How Executive Recruiting Is Changing

Every profession evolves over time, to adapt to the inevitable changes impacting the way things operate in that particular environment. Executive recruiting is no different.

The LinkedIn blog mentioned a post by John Vlastelica, founder of Recruiting Toolbox, in which he posed the following question to recruiting professionals:

“What’s something you believed to be true 10 years ago about recruiting, that you don’t believe to be true now?”

In their answers they indicated that they no longer believe:

Extroversion is an essential trait for recruiters
Recruiters shouldn’t challenge hiring managers on requirements
The strongest interviewees always make the best hires
If a candidate’s resume has typos, you should automatically reject them
Unemployment, job changes, and gaps in the resume are indicators of poor performance

About the last item, one talent acquisition consultant said:

“Colleagues and I used to give a candidate more credit for being focused on a more straight upward career trajectory. Now, I realize that the most engaging leaders are storytellers. Where do they get a lot of their stories? From side hustles, gap years, peace corps, sabbaticals, workaway programs, volunteering, etc. That year ‘off’ prepares leaders to listen more, to be nimble, and to recognize when to make exceptions for exceptional people.”

What can you glean about today’s executive recruiting from all this?

Recruiters have loosened their criteria for good hires.

If nothing else, the things that used to worry you about working with recruiters may no longer be an issue.

And, especially because of the pandemic, you can probably stop worrying about reaching out to recruiters if you’re unemployed. They’re much less likely to judge you as a poor candidate.

In fact, you may be wise to display the #OpenToWork emblem on your LinkedIn profile headshot, which lets them and others know that you’re actively job hunting.

In an article I wrote about #OpenToWork, I cited LinkedIn Product Manager Rohan Rajiv, who said:

“#OpenToWork Increases Your Likelihood of Hearing from a Recruiter

When using the #OpenToWork feature, you can specify the types of jobs you’re interested in (job titles, remote location, start date and job type). This will also improve your job recommendations and turn on job alerts matching your preferences, enabling you to be one of the first to apply when a relevant job is posted. Applying early can increase your chances of hearing back by up to 4X. More than three million members have chosen to add a public #OpenToWork photo frame since launching in June, and our data show that they are, on average, 40% more likely to receive InMails from recruiters.”

Executive Recruiting Relies Heavily on Social Media

Here’s some compelling data from Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey:

Get Busy on LinkedIn, Especially

“Social media channels most used for recruiting are LinkedIn (72%), Facebook (60%), Twitter (38%), Instagram (37%), Glassdoor (36%), and YouTube (27%). To a smaller extent, newer social media outlets such as TikTok and Snapchat have also been added to the mix, presumably for roles that might appeal to younger candidates.”

Looking to work for a larger organization? The survey shows that “larger companies (500+ employees) are more likely to invest in recruiting through LinkedIn than smaller companies.”

Ace Your Video Interviews

“In the pandemic job market, 67% of recruiters are interviewing using video, and 40% of recruiters believe virtual interviews will be the default moving forward. The transition from in-person interviewing includes trip-ups to avoid in practice.
What are some of the biggest video interview mistakes recruiters see from candidates? Poor internet connectivity (37%), inappropriate attire (25%), and poor eye contact (23%).”

Don’t Miss Out on Employee Referrals

“Employee referral programs are the second–highest hiring source (29%) for recruiters behind internal candidates.
Over 70% of recruiters say their organizations offer employee referral programs and 88% incentivize referrals.”

Savvy job seekers network their way towards referrals from the employees at their target employers. Incentivized referral programs are a win-win for you and for the employee.

Leave the Door Open, Even If You Don’t Get the Job

“77% of recruiters have circled back to hire a candidate who was the second or third choice on their list, or who had a great resume, but just wasn’t quite a fit for the opening at the time. Recruiters keep these silver medalists in mind, so job seekers should wrap up every interview process on a professional and courteous note leaving the door open. It may lead to a call back in the end.”

To be sure you stay top-of-mind, send handwritten thank you notes to the recruiters you work with.