The recruiting business, like employment itself, has undergone radical change in the past several years. Devon James was formed to take advantage of these changes and to re-define for employers the fundamental value-proposition of recruiting.
Increasingly Automated Candidate Identification
As online recruiting tools continue to develop, we anticipate a time when every working American has some form of profile on the web. Identification of suitable candidates for job openings will become increasingly automated. Collation of candidate data and its transformation into a comparable, "universal" format will become the role of subscription services, and Devon James will play a role in delivering these capabilities to our customers.
No Funding Without Recruiting Strategy
We see investors becoming more aggressive in reviewing business plans. Without a viable recruiting strategy and program, a business plan will be less attractive to VCs and Investment Bankers. In line with this trend, we expect to see investor referrals making up more than 50% of our business in 2005 and beyond.
Recruiting Firms Must Evolve or Die
The increase in recruiting automation will cause the recruiting industry to re-invent itself. Some will pursue technology solutions to help hiring managers. Others will become resume bank administrators. Knowing a qualified candidate exists is a long way from having them on board and being productive. Hiring managers are starting to define the sales aspects of recruiting as the true value, not simple candidate identification. Devon James is uniquely positioned to participate in the development of recruiting solutions, the administration of the recruiting program and the process of getting a candidate to "yes".
Fees Must Map to Value
Very few employers will continue to pay a percentage of first year salary for simply faxing a resume. Recruiting solutions will be priced as a service or license. Resume bank administration will command a greatly reduced fee-for-service. Candidate closing (actual placement) services will, for the most part, move to one of two models: a transaction fee for high-profile or leadership placements; or a fee-for-service (based on effort) for other candidates.
For this reason, we believe that the retained search model will continue to thrive but in a much more specialized form. These specializations will be by skill area or leadership function, and the firms that continue to develop this model will be seen as the troubleshooters of the recruiting plan. And, Devon James will work hand-in-hand with these firms to offer our clients a complete solution.
We are sharing our vision and beliefs with you because we believe it is vital to stay ahead of the curve and understand the trends that are shaping our businesses. Many of the trends are self-evident, some are more subtle. But, when it’s time to look for help in building your organization you’ll feel more confident working with a thought-leader who can see what’s coming and make those changes work in your favor.
