Dean Symons of Magnet.me considers how recruiters can make better use of time with a more targeted approach. 

Having worked in the industry for over a year, attended the A-Z of graduate recruitment events and spoken to recruiters and talent acquisitions from across the UK, one thing is apparent and that is time… or the lack thereof.

I think every recruiter I have spoken to is busy all day everyday. I can certainly understand that. Sifting through thousands of applications, attending various meetings, hearing that job specs have changed, interviewing candidates, going through rejection, dealing with sales people, and on top of all of this, we need a personal life. 

I’ve found that while some employers are becoming more targeted, others are attracting thousands of applications to find one hire. The chances are that if you are introduced to four candidates in a warm way, either from a friend, Linkedin, media platform etc….. nine out of 10 times you will hire one of the four. Some options are necesary to find the right fit for the job, but if more than 100 candidates are required per hire I can see why time is so limited.  

‘trying to find a diamond in the rough’

The process can be like trying to find a diamond in the rough. It takes a lot of time and effort to find the perfect, or even a single, diamond. After hours of blood, sweat and tears anything diamond-like is sure to start looking perfect – or you can end up exhausted and empty handed. Adding pile after pile of rubble onto the workload, because it ‘may have a diamond in it’, does not make the decision easier or quicker. Adding more increases workload and risks mistaking a below average diamond for priceless. 

I get the feeling that having too many options, even when you know what you’re looking for, can pose problems of its own. 

It’s easy to lose or forget that gut feeling you had about a candidate because you come across another and another and another. I would like to think that recruiters want to make use of their intuition.

A ‘spray and pray’ process, sending thousands of emails and praying for the right candidate, no longer makes sense. A targeted approach, focusing on quality over quantity can save precious time, putting you back in control.