Are recruitment agencies becoming obsolete in an era where access to jobs and applicants is just a click away?  Would it be possible to screen, evaluate and make the right hiring decision though technology alone?  Niteske Marshall, MD of Network Recruitment, shares her thoughts in this guest blog.

Will the prevalence of employers/job seekers engaging on social networks signal the end of the recruitment agency?

I believe that technology can’t be seen as an alternative to the human touch that a recruitment consultant brings.  But the future is not an either/or scenario, rather a both/ and situation. Technology is a tool in the recruitment process but it cannot replace the process itself – it’s a people-driven process.

Case in point: when the first job board emerged several years ago, and when companies launched websites advertising their vacancies, it became a real possibility to access more candidates directly and potentially cut out the need for the recruitment agent.

Despite these tools becoming available, the recruitment industry in South Africa has shown no signs of slowing down.  This clearly indicates the value and benefit of the recruitment agency to both employers and job seekers.

In a recent survey conducted by Network Recruitment amongst finance and engineering professionals, 46% of the participants had made use of a recruitment agency in finding their current jobs. The 2011 South African Recruitment Survey (conducted by South African Recruiters Network and Jobs.co.za) reveals that 78% of companies are using recruitment agencies.

It is apparent, perhaps surprisingly, that the rise of technology does not negatively impact the role of recruitment agencies. I believe this phenomenon reflects the reality that making hiring decisions is a subjective, intuitive process that is largely affected by intangible elements and chemistry between people. Matching skills to job on paper is the easy part, and technology facilitates that.

The true value however, in working with a recruitment consultants (as opposed to relying only on technology), can be found in the following aspects:

• Culture and value match

A good recruitment consultant understands the critical importance of culture and value match between employer and applicant.  She knows how to ‘read’ these aspects and bring the right people together.

• Unique Candidate Qualities

Often, a candidate’s CV doesn’t show their true strengths or most important qualities clearly. This means that, when employers use only technology to search for candidates, the real talent could be overlooked. A good recruitment consultant draws out the talents and strengths of a candidate and brings it under the attention of the prospective employer.

• The art of real communication

Successfully bringing together an employer and job seeker is a sensitive process involving a lot of communication and negotiation. The art of communication becomes a half-painted picture without the human element. The one-dimensionality of using technology in selection of candidates means that wrong assumptions can be made, which leads to wrong conclusions.

A recruitment consultant needs to know how to use technology to their advantage, but even the best technology won’t replace the human element and capacity to interpret a situation– something that, for now, humans are more equipped to do than machines.

If you’re reading this, chances are that you are dressed in a serious, pencil striped and professionally tailored business suit.  You’re up at 5am to work out or face the traffic, compile long-term strategies and focus on critical business decisions.

I get it – the finance industry is a serious one. But do all work and all grey make Jack a dull CA?

It’s not a swearword

Creativity might be a bit of a dirty word in financial circles, but I’m not talking about creative accounting….We tend to use the word ‘creativity’ in connection with artists; skilled people applying their craft in a way that creates something that touches our emotions in particular ways.  Isn’t business supposed to be, well, conservative?

Actually, it’s (already) business as usual

In his blog, Haydn Shaughnessy mentions that creativity is more important than capitalism.  Eek!  That’s quite an extreme statement.  Need some proof to be convinced?  Have a look at Google’s nGram database, which contains about 4% of all books ever published.  Shaughnessy says it best: “The use of creativity is increasing in business and management literature…the quest to be more creative as a society is as old as (modern) business.”

It gives you the extra edge

So let’s get this straight:  creativity can be simply an unusual idea inspired from a mundane source. It’s is what sets apart the good from the great and the norms from the quirky.  It provides the extra edge for finance professionals who, in today’s business environment, have to deal with much more than numbers: people management, ethics, green issues, triple bottom line, integrated reporting and innovation, to name but a few.

The way of the future for finance

Creativity is needed for that extra edge in any industry, including the finance industry.  By allowing and exploring creative solutions, companies and individuals can differentiate themselves in order to gain a stronghold in the industry.  But, don’t just take my word for it…

“In this (competitive) environment, the winners will be companies that can turn the challenges into opportunities to build stronger and more enduring customer relationships; sharpen process efficiency (and) unlock talent and creativity.” – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

By guest blogger Niteske Marshall.  Network Recruitment Managing Director, Niteske Marshall, joined the company as a recruitment consultant in 1998, after completing a BA (Honours) Industrial Psychology degree at the University of Stellenbosch. She has a passion for developing young business people into business leaders.

In my endeavours as MD of Network Recruitment, I’m often asked about social media in the workplace.  I recently received an enquiry explaining the following scenario and was asked to give my opinion:

“I spend a lot of time on Facebook and other social networking sites, though a lot of the time I spend there is related to my work, now my company has announced that all access to these sites will be prohibited from our workstations. Is this fair?”

I know that often due to bandwidth issues, fears about productivity and concerns about some employees abusing social media sites companies end up prohibiting them.  I think this is an unfortunate decision for a company to make.

• Missed business opportunities

Ultimately, it won’t be possible in the future for business interaction to take place without social media sites being part of the communication cycle.  More and more companies are realising that their customers are interacting and are accessible through social media platforms.  Shortly, the business will miss opportunities if they outlaw social media at work.

• Employees are human two

Furthermore, people want to be human at work.  Many hours are spent in the workplace and the whole person needs to be kept in mind.

Employers also need to understand that the new generations entering the workplace have incorporated social media into their daily activities; by cutting off this access they are not acknowledging the needs of their employees.

• Instil trust for higher productivity

Retention and attraction of good people is the key to a company’s success, and leaders need to ask themselves what kind of message their decisions are sending to their workforce:  I think you will get more buy-in and engagement from your staff if they are empowered and trusted to do their work and manage their own working day.

Employees will simply use their own BlackBerrys or smartphones during working hours to engage on social media if the company’s policies prohibit access.  Why not harness the power of social media platforms and encourage employees to interact with customers while also showcasing the company’s forward-thinking policies?

How our devices and online personas are redefining human connection and communication