Decoding the Wisdom: "Once a Recruiter, always a Recruiter"

Published on LinkedIn: Decoding the Wisdom: "Once a Recruiter, always a Recruiter" | LinkedIn

If ever there was rocket science in HR, it would be recruiting!
Having said that, on a serious note, sourcing within recruiting is certainly a rocket science.
No wonder your job search looks like space travel!
On a serious note, again, search firms charge you a bomb for this art called "sourcing"! This task is critical to the success of recruiting as a function!
In this post, I wrote about the sourcing done by Olam International, Walmart, or a fast fashion brand that you love!
This otherwise orphaned function of talent sourcing needs some serious thinking, especially in the fast-tech hiring world! If fashion and food can be fast, why not fast tech hiring? I worked for the fast-fashion industry (similar to the one's you love, Zara, H&M, etc.), and they have Winter-Spring, Autumn-Summer, and then Mid-Seasons too! Apply it to IT/engineering hiring, and we too have seasons of hiring! Mid-Season hiring in Eng/IT is for laggards and those who face infant mortality (the SooniGones, on lines of Soonicorns)!
Disclaimer: This article was structured and designed using HARPA AI!
The results, as you can see, are "beautiful and elegant, looking like a Wow! Seriously. Happy Friday folks!
WiseWaters is a search firm that does talent search as a service. WW also does workshops to make your sourcing team smarter using proven models and search strategies!

In the fast-paced corporate landscape, phrases often encapsulate profound insights that echo through time. "Once a Recruiter, always a Recruiter" – a statement that reverberated in the corridors of a company back in 2014, leaving an indelible mark on how the CEO perceived opportunities and adversity. This article attempts to draw some inspiration from the sourcing done as integral, key part of product development in fast fashion, retail and manufacturing industries. Can Engineering/Tech talent sourcing gain inspiration from these industries?

The Contextual Revelation

The scene is set in 2014, a critical juncture where a new competitor had emerged in Delhi NCR, triggering discussions among the leadership. The HR department, in an eager pursuit of talent, proposed hiring the struggling competitor's team. It was in this moment that the CEO, with a seasoned perspective, uttered the now-famous phrase: "Once a Recruiter, always a Recruiter."

Beyond Immediate Impulses: A Strategic Vision

In retrospect, the CEO's statement wasn't just a dismissal of the HR lady's excitement but a glimpse into his strategic vision. The firm in question not only survived but thrived, growing to encompass 600 staff across India and the US, specializing in life sciences technology integration platform services.

Unveiling the Essence of Recruiting

The HR Conundrum

1. In the Eye of the Storm, HR professionals, particularly recruiters, operate in a dynamic environment where meeting hiring targets is akin to the challenges faced by sales teams. The pressure to deliver tangible results often leads to an intense focus on recruiting services.
2. Celebrating HR's Role in Hiring- HR's role extends beyond mere recruitment; it involves strategic hiring, segmentation, and navigating challenges like attrition and competition.

The Recruiter's World

Sourcing as the Bedrock

1. Sourcing Dynamics-Conventional hiring methods, such as posting jobs and searching databases, are just the tip of the iceberg. The real crux lies in effective sourcing – a process comparable to the meticulous sourcing strategies of retail giants like Walmart and Olam International.
2. The Fashion Industry Analogy-Drawing parallels with the fashion industry, where sourcing involves engaging directly with manufacturers and craftsmen, non-descript vendors, emphasizes the importance of sourcing in recruiting.
3. The Impact of Sourcing on Quality-Quality in recruiting, much like in fashion, hinges on the materials sourced. A good resume is just the beginning; the real challenge lies in finding the right talent.

Elevating the Role of Sourcing in Tech

1. Learning from Industry Leaders-Drawing inspiration from companies like Tata Motors and Bajaj, who not only source but also invest in sourcing hotbeds, by consciously and strategically building and supporting technical education institutions, can revolutionize talent sourcing in engineering and tech.

Navigating Attrition in the Unicorn Era

Attrition Insights-A recent report by TOI revealed a significant churn of 3.6 lakh staff in 110 Unicorns during 2022-23. The continuous hiring spree amidst attrition underscores the need for strategic sourcing and talent retention. Here, your target talent may appear floating and can be an easy catch with easy swing of the net, but that hits in our face as a mirage! They are chasing too many companies, and too many recruiters chasing them. This is a mad world. Remember, this happens despite, over 17000 IT folks got the boot in the first half of calendar year 2023 in India in 70 start-ups.

Ask any recruiter, with serious technical hiring mandates and they will tell you, that despite the seemingly deluge of laid off talent, they were not able to fill their positions. A steady active sourcing strategy can help build a predictable hiring success! Discount windfalls!

Average cost of hiring a mid-level tech resource is ~3 lacs! Imagine the cost and then we have Unicorns losing 3.6 L staff and then hiring 3.7L, while Zoho , Zerodha and Hike had below 1% attrition during the same time as this report cites.

In conclusion, the CEO's words, "Once a Recruiter, always a Recruiter," transcend the immediate context, offering a profound reflection on the strategic vision required in the ever-evolving realm of HR and talent acquisition.

Meta Description:

Explore the strategic insights behind the phrase "Once a Recruiter, always a Recruiter." This blog post delves into the CEO's visionary perspective, the role of sourcing in recruiting, and lessons from other industry sourcing strategies, providing a comprehensive understanding of talent sourcing as a center in excellence (CoE) within recruiting function.

In the next article, let's talk about, employer branding, recruitment marketing and the EVP exercise and activation, employee experience, which build the smooth runway for the Sourcing CoE and also keeps attrition in check!

We can applaud Zoho , Zerodha and Hike or envy them but they certainly have mastered the art of Employer branding (EB) and Employee Experience (Ex).

Did you know that Zoho Recruit celebrates day.? Check this out!

Happy National Recruiter Day is celebrated on May 30th each year. This day recognizes and appreciates the contributions of recruiters in the workforce.