where to begin a job search Archives

I’ve received feedback from a number of clients regarding applying to jobs online. The concern is that most jobs are found through networking or internal employee referrals. Although there are a number of articles to support this concern, it isn’t the whole story.

How Recruiters Find Candidates

A recruiter’s job is to find qualified candidates to fill open job opportunities. Let’s take a look at how recruiters search for qualified candidates so that you as the job seeker can be found by recruiters.

Most large organizations will have an internal recruitment department. The same holds true for mid-sized organizations. Like any other department within an organization, the recruitment department will have a budget. They will also need to justify how they are spending their budget. A recruitment department’s budget will be allocated to those activities which result in a successful hire. These activities include investing in social media sites (i.e. LinkedIn), posting job ads on job boards, leveraging recruitment agencies, and in their own recruitment systems (or ATSs). To justify the use of this investment, the recruitment department must demonstrate that they have successfully hired a mix of candidates through these channels in as well as leveraging internal employee referrals.

With this in mind, it is imperative that you have a multi-channel strategy for your job search, inclusive of networking. In other words, be sure to apply to jobs that you see posted online including on your target companies’ career sites, network with recruitment agencies, and increase your presence on social media. You can increase your social media presence through writing a blog, sharing interesting articles related to your chosen field, or commenting on social media posts. By doing this you will boost your presence as an authority in your field.

Final Thoughts

Although there are many benefits for an organization when they hire candidates through employee referrals, most organizations realize the value in diversifying their candidate mix. After all, if an organization only hires candidates through internal employee referrals, they run the risk of Group Think. In other words, if an organization only hires the friends of their employees, they risk having teams of employees who all think the same way. By diversifying the candidate mix, the organization is far more likely to have diversity of thought among their teams. This diversity of thought is a key competitive advantage in the ever-changing business world. As a savvy job seeker, you too should diversify the sources you use in your job search.

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.

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Until next time, happy hunting!

Another great viewer question: What is the purpose of employment assessment tests?

As usual, the short answer is: it depends! Analytical tests have been debated on both sides of the table. The main reason for this is that their predictive validity (how well they actually predict a person’s potential success in a given role) varies. In addition, there can sometimes be a gap between the intended use and the actual use of such tests.

That aside, although the type of test can vary (i.e. aptitude, personality, intelligence, etc.), the purpose of the test is to provide a deeper understanding of the candidate. The resume and interview is the “tip of the iceberg” and doesn’t highlight how a candidate’s values, aptitude, and beliefs make them a fit for the role. The intended use is usually to assess a person’s personality profile as an indicator of a person’s ability to fit with a company culture, team, or to perform a role.

But, here’s the rub: Although the intended use is for the test to be an indicator, hiring managers may use these tests as a way to “screen in” or “screen out” candidates. The good news is, the H/R or recruitment teams usually recognize these coachable moments to ensure that hiring managers see such tests as indicators and not screening tools.

On a personal note, I am a fan of these tests if they are implemented well. I find them very helpful in doing my own self-reflection to set my own personal and professional goals. In doing my own research, I have come across a free assessment test that is really comprehensive and you can get a lot of great insights from it. I have linked it below for your reference.