Recruitment agencies and the corporate website
January 23, 2009
I recently invited Aaron Blower, from Chelsea Search Group, to explain how recruitment agencies use corporate recruitment sites, and what services the corporate site could provide for the external recruiter.
An astute Corporate Eye editor recently noted that “Most corporate sites, it seems to me, are designed for the new graduate or the experienced hire – individual potential applicants, not agency recruiters …”
Oh how right she is!
This raises some interesting questions, both about the structure and usability of corporate recruiting sites, but also about their purpose.
Let’s start by laying out some of the general goals of the different groups here:
Recruitment Agencies
The primary goal of headhunters is always to make the most money with the smallest amount of effort. They work for two types of clients:
- Type 1 clients, who actively source active job seekers and use recruitment agencies only for the most difficult positions after they have exhausted all of their options
- Type 2 clients, who use agencies for most or all of their positions and do not do much to attract direct applicants.
Recruitment agencies are always on the lookout for type 2 companies, but their bread and butter is the passive job seeker for type 1 companies (a passive job seeker being one who would consider a job if made aware of it, but isn’t actively looking, unlike the active job seeker).
Corporate Recruiting Website
Corporate websites are designed to attract potential applicants for current and future positions as well as inform all applicants of the benefits of working for the corporation. This is one of the primary things that turns a type 2 company into a type 1 company; the better the corporate website, the more attractive it will be for active job seekers. A company with no online careers presence is unlikely to attract the same quantity of applicants.
Since agencies are hoping your corporation is a type 2 company, they will be talking to active candidates as well as passive candidates. What this means of course, is that the corporate website is in competition with recruitment agencies for the same active candidates! If a corporation can get a candidate to apply through the company’s website before an agency submits their resume, the corporation saves significant quantities of money.
How to Make Them Work Together
With regards to agencies, the corporate website should serve a couple of primary goals.
First, it should be easy for everybody to see all of the open positions without registration or too many clicks. Most recruiters are going to corporate websites to find out what jobs are open, to see if they might have any candidates that they can skill-market to that company.
Second, it is nice when they have their corporate policy regarding use of recruiters in plain sight. These are all examples of sites that clearly spell out their policy towards recruiters. Some take the extra step of providing information on how to inquire about providing recruitment services. This one seems to go the extra step of even listing which positions might be open to recruiters if they have a contract.
The point is to have a website that works towards your recruitment goals. A note specifically tailored to recruiters may decrease the number of cold calls you get and most certainly will decrease the number of unsolicited resumes received – both of which saves HR a lot of time.
I would probably take an additional step and note which positions the company would be open to filling via recruiter, with specific instructions on how to inquire with specific candidates. Corporate HR departments cannot spend a lot of time fielding speculative calls from recruiters, but most would be willing to receive targeted contact from recruiters with candidates they would actually be interested in.
Thanks, Aaron!
Governance And Stakeholders At National Grid
January 23, 2009
There is a continuing debate about the US model of Corporate Governance versus the one in the UK. Some think that the US model is more strict … well, don’t tell that to UK based National Grid. Their comprehensive treatment of Governance and stakeholders could just be the envy of firms across the pond.
In the About Us there is navigation to Corporate Governance and lots more. For example, there are links to strategy, brand, board and stakeholders. All contain useful information, but I find the stakeholders section particularly interesting. This section expands to –
- Our Employees
- Our Investors
- Our Customers
- Our Suppliers
- Government and Regulators
- Local Communities and wider society
I’ve seen many Corporate Governance sites, but none with such a comprehensive treatment of stakeholders.
When you go to Our Investors you find an innovative communications item:
Shareholder networking
National Grid operates a Shareholder Networking programme, the aim of which is to allow shareholders to gain a better understanding of the Company. The programme, which is normally run twice a year in June and during early December over two days, includes visits to operational sites and presentations by senior managers and employees. Participants also have the opportunity to meet and question Directors.
Well done. Now back to the About Us page for another good feature — benchmarking.
Benchmarking our Performance
We participate in a number of public benchmarks, ratings and other comparisons of company performance provided by independent agencies that look at our economic, environmental and social performance. We believe benchmarking our performance is an important part of understanding the impact we have on society and identifying improvements we can make in the future.
How’s that for showing your Social Responsibility?
Seems that National Grid goes well beyond the USA Corporate Governance model.
Exposed – Belkin Pays for Positive Consumer Reviews
January 23, 2009
Some companies have been covertly paying consumers to write positive reviews online for years now. Is it unethical? Yes. But do some companies do it anyway? Yes. Last week, computer and electronics accessory maker Belkin was caught in the act of soliciting positive reviews for its products from anyone who was willing to write them through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk.
Amazon’s Mechanical Turk is an online marketplace of workers. Companies can create tasks then post those tasks on Mechanical Turk for workers around the world to complete. Each task has a payment amount associated with it. In the case of Belkin, an employee posted a request for workers to write positive reviews about a specific Belkin product. The task made it clear that workers were to give the product a score of 5 out of 5 (or 100%), the highest score possible, and regardless of whether or not they had ever used or owned the product, they were required to pretend that they did. But that’s not all. The task also required workers to mark other negative reviews as unhelpful. The pay for completing the task has been reported as $0.65 per positive review. Read more
Social Media Affect Business and Politics
January 22, 2009
Today was one of THE most important days in my life, with the inauguration and installation of a new president of the United States of America. President Barack Obama.
Without a doubt, the installation of President Barack Obama was highly significant and a very, VERY popular event. There were estimated to be over 1 million people in attendance to witness this history-making affair. What was so striking about the event was something that everyone could see and feel but may have deemed it to be not-so-inmportant. The electric feel of the internet activity during the course of this historic day is something that can be easily transferred to any corporate setting. Do you create an internet buzz?
Obama began his technological and media campaign for presidency long before the usual cruch time when candidate’s typically try to find creative ways that will help them win. Although not always, these candidates panic and try to find something that will work. They almost always wait until the end of the campaign to try something new, something with lots of shock-and-awe or something that is not public knowledge to reveal and put their campaigns over the top…and win. Corporations are not much different in terms of their dealing with finding workable solutions to issues that the company faces. Think about this in terms of your corporation or business and determine if a workable solution is available to you.
In business, there is also sometimes a tendency to wait until there may not be a viable solution to a problem. Or, the solution may not be feasible and practical for your audience. How can this be solved?
Social marketing and social media is a wonderful concept and tool that your corporation can use to facilitate you towards a solution. When a company networks and markets socially, they begin to build a trust with their audience that over time, will prove to be quite worthwhile for their company.
Corporations can effectively establish themselves in media relations and firmly brand themselves to create an image in the customer’s minds. When they do this, they stand to become a household name with its own industry and for potential customers to turn to when they are in need.
How does your corporation involve social media? What strategies or plans do you have in place to address issues or questions that may arise ?
Primark’s Sweatshops: The Future of Sustainability Assurance
January 22, 2009
Think of great classic combinations: Fred and Ginger; Sonny and Cher; Laurel and Hardy. “The BBC and Primark” could soon be added to this list.
Last summer the BBC exposed how some of Primark’s fashion clothing range came from Far East sweatshops.
Now the BBC has done it again, this time showing that Primark’s continues to engage suppliers who use unsustainable employment practices.
Reaction to the news will been varied. Fashionistas may shake their heads sadly and say that the cheap, ethical fashion Primark which claims to sell simply cannot exist.
On the other hand, political deep-reds may get all agitated, saying corporations simply cannot be trusted. Both are, to some extent, correct. Read more
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