There
seems to be a war waging between those who quickly embrace the latest
technology and those who don’t. Okay, well maybe it’s not exactly a war, but a
recent article about technology “dinosaurs” got under the skin of more than one
recruiter. So does it really make a
recruiter a dinosaur if they use a fax machine instead of scanning documents?
Or, are they behind the times because they actually talk on the phone instead
of simply tweeting or texting potential candidates and clients? Maybe, but
probably not. The smartest recruiters
don’t adopt technology, software or even social media unless they can see how
it will benefit their business. That’s the smart way of doing things. Let’s
take a look at a few things recruiters should consider before jumping on the
bandwagon of any new technology fad:
- Recruiters need to ask themselves, how the new
technology will benefit their business.
Will it make you more money? Will it help you get more clients and
candidates? Will it make your job easier and more efficient? If you can’t
figure out how the new technology will benefit you and your business take
a pass on it, don’t waste your time or money.
- Are your clients and candidates still using
“old” technology? Or, “gasp” are they preferring the old technology over
the new? It might be
counterproductive to refuse to have a fax service when your clients or
candidates want to fax you something instead of email. It may also be
counterproductive to insist that your clients text you when they prefer to
actually talk on the phone. When
adopting new methods of doing things, recruiters must consider what their
“customers” really want.
- Finally, just because you don’t immediately
adopt new technology shouldn’t mean that you remain ignorant about it.
Keep an eye out on new technology and its evolution. As the technology
changes, place it through the questions highlighted in point number one of
this list because at some point that new gadget may actually benefit your
business. And when it does offer a benefit you will want to be prepared to
integrate it into your recruiting business.