Get Talking

An insightful jam-packed few days meeting Tech Meetup organisers, tech talent,Talent and hiring managers at London Tech Week.

A key message from tech job seekers is their frustration regarding the lack of transparency and personal connection in the recruitment process.

Funnily enough, my friend Tris, who recently attended SourceCon shared his insight (read here) that strongly correlates; & recruiters, sourcers, and employers need to listen more closely.follow-through

Job-seekers are missing and WANT the Human element!

Sadly I had recruiters described as ‘keyword sniffers’ this week. I was told this is an industry perception and tech candidates are continually being spammed with inappropriate roles.

Keyword filtering is expected but the major frustration is the lack of follow-through on really getting to know the candidates wants and motivations. This lack of engagement at a human level is a major turnoff for tech talent, who are after more than just the job.

We want to know more about the company culture, what languages are used but more importantly why, this tells us a lot about the company, their thinking, and potential management & business approach; how many are on the team, is it growing; how will they develop within their role, the company and further develop their skills etc.

Yes, the role and salary are important but also, location, flexible working hours, remote capabilities, etc; without knowing the job-seeker and tailoring your approach… aka… getting human; it’s going to be hard to get their buy-in, trust and establish your own credibility.

How to do it – Get talking! Have a genuine conversation, understand and actually represent their best interests; walk away if it’s not right, build rapport and a trust relationship. I promise they’ll be more willing to answer your calls and teach you about all the latest and greatest, making you better at your job; while helping them find theirs!