Is technology killing the skills behind recruitment?

For those of us who have been in recruitment for a long time, in my case for 25 years, the advent of technology and the internet have brought amazing changes to the way we now work.

Technology has meant databases instead of cardex files, emails instead of letters and jobsites instead of newspaper advertising. All good for the industry and for clients and applicants alike.

However, for every flip side, there is a down side. Consultants are few and far between these days, recruitment has become just part of the beast that is sales. The skills required seem to changing to those of fast searches and sales technique. There seems to be little emphasis on the preselection skills that were drummed into me many years ago but now by clicking a few “key words” applicants pop up on a screen and their details ready to be forwarded.

The danger of mixing sales with technology is that details of applicants are often fired through by email to clients without applicants ever knowing. This is bad practice to say the least, but the “bright young things” are targetted by cv’s sent, interviews arranged, fee billing and god knows what else… they are under pressure. Hit your targets or you are out.

I like technology, Im a bit of a technofreak BUT there is a limit to how much I would be willing to rely on it and a limit to how I would use it.

Not sure if this will cause a bit of a grump… if it does, good, its about time we took a good hard look at our industry and our standards.

Resource: Brae Scotland