Leaps forward in technology have made the hunt for that perfect job a “synch” – right? well… (from the narrow vertical Argentus specialises in)Procurement, Supply Chain & Change Management Professionals can reach out and in a minute touch a global network of experts and that’s really, really exciting stuff. With the right string of well chosen keywords it’s amazing what returns come out of it  – you can find anything or anyone you want if you are really clever and think critically. Smart career searchers can put themselves in touch with colleagues, talent aquisition experts and leaders in their perspective fields across the world. Just a few short years ago this wouldn’t have been possible. Today,  to put one’s feelers out into the marketplace just to see what might be out there in terms of career possibilities only takes a moment it’s true. Looks like a piece of cake, but there is certainly more to it!!

Today’s technologies make it easier than ever to respond to actual job postings as they come on to the market. Companies’ HR departments are more sophisticated at addressing many of their own hiring needs from within and for this they should be applauded. In the last five years, most large organisations have grown internal Talent Acquisition Groups and have reduced outside hiring expenses by over 50%.

But still the feedback from many job seekers is that of massive frustration. Anecdotally, we hear repeatedly of  really strongly qualified individuals who respond to online positions and NOTHING, not a peep.  A cautionary note, the volume of online responses to positions is staggeringly high. Often, resumes are destined for cyberspace especially if the keywords in your resume don’t exactly match the job you are applying for.

How many times have you had no reply from a job posting that you honestly thought you were a good match for in your skills and experience? Companies today are inundated with responses to their postings. It’s an on-going challenge to efficiently mine the talent at their fingertips that is best suited to their talent needs. Even with the advent of internal Talent Acquisition, recruitment continues to be a process that many companies don’t have the sufficient resources to effectively manage –  this is especially true for highly specialized recruiting verticals like Retail Brand Management, Merchandising/Category Management & Procurement.

Now more than ever, boutique specialty recruiters certainly have an opportunity to really step up fill the breach and augment organisations’ recruiting needs as they dig into their highly developed networks for their clients.   With a pipeline to  the true decision makers, key contacts know that specialty recruiters understand the real technical complexities of the verticals they support. And most of all they know they are the ones most likely to be really connected to the players in their field. Third party recruiters are a natural and practical extention of the new world of internal Talent Acquisition.

As recruiters, specialty firms circumvent the often nebulous and frustrating process of connecting with the best employers and present decision-makers with those most sought after and talented individuals. To the candidate, the no nonsense approach of working with a top and really well respected recruiter can open up an impressive network of clients and tap into the hidden job market – afterall, they say most jobs never actually make it to market.

For now, over and out

Bronwen