Job hunting is not typically a task people consider to be an enjoyable experience. It can be time consuming, frustrating, repetitive, and a few other four letter words that I will not mention. Many people find themselves milling around the internet, continually typing an array of job titles or key words, in hopes of finding their next big career opportunity. But where should a job seeker be looking? Where will they find the companies looking for candidates just like them?
I recently learned some blue chip companies have been using Craigslist to source professional talent for the roles they are in dire need of filling. Seriously? Craigslist?! This is the site where people go in hopes of finding “gently used” and second hand items for a good bargain – is this the category we want our talent pool to come from as well? Second hand and gently used? I think not.
While many companies seem to be rebranding their recruiting functions as “talent acquisition” teams, this is not really what they are. The fact remains that most companies, including staffing firms themselves, do not know how to properly and effectively source the qualified talent they need. A majority of staffing firms, 94% to be exact, have stated that they use on-line job boards as their main vehicle in procuring talent. However, only 18% of active job seekers are utilizing these same boards in their search. To go one step further, do you really think that the top candidates and talent fall within the 18%? I can guarantee that they do not!
Top talent and candidates are honed in on using more progressive sites in their search for career advancement. While Craigslist may be a useful tool for entry level and more generic positions, it is not the outlet that high-end professionals tend to use. So why do staffing firms continue to use such a site? Insanity has been defined as, “doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.” That is exactly what is happening here. As long as companies continue to search for talent through these ‘second hand’ sites, this is the type of talent they will continue to source.
Now for the other side of the coin. Would you be surprised to hear that there is a staffing firm that, not only refrains from sourcing via online job posting sites such as Craigslist, but has never placed a job posting anywhere in their 14+ year history? Well…there is, and that company is called Arrow Strategies.
Arrow Strategies is one of the largest talent acquisition firms in the country specializing in IT, Engineering, Healthcare, and Accounting & Finance. They consider themselves to be a true staffing solutions provider because, not only do they avoid job posting sites, but they go above and beyond to ensure they are an Agent for Life. Arrow Strategies’ Agent for Life™ is where they source and engage hard to find talent and position themselves as true “agents”, assisting the professional in all aspects of their career development. Our ‘agents’ proactively engage professionals in order to keep in touch with our professionals’ desires and needs.
Sometimes an agent will be in contact with a professional candidate years before they are placed in a role. This allows our agents to know who they are working with and to truly form a relationship with each and every professional candidate. It’s much easier to help place a candidate you have already identified, vetted, and coached than it is to place someone who appears as just a name on paper or computer screen.
Arrow Strategies’ mission statement is simply “We Source Talent Others Can’t Find”. Whether contract, contract-to-hire, permanent placement, or bundled staffing solutions, it is easy to see why Arrow Strategies was recognized as the Fifth Fastest Growing Staffing firm in the country and has been on Inc. Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies list for nine (9) consecutive years! As a true supplier of human based talent, it is impressive to see that Arrow Strategies is continually recognized as one of the Best Companies to Work For in each geographic market they are in.
So if you are tired of trudging through the trenches of the talent war, and want out of the rat race that is talent acquisition, maybe it’s time to align with a real Staffing Solutions provider who truly understands how to deliver the talent you need. Don’t succumb to the pitfall of posting on Craigslist in hopes that the right person finds your posting and applies. Let Arrow Strategies help you in your search – we source talent others can’t find!
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