The Pandemic has offered Talent Acquisition teams new potential and new waters to cast their line in. There is an undeniable ripple in our tides.
Here comes a new job seeker the ‘pandemic career changer’, a person who has re-evaluated their career, may have lost their role and has had to reset, or a person who simply is looking for something better as they have discovered they need more or to do less. This is the talent pool ripple I speak of.
LinkedIn Chief Economist, Karin Kimbrough (2022) identified that “the global talent market has never changed this much, this quickly” as the conclusion from new research from LinkedIn. The report details how employees are thinking differently about career planning and are asking themselves fundamental questions about the jobs they do, where they work and why. LinkedIn is calling this the Great Reshuffle: a time when everyone is rethinking everything. The reshuffle is having an effect of our talent pool and we can use this to our advantage if we understand it better.
If this is the case, looking for candidates outside of your industry could widen your talent pool and introduce you to fresh potential employees with transferable skills that are perfectly suited to the job you’re hiring for.
Is your role as a Talent Acquisition partner all about how and what to talk about with your Career Changing candidate?
I suggest respecting the experience they bring, and getting excited about their transferable skills. Often these are soft skills; a career-changing job seeker also wants an idea of what’s on offer, with a sense of security still as important, however, the quality of their ‘life at work’ is the highest priority. The questions we ask as a recruiter must be aligned to the fundamental questions they are already asking themselves as it will validate their desire to take that leap of faith into a new role.
Although skills are important when it comes to hiring new talent, it’s important not to discredit potential. A Career Changer has potential, has aspirations and is looking to use it. Exploring candidates with potential rather than an exact match provides a great opportunity to develop the employee and grow their career with you. It also keeps the employee engaged for longer and helps to increase your company’s retention rate.
Many candidates looking for new opportunities are in search of personal development and growth, so by offering that, you can attract employees that fit well within your company culture. Providing excellent training and mentoring to these candidates keeps them loyal.
When you throw a rock into a body of water, the rock will displace water out of its way as it enters, causing ripples to move away from its point of entry in a circle or ring shape. Water will then rush back in to fill the empty space, which can often cause a splash, resulting in more ripples forming. The larger the rock, the greater the effect and the stronger the ripple, meaning that it will last longer before disappearing. My point is that the more career changers you bring in the more you attract.
Talent migration is here, it’s in our talent pools, as workers look for increased flexibility and opportunities to grow their careers post-COVID. Keep an eye out for the pandemic Career Changer.
