In the last 12 months, the resources employee market has experienced a tectonic shift. While this may seem great news for employers, the devil in the detail is being overlooked.
In the last 12 months, the resources employee market has experienced a tectonic shift. While this may seem great news for employers, the devil in the detail is being overlooked.
Some believe the new conditions make it easy to find top people. This isn’t true. Most great candidates are still employed and will only move to the right role. They’re not scanning job ads; they’re waiting to be tapped. This gives you a great opportunity.
The last half decade was abnormal, spawning many ‘CV shufflers’ and ‘candidate marketers’. Such operators are no longer needed and many are closing their doors.
The current period is more normal, with balanced supply and demand in most areas. The value-add of today’s recruitment intermediary is search and selection. Because that’s what top passive candidates are waiting for.
If you’re employing, you have a wonderful chance to take advantage of this balanced candidate market. But it’s going to take more than advertising.
- While ads attract more candidates, they’re not always the ones you want.
- Many of the best candidates are passive. Already employed, they don’t read ads, but rely on database-centric intermediaries to alert them to high-quality employment opportunities.
- Fearing change, many top candidates are staying put.
- Desperate for work, some ‘rogue’ candidates are acting nice – concealing their motivation and intent.
- At the height of the boom, some people were given roles far beyond their ability. When they apply now, they look great on paper but lack the expertise to deliver.
We’re seeing some terrible hiring decisions stem from a reliance on advertising as the sole means of candidate attraction. Worse, some selection processes lack the due diligence to determine competence and suitability. These lost opportunities will cost some employers dearly.
If your company has weathered the storm, it’s time to leverage your advantage to secure the best talent. A top hire can make or save you hundreds of thousands of dollars and more.
Proper search and screening yields an infinite return. Respected HR writers, successful managers and leaders of the world’s biggest firms all agree that:
Choosing the right people is the single best investment you can make.
At MPi we’re neither CV shufflers nor candidate promoters. We don’t rely on media as our primary candidate attraction source.
We’re relationship builders and technical experts, with a database capability that lets us access the vast majority of passive mining candidates. People trust us, because we’ve earned their trust over 15 years. Our networks are unmatched.
We respect your right to run recruitment campaigns. Yet we know from experience that campaigns are only complete if they include pre-qualified passive candidates from industry databases like ours. It’s not about ceding control: our process can run parallel with yours.
A strong mining sector, filled with thriving firms and talented people, is in everyone’s interest. Of course I want your business. But whether you use MPi or someone else or no-one, at least think about the points I’ve raised.
Sales aside, I wrote this letter to warn and inform. MPi is a feedback-focussed company, so I’d love to hear what you think.
Thank you for your time.
Steve Heather Managing Director & Principal Executive Search steve.heather@miningpeople.com.au