Hiring has changed so much over the years because there are so many different channels through which you can actually attract candidates and it has become a lot more global. Back in the day, you’d put an ad in the newspaper, the job ads would come out on a Thursday and that would be it. Now, you’ve got so many different channels, a lot of internal recruitment teams, which is a relatively new thing as well and the amount of job boards out there is just off the charts.
I think nowadays, you really need to have good skills in analysis in order to identify quickly what you’re looking for and matching up people because there’s so much information coming at you from all over the place, so being able to analyse data really quickly is absolutely essential.
Probably the biggest challenge that companies are going to have in the next couple of years is to do with actually upskilling their existing staff. It’s going to be absolutely huge, because I’d say 50% of everyone’s workforce right now is potentially going to be doing jobs that are different to what is available right now and there’ll be jobs in the next couple of years that we haven’t even heard about.
I think what has been happening in the market in the last few years is that because the pace of change in technology has been so rapid, companies think they need a someone to fill a particular skills gap immediately and the thought process behind why they might need that person isn’t really there. Because of that, it becomes a race to bring in people with this skillset as opposed to really thinking about where that’s going to fit and what the overall strategy is.
For example, at the moment you’ll find that anything to do with data is huge in a lot of accounting roles and everyone’s looking for that. However, they’re hiring people in who have done a course in data analytics and that’s it and I think that needs to change in the next number of years. Companies need to think about what exactly they’re going to use this data for and why they’re doing it as opposed to just seeing new technology and bringing someone in for it.
Going forward, companies are going to have to really hire on attitude. I think there’s a lot of things you can learn on the job. Now obviously, if you’re looking for a qualified accountant, that’s fine, you need someone with that qualification. But if you hire people with the right attitude and then upskill those people, you’ll be futureproofing the business in a much more dynamic way.
Companies should also look at their existing workforce because its guaranteed there will be people that are in the organisation right now who are doing roles that they might be happy with but might also like to do something a little bit different and would love to get upskilled. Instead companies are going externally and bringing people in, which may cause your current workforce to leave. Look at who your workforce is right now, identify who’s really good and who you want to keep and upskill them.
Another example of this in action is in audit, which has changed massively over the last number of years because there’s a lot of new data analytics tools. A good person to bring in there, or upskill if you have them already, would be someone with an audit background who has an interest in data analytics. Get them in and then spend the money doing courses for that individual so you’re multiskilling them, rather than hiring twice.
It’s really forward-thinking if you do it that way because it’s about the here-and-now role that you need to fill but also thinking about what else that role could be. That way, you’re putting an employee you already have through the training, which they’ll be delighted about because they’re being upskilled, but it will also benefit the company.
Too many recruitment processes are dragged out and I think the faster and nimbler you are as an organisation, the better chance you have to attract really good candidates. A really good candidate will have a number of different opportunities so it’s not all about you, it’s actually much more about the candidate now, for better or for worse.
I think if companies aren’t aware of that, then they’re setting themselves up to be a bit disappointed. It’s also important to understand what your recruitment process is going to be and working it like a project and really taking it seriously. For example, managers saying they’re too busy to do an interview, is outrageous. People need to look at recruitment as a fundamental part of growing any organisation.
Looking to hire top talent or improve your recruitment process? Check out our hiring solutions or talk to me by email at garrett.ogorman@recruiters.ie or on the phone at +353 1 632 5028.
Garrett O’Gorman is the principal consultant for accounting and finance recruitment at RECRUITERS
Water photo by Linus Nylund on Unsplash
