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Five Common Recruitment Myths That You Need To Unlearn

  • Publish Date: Posted over 4 years ago
  • Author:by Alexis Phillips

​Just like any other industry, the recruitment sector can fall victim to various myths in the professional world. This is true for both sides of the recruitment process; while recruiters and hiring managers believe that they should act in certain ways to attract the best candidates, so too do potential jobseekers buy into faulty instructions on how to make themselves appear attractive. These myths can subsequently affect the recruitment process, hindering hiring managers from finding the best talent and candidates, in turn, from seeking out the top roles. So, here is our list of what we believe to be five of the most common recruitment myths, and our explanations as to why you should immediately unlearn them!

  1. Post a job advert and the best candidate will come to you

Many internal and external recruiters believe that uploading a vacancy to a job board is all they need to do to find the perfect candidate. This is simply not the case. A survey conducted by Investors in Peopleat the beginning of this year found that while only one in four people were actively seeking a new job, over half of the UK workforce were unhappy in their current role and considering finding work. There exists, then, a huge number of what could be described as “passive jobseekers”. These people will neither be looking on job boards nor sending their CVs to recruitment consultancies. And, most importantly, one of these people could be perfect for the role that you’re hiring for.

So, recruiters should ensure that they are actively searching for potential candidates on LinkedIn and through their professional networks. It is always worth approaching people who haven’t specified that they are looking for work; they might still be interested in hearing of alternative employment opportunities and the vacancy that you are hiring for could just be the job of their dreams!

  1. The process can all be done digitally

While it is true that the vast majority of both jobseekers and recruiters begin their searches online, the recruitment process should by no means be an entirely digital one. Yes, a LinkedIn profile and a CV can provide an employer with a comprehensive overview of someone’s qualifications and professional history, but human-to-human interaction is vital in allowing a recruiter to get a sense of a candidate’s personality, their requirements and the office culture which they’d fit seamlessly into.

Here at MERJE, our recruiters pride themselves on truly getting to know both their candidates and clients. This way, they can ensure that when they place a candidate, they will not only be a sound professional match for their role, but will enjoy their new working environment while seeing eye-to-eye with their new colleagues.

  1. You should only look at qualifications

Another misguided myth is the common belief that recruiters should, and do, only look at a candidate’s qualification when placing for a role. Obviously, it is important that a candidate has a knowledge base in line with the demands of a role, as well as sufficient experience to be able to perform to a high standard. However, just because someone doesn’t have the specific degree typical for people in that role or a professional history in precisely the same industry doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t have the required skills. Often, if a company believes that a candidate is a perfect match for their professional ethos, as well as boasting a strong knowledge base and a demonstrable history of quick and dynamic learning, they are willing to train them in a software or invest in upskilling.

Unlearning this myth is helpful for both recruiters and jobseekers. Recruiters, don’t be afraid of proposing candidates who don’t tick every box. Get to know the candidate and whether their transferable skills make up for the lack of a qualification. Jobseekers, if you believe that you could do what a role is asking of you, don’t be afraid of applying for it if you have two years’ worth of experience in the sector rather than three, or a degree in Business with Finance rather than Economics.

  1. A good CV should never be over two sides

We have all been told to reduce our CV to two sides at some point, but while it is true that a CV shouldn’t be long-winded, you should equally never exclude any worthwhile roles or skills just so that it fits onto two sides. The key to writing an effective CV is to find the right balance between displaying your experience and remaining concise. So, recruiters, don’t avoid reviewing a longer CV; it likely indicates someone with more experience. And jobseekers, make sure that you include anything relevant; briefly explain your responsibilities in each role and the skills that you gained. Just don’t dedicate three paragraphs to talking about the part-time waiting job that you had when you were 16-years-old!

  1. Recruiters want to push you into jobs

Finally, there is a huge misconception that the be-all and end-all for recruiters is getting a vacancy filled. Candidates believe that recruiters will attempt to push them into an imperfect role in order to fill a vacancy, and this belief often negatively affects the relationship between the candidate and recruiter. In reality, any good recruiter should always ensure that the position is perfect for the candidate and vice versa. After all, it is in their best interest to place someone that will excel in the role and last in the company.

At MERJE, we are always guided by our candidates’ wishes and clients’ needs. We want the recruitment process to remain a pleasant and communicative one for everyone involved and so we will never try to push a role onto an uncertain candidate. It’s because of this that we believe we find the right people for the right jobs.

We hope that through this article we have managed to bust some unhelpful recruitment myths and that, in doing so, we can make the recruitment process a more effective one. If you’d like to hear more about either employment opportunities or how our consultants approach recruitment, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@merje.com.