As a recruitment agency, the thought of global recruitment may be daunting or even frightening. So how must your client companies feel? Sometimes they do not have a choice…they must engage in a global search because local talent is not available. You have the luxury to opt in when you see the value or when it fits your plan.
So is 2014 the year you expand your horizons? Will you expand recruitment globally to support a client need or because you see the future of recruiting? Will you move proactively or will you wait until you have lost business and been out-positioned by more nimble competitors?
The case for global recruitment is based on a few developing trends:
First, everyone is doing it. Well, not quite. But in a recent survey sponsored by an ATS provider, nearly 50% of those responding said they were expanding into new territories in 2013. Global access to social media and technology tools like video interviewing are making the stretch into new geographies that much easier.
The second reason for the growth in global recruitment has to do with the war for talent and demographics. It is a fact that some of the world’s strongest economies are not producing the engineering and technical talent necessary to fill the needs projected. In North America and Western Europe, employers will be facing a “double trouble” situation as experienced employees reach retirement age at the same time that the overall need for talent increases. Even today, high level or technically specialized jobs can take months to fill as recruiters search for the “right fit” skill set and talent match. Recruiters are not being engaged to fill easy jobs; they are being called on to do the impossible. More and more employers will open their minds to global recruitment as the ability to fill jobs with local talent evaporates.
There is a war for talent. The news reports are not keeping up with employment reality. By 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a doubling of technical hiring. The needs projected cannot be filled without accessing talent outside of current borders or alternatively investing deeply in on-the-job training. Since on-the-job training programs have all but stopped, employers will be more willing to navigate the waters of international recruitment to secure the people and talent they will need. The question is, will recruiters lead the way or be chasing the need down from behind?
What is your plan?
Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
