The key to competitive hiring in changing times is understanding your talent pool, according to Kim Shepherd, CEO of Decision Toolbox, a nationwide provider of project based hiring and on-demand Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO).
“Every leader lists hiring great talent as a major initiative, but almost every company wrestles with how to make this a reality rather than an empty refrain. Changing times make this an increasingly difficult task,” explains Shepherd.
According to Shepherd, the Gen Y generation is changing the talent search parameters because they want significantly different things than the baby boomers:
1. Me-Inc Mindset: This is a free-agent generation. They are willing to pay their dues if they’re learning and advancing, but will not be held back.
2. Work-life Balance: Especially important for Gen Y, who value flexibility in their lives. This includes work schedules, telecommuting, home-office arrangements, and dress code.
3. Social Conscience: This generation expects to make a difference, and they want their employers to help them contribute as well. According to the 2007 Volunteer IMPACT survey by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, Gen Yers “prefer to work for companies that give them opportunities to contribute their talents to nonprofit organizations.”
4. Demand for Feedback: Gen Y expects feedback and validation often, and particularly values mentoring.
“The job market today also follows the laws of supply and demand: sometimes you have exceptional candidates banging your door down, and other times you’re hiring Grade B beef because it’s all you can find,” explains Shepherd.
“Visionary leaders develop two strategies, one for each extreme of the job market spectrum: job rich/candidate poor and job poor/candidate rich. With a plan in place for both contingencies, managers can stop worrying about the economy and start hiring by design. That isn’t a new idea – it’s just common sense,” she concludes.
About Decision Toolbox (DT)
Founded in 1992, Decision Toolbox provides scalable and easily integrated recruitment solutions for a 7% cost per hire on average while incorporating rigorous quality controls and a twelve-month candidate guarantee. Armed with the very latest tools and a team of seasoned US-based Recruiters and Sourcers, Decision Toolbox is an on-demand recruiting department for one critical search, for large projects, or a complete RPO/RPI solution. Decision Toolbox has taken a leadership role in almost every aspect of recruitment, introducing an RPO offering in 2000, four years before it became industry practice.
DT is recognized as a “Thought Leader” by organizations such as SHRM, PIHRA, and the NHRA, and was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility in 2009, 2011 and 2012. DT is a Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certified company, the Gold Standard. WBENC Certification validates that the business is 51 percent owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women.