I recently read this article on Forbes.com: Why Your Job Title Doesn’t Actually Matter. The author, Ryan Smith, accurately points out that “the best organizations know that too much hierarchy kills innovation” and highlights how leaders truly lead by doing, not by sitting and barking orders from the top. At Loxo, we strive to be on the cutting-edge of development both with our technology and our culture. But the end of the article left me puzzling two unaddressed questions as it applies to the recruiting business: 1) how do recruiters help move clients towards this new model of thinking, so they understand the quality of candidates being recommended and 2) how do recruiters better identify candidates who will lead through doing and have a material impact on a client’s business?
With regards to the first question, changing the culture of corporate America is like turning the Titanic. It’s going to take a long time and the smallest error can lead to disaster, which is the least desired outcome with an important client. We believe the ability to track, access and organize a candidate’s data will help you build a winning case for your recommendation. Rather than scouring post-it notes, old emails and spreadsheets, the nuances of your client’s verbiage and how best to communicate with them should be at your fingertips.
With regards to identifying better candidates, technology is the answer, but is only starting to have the revolutionary impact on the recruiting industry we’ve seen in other industries (hello, airbnb and Uber andSlack and and and). When faced with a vast candidate pool, recruiters need ways to quickly classify candidates and determine where to focus. Maybe a candidate’s prior title is indecipherable (Lead Marketing Specialist II, anyone?) and historically that resume has hit the trashcan for efficiency. But what if that was the perfect fit? At Loxo, we believe in the power of data and empowering recruiters with easy access to and ability to analyze the vast amount of data points available on a candidate.
As Smith points out, finding this new type of employee is how to “survive in this new era of business.” We agree — the goal is to ensure the recommended candidates are ones who will help the client succeed in today’s competitive marketplace and not just take up headcount. After all, happy clients turn into repeat clients and the ability to move beyond title and other surface-level candidate qualities helps create this virtuous cycle. And helping you do
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