"Not Actively Hiring"

I used to be taken aback when I heard this. I'd be put through to someone in HR, or sometimes to Sales Director, and I'd tell them about a Business Development Manager, or a Sales Manager, who had grown revenues by hundreds of percentage points, or millions of pounds, that I had registered that day, only to be told "we aren't hiring at the moment".

Think about that for a moment. You have someone who has sought you out, offered you something which could provide sales revenue increases by thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, and you turn them away? Why would you do that? Because you're afraid of paying a few thousand pounds in agency fees? Because you never work to rates above ten percent? Because you aren't actively hiring? How myopic. 

"Why would I pay someone to do something that I can do myself?" is an objection I hear all too often.  Here's why:

 LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2015 found that for non-critical roles, 75% of candidates aren't searching for work. That figure goes up to 95% for critical roles.

The best candidates are doing well in their current role, so have to be pushed and pulled out. A recruitment consultant, with specialist market knowledge, and who keeps abreast of competitor offerings, is well-positioned to do this, especially when there is a shift in the labour marketplace, such as we have witnessed from late 2015 onward. So next time you think that you can place an advertisement on a jobs board and attract a top-tier candidate, I would urge you to think again.

There is a widespread perception that to be weary of recruiters is to be business savvy. It is a competitive industry, to be sure, but all of our candidates come with a rebate period, where in the unlikely event that a candidate is not the hotshot they came across as during the interview stages, you can get your money back or a free replacement. There is literally no risk to your business. When the potential reward vastly outweighs the non-existent risk, there is no reason to block a five minute phonecall from a recruitment consultant.

It restores my faith in the business world when I hear a hiring manager say "we aren't actively hiring but I'm always happy to meet with a good candidate". It's easy to rest on your laurels and think "my business is doing well, why would I hire?"; I would ask "if your business is doing well, why wouldn't you hire?".

Whether you're "actively hiring" or  would just like to look into the quality of  our candidates, call me on 0141 241 4709, or send me an email at david.randall@reedglobal.com.