Great companies need great teams, which is why recruitment is such a vital business process. But how do you build a team of recruiters? And what happens if they leave?
This Great Resignation continues to wash over the workforce from top to bottom, and recruiting professionals are no exception. Between 2020 and 2021, the demand for recruiters soared 146% making it one of the largest leaps in the number of job postings across industries.
With competition for talent and turnover as high as it’s ever been, employers must keep their talent finders top of mind.
Why do recruiters leave?
According to research released by NTT DATA with Oxford Economics, only 16% of respondents ranked employee satisfaction and retention as a priority. What this group fails to realize is that competition for talent is as high as it’s ever been. In fact, data from The Future of Recruiting Report reveals that demand for recruiting professionals has risen 63% since 2016.
A word of caution for that 16% of respondents from the NTT DATA survey, the ripple effect of a recruiter resignation can quickly turn into waves. When one recruiter leaves, the ones who remain are usually stretched thinner, leading to more resignations and so goes the spiral if left unabated. For this reason, recruiter retention should be top of mind for every organization.
Companies these days must do more to retain their best recruiters if they intend to vigorously compete for the talent they need.
5 tips for keeping hold of your best recruiters
Here are 5 recruiter retention tips from a recruiting consultant’s perspective:
1. Offer the right Total Rewards
There are plenty of platitudinal articles that downplay the importance of competitive wages; and while salary is not the only thing, it remains top on the list for employees' reasons to leave their current job for a new one.
Being overworked and underpaid is a dangerous cocktail that leads to burnout. That 2% annual bump in base pay pales in comparison to the thousands offered by another company.
2. Be flexible
Companies that insist recruiters return to the office may see them walk. In general, recruiters consider remote work a silver lining in the cloud called COVID.
A recent Harvard Business School study showed most professionals flourished in their jobs while working from home, and 81% would choose a hybrid schedule, or simply prefer not to go back to the office at all. A phone and a laptop are all a recruiter needs to do the job from anywhere.
3. Set realistic hiring goals
Avoid horizon-like hiring goals. A recruiter should not feel as if they’re walking towards a horizon, where no matter how fast or how long they walk they never arrive. Hiring managers and executive teams can be quick to blame recruiting for their inability to secure the talent they so desperately need, when in reality there may be more to the story.
It goes without saying, open positions need to be filled in a timely manner. But foisting unrealistic goals on a recruiter can lead to frustration, especially when they weren't invited to the goal-setting conversation. Work with your recruiters to set hiring goals, value their opinions, and professional guidance.
Recruiters can provide hiring managers with valuable information to shed light on the recruiting process, competitive market data, and feedback to ensure that the right qualifications are advertised to attract the right candidates.
4. Let them focus on what matters
Recruiting requires an inordinate number of administrative tasks that can at times become overwhelming. Whether it’s filling out spreadsheets, scheduling interviews, or writing notes for the hiring manager post candidate phone screen, these repetitive manual steps can clutter a recruiter's day.
Encourage your recruiting team to share shortcuts and best practices that promote efficiencies. Remain open to new ideas and be willing to invest in any new technology your recruiting staff might suggest.
5. Standardize recruiting processes
Hiring managers are at times like snowflakes. Wonderfully unique, each with their personal preferences. Quality recruiters understand the value of maintaining a good rapport with hiring managers.
But a lack of clarity between recruitment professionals can lead to frustration unless there are clear expectations. Consider the 80/20 rule. Work with your recruiters to develop standardized processes that will work at least 80% of the time. Standardizing steps and practices will reduce stress for all, and allow your recruiters to focus more on sourcing, and screening candidates.
Building a team of recruiters for the future
It’s not uncommon that we hear recruiters during their searches say that they felt undervalued, underestimated, or marginalized in their positions. No matter what position, everyone wants to feel appreciated for the work that they do for an organization.
Be sure to let your recruiters know how valuable they are to the business and your team. I don’t need to tell you that people are the lifeblood of every organization, and recruiters find, attract, and hire the talent required to keep the heartbeat of your organization pumping.
Give simple recognition during a team meeting or suggest a brief note of thanks from a hiring manager. Taking a minute to share your appreciation can go a long way towards increasing a recruiter's job satisfaction and reducing their retention risk.
Need some help building an outstanding HR team? Set up a no-obligation call today with a Helios HR consultant.
