Recruitment: The Millennials’ Way

Recruitment is like cooking. Just like a Chef shifts through his stock of ingredients to pick the right raw material & the best ingredients to cook a gourmet meal, a recruiter needs to do the same in order to ‘hire the right’.

It’s all about making the connect – An acknowledgement mail, a small thank you note or a pleasant smile goes a long way. Remember, we are largely interacting with the Millennials. They are different. They love attention. And very rightly so. The things/media/exposure they get from an early age makes them different.

Millennials are all about making the instant connect in the selfie zone. They are the generation that lives, eats, sleeps and dreams on social media. They live life at the edge. They are ready to take risks. While we used to wake up to our morning tea, they wake up to their WhatsApp messages. So, to engage them we also need the right skill sets. Either you hit the right cord the first time, or you don’t.

As a recruiter, the work is tough now. Today, a recruiter needs to be updated with what’s happening in the market. And also “what’s in-it-for me” syndrome from the candidate. Today’s interviews are not a one-way mode of questioning. The millennials equally have questions for the interviewers. And be ready to answer those tough questions asked by the candidates. Though the supply of candidates is growing by the day, the supply of right candidate is on the decrease.

I remember when I was 4 – 5 years in to my career, I am talking about 2002, I was so naïve. During any of the interviews I had given, I would never ask any questions to the interviewer. Neither I was asked to. But today things have changed. They are more inquisitive than I was at that age. Today I face questions like, with my skill sets which now you have assessed, what growth path can I ask for etc. etc. At times, I stand stunted with their knowledge of the market/surrounding and intelligence.

They are also the generation of instant gratification- a pat on the back, a good job mail etc. They are the generation who wants to contribute to the game of things and wants to do it fast. And if results don’t come fast they get demotivated equally fast. And then it’s difficult to maintain that “connect”.

In Hexaware for one of the processes, we do bi-annual hiring of temporary resources. So we have the same bunch of candidates applying back with us year-after-year. And we have been doing this successfully for the last 6+ yrs. So, you might ask what do we do so differently that repeat candidates apply back with us. It’s the “CONNECT”. For the Millennials, everything is not monetary benefits. It’s often, the care, ‘you are important’ that scores much higher. And what do we gain, NO recruitment cost and NO training cost. Year-after-year we get ops ready associates.

The ‘WOW’ Effect

Do you remember the recruiter who had left a mark on you? I am sure you will. You will remember his name, contact number and the organization he worked in etc. The reason is because, the ‘wow’ effect he created in you when you were a candidate. On the other hand, you will also remember the recruiter who had mistreated you. And unfortunately, in this case more than the recruiter, you will remember the organization name. That’s the power of the recruiter and the ‘wow’ effect and leaves an ever-lasting memory. The “connect”.

Now imagine, for every position, you get repeat candidates applying back with you. Your recruitment cost will go down. Yes, it’s possible. And the investment here is the “connect” with every candidate that walks in for the interview.