruitment and staff management practices rely on.
Figures, the Premium Job Site for $100K+ Jobs. She says agencies still have a role to play although the shortfalls often relate to the relationship between the agency and the recruiter. Phil suggests a better way of structuring the way agencies and clients work together.
Reading Seth’s Blog awhile back 