The hiring market isn’t “tough” right now, although many recruiters are complaining that it is. It’s just different. Or better yet, normal. Recruiting leaders should invest in training and developing talent to help them remain productive during these challenging times, so that when the market opens up, they will inevitably thrive.
Unfortunately, many business leaders don’t do this. Instead, they ride the hiring seesaw, cut costs by firing all their inexperienced recruiters, then lament a recruiter shortage 12 months later when the market booms. Smart leaders take the long view and are constantly committed to developing their talent.
Another thing to remember is that coaching and learning are RetentionThis is so obvious that many people overlook it: if individuals feel they are growing, developing their skills, pushing their limits and progressing in their careers, they are more likely to enjoy their work, their self-esteem will increase and as a result they are more likely to stay with the organisation. Staff turnover in recruitment is one of our biggest issues and solving it is a complex mix of issues, but learning and training is paramount.
Can you briefly explain how you help recruiters improve their skills and knowledge?
There are plenty of training materials available for recruiters, but Savage Recruitment Academy has an edge in several areas.
The Academy contains over 100 hours of bespoke recruitment agency training that is unique in that it is practical, easy to understand and applicable to today’s market.
The majority of the content is provided by Greg Savage himself, who has over 40 years of experience in the industry. Through speaking, seminars, events and webinars, Greg has trained and developed thousands of recruiters for his own company, as well as hundreds of thousands of recruiters around the world. SRA includes a range of recruitment content including an intensive onboarding program, a 15-hour masterclass focusing on temporary and contract workers, a sales masterclass, client management pathways and candidate management. Additionally, there are training suites for billing managers, senior managers and director level talent in the recruitment industry.
How do you observe the industry evolving and what particular skills or knowledge areas are becoming increasingly important?
Talent development programs in the recruitment industry need to provide insight into how the industry is changing, including advances in technology and artificial intelligence, and changing expectations of both customers and candidates.
At the same time, there needs to be an element of “back to the future” because good ol’ recruitment consulting skills on the absolute basics like qualifying job offers, conducting client interviews, understanding what really motivates candidates to change jobs, selling exclusivity, negotiating rates, defining your differentiator, positioning yourself as a consultant, etc. must also be part of any training program. Many recruiters were never taught these skills and even the most seasoned seem to have forgotten them. SRA covers it all.
Woven throughout the Savage Recruitment Academy materials is the understanding that artificial intelligence will not replace recruiters, but that recruiters need to understand which parts of their jobs will be automated and which parts will become more human. This is absolutely critical because the job of a recruiter will change. Transactional, procedural, and logistical work will no longer be important to the recruiter themselves. What will now matter is the ability to build relationships, develop credibility, provide insights, and act as a trusted advisor for clients and candidates. Unfortunately, in recent years, many recruiters have gotten by quite well without these skills, but that is no longer the case. Savage Recruitment Academy provides tangible support in that regard.
What advice would you give to recruiters and hiring teams looking to maximise the benefits of a professional development training programme?
Let’s be honest, simply signing up to the Savage Recruitment Academy or an online learning platform won’t do you any good without a clear program for how the materials will be used and clear accountability for leaders and consultants to invest their time and mental space.
The best way to use the Academy is as a group training. We recommend that you work through the appropriate segments with your team, followed by debate and discussion. After that, the leader should agree on a commitment to change behavior and try new ideas. If this is not possible in a physical group, you can set each individual the task of reviewing the video, after which you can decide and agree on the future direction in an online group session.
Of course, it is useful for individuals to watch and engage with the material on their own – that is part of using the material – but even then, it is much more productive to have a follow-up debrief with a leader or peer to check understanding and agree on next steps.
Learning is “Wash you up” It comes in waves. It takes active effort and commitment.
In the next few days, probably by the time this article is published, we will be releasing a new artificial intelligence component of the Savage Recruitment Academy. This will include a sophisticated chatbot that can answer any question about recruiting. This is not just a standard ChatGPT type device that scans the entire internet for ideas. Savage AI will get its answers exclusively from Savage Recruitment Academy content. Therefore, the answers generated are provided by people with a high degree of expertise in recruiting.
Plus, each answer will refer subscribers to the appropriate Academy video for more advanced learning – a game changer as recruiters have a mentor by their side throughout their shift and training is integrated into real-world job performance.
