The economic downturn has brought a plague of problems for British companies. Effectively recruiting the right staff appears to one of them.

A survey compiling data from over 500 different recruiters by video interview provider Cammio.me has revealed some startling figures.
  • 11% of companies feel they have no time to interview all of the candidates they would ideally like to.

  • During the interview process, 41% of companies meet an average of 11 candidates during a first round, with a shortlist for a second round of interviews taking two to three weeks to be formed for 44% of firms.

  • One in 20 firms said it could take four weeks to reach this stage.

  • 36% of UK companies have taken on new hires without them meeting their manager first.

  • 12% say new hires miss out on meeting their new manager ‘often’.

The statistics speak for themselves: the direction, influence and ethos of recruitment has changed vastly over recent years and is still evolving now. It could be argued that trends were perhaps inevitably heading this way regardless of the global financial crisis and that the recession has merely accelerated this style of employment, but a “cultural fit” and company ethos has been marginalised in favour of streamlined, aggressive recruitment drives.

Potential candidates being screened by a hiring consultant or recruitment manager is standard practice for many; but for the managing director to not meet the preferred candidate to approve the hire is surprising. The danger of skipping this crucial meeting renders the new hire as a “box-ticker” who meets the criteria across the job description and experience – but what of the personality, and are they a fit with the company? In the age of social media and modern networking, brands are more focused on consumers as real people, rather than a faceless market pool – so why not the same for new staff?

Brands, businesses and companies should be championing their ideology, their core beliefs and their ethos. If they don’t, who will? 

Those at the very top have a duty to lead by example, to be ambassadors for the company and the process, and promote the right mind-set and culture that the business needs. Neglecting to safeguard the working attitudes of the business can be potentially very damaging in the long term.

Cammio chief executive Walter Hueber is concerned by the findings.

“Failing to introduce a candidate to their boss during the interview process is particularly unfair to both the prospective employee and the manager, and could cause problems in the recruitment process,” he says.
“Worse still, in a tough economic climate, the prospect of waiting for nearly a month for the second interview round will undoubtedly mean some companies will lose talent to competitors with more efficient recruitment processes.”

Could it be then that companies are now resigned or even dependent on this surgical, speed-dating style of recruitment?

In an economic struggle, you would presume that a business would have to take the utmost care when hiring a new member of staff, making it an absolute priority and certainty that they were selecting “the best person for the job” – but it seems that companies are taking a blasé, lackadaisical attitude to the hiring process, assuming that no-one stays put anymore and merely riding the merry-go-round carousel culture of employment short-termism. 

Candidates may be readily available at short-notice but to assume that this conveyor belt of 18-24month duration in a role is the norm and must be accepted is folly. Yes, it is easy to sympathise with businesses that desperately need staff and have merely adjusted to cope with the present tendency of staff rotation – following suit with their competitors and being flexible in the market is laudable. 

But forging longevity, building the right team of staff and working towards a sustainable recruitment model will stand British business in good stead for the future and go a long way towards outlasting the recession.

High levels of staff turnover and an environment that does not encourage staff retention will leave your company with a negative reputation and an uphill struggle to get hold of the best staff. Good results in the immediacy are scant reward for the time-consuming rigmarole of hiring and rehiring on a large scale every year - which will ultimately hurt your brand and weaken your company. 

So who IS holding onto their staff?

Surprise surprise, the burgeoning arena of digital is driving growth and sustainability with employees confidently retaining permanent positions while employers stay committed to building a team for the long-term. Digital is firmly entrenched as the option of the future as more and more people find jobs online, access social media platforms and stay connected via mobile devices. With brands like Apple and Google making the digital industries fashionable, there is a huge demand for good programmers, developers and content curators across all media sectors. These people are valuable stock right now and employers realise this. 

But why is this industry enjoying such success? 

Social. 91% of the world’s 1.8 billion smartphones are used for networking – whether Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or anything else, approximately 900 million people are using social medias – and with this boom in communication, tech-skilled industries are being safeguarded with a wealth of opportunities created every day. Still unconvinced? Online mobile usage is expected to outstrip traditional desktops by 2014. Recruiting and hiring in these industries could not be more vibrant because digital’s ceiling for growth is exponential. Employers are investing in quality staff quickly and are determined not to let them walk away.

What can I do to keep my staff with the company?

A good example is the people-orientated recruitment sector: keeping staff motivated, focused and target-driven are positive steps towards staff retention and minimising employee turnover. With clear, defined goals that affect the employee directly, staff will be able to tangibly measure their success and feel rewarded, leading to greater job satisfaction and encouraging sustainability and a “sticking with” the company.

 “You are only as good as the people that work for you”

Whilst you may not be in the most trendy industry, good management and a genuine care over your hiring and staffing policies will build respectable business foundations. In the UK, job confidence is developing well.

According to the Adecco Job Watch, the number of full-time general staffing roles advertised across the UK rose by 1.11% across the month of May 2012 compared to the previous month, with the number of jobs up 11.5% since the year began. Demand for temporary workers increased most sharply in the telecoms and legal sectors. The public sector was advertising fewer permanent roles, while the media and creative industry was looking for fewer temporary employees.
 
Chris Williamson of Markit Financial Services said: "For employment to increase at a time that the economy is contracting is unprecedented in recent history and puts a huge question mark over the GDP data. If this is a recession, it is possibly the healthiest one we have ever seen in terms of business optimism and job growth."

British industries are coping well – some better than others of course – but across the board, jobs are there and employers are hiring. If managers can recruit and screen properly and make good decisions and prospective candidates, the market will improve further as retention increases and job fluctuations settle.

Harriet Sanders, Director at digital recruitment specialist Chrysalis, is a staunch defender of effective recruiting.

“Bizarrely, hiring companies all too often undervalue a comprehensive recruitment process, choosing potential new employees in the same way as they may choose office furniture. Get the recruitment process wrong and not only does it cost money, but it can offer major disruption to the existing work force - which in turn results in vacancies and the vicious cycle continues” she says.

So – just because there are plenty of fits out there try and choose the very best fit; someone possessing the skills, experience and temperament for the philosophy of the company. The best companies are built on strong relationships with trust, longevity and a collective drive towards a common goal.

Here are some key hints and tips towards conducting an effective interview:

  • A successful candidate can only be found if all decision makers are fully aware of the skills and qualities required - A clash in what different people are looking out for could prove disastrous.

  • Offering a “closed” demeanour (such as folded arms) can be detrimental to extracting the required answers. The interviewer must be aware of their own posture, behaviour and mannerism, and how this body language can influence the interview.
  • allow time at the end of the interview for any questions promoting the company with some background information, an explanation of the role, career opportunities, etc is important. surprisingly omitted on many occasions, leaving the candidate feeling underwhelmed and often disinterested in the company.

Stop thinking in the short-term with a revolving door of staff and a seemingly never-ending program of fast-track training. Simplify, specialise, slow the process down and you will reap the rewards of a loyal, established staff with a management structure promoting a mission statement of enduring excellence that will be the envy of your competitors.