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Act fast to secure talent, recruiter says

By Anna Grimes

The labour crunch in Vancouver has never been more pronounced as it is right now, which means there has never been a better time for candidates to break into the marketplace, says one of Vancouver’s top recruiters.

"What I’ve noticed in the marketplace is a shift from employers to employees," says Andrew d’Eça, general manager of Angus One Professional Recruitment. "Employers are becoming less strict in terms of job requirements and more flexible on candidates. These days you’ll see companies hiring people more for their attitude rather than for skill."

Data from a May 2007, Service Canada labour force survey pegs Vancouver’s unemployment rate at 4.1 per cent, making it one of the lowest in the country. According to d’Eça, this reality has had an immediate impact on the recruitment industry and the way companies seek new employees.

One noticeable difference is that companies that would normally hire through their in-house human resources have begun to use recruitment firms. Another, d’Eça says, is that companies are becoming more creative with their offers to potential employees, from fancier job titles to vacation time and health and wellness programs.

Like employers, recruitment firms such as Angus One have had to adapt to this new reality.

"Three years ago, almost every recruitment firm who had a need for a client would advertise in local newspaper," says d’Eça. "What you’ll notice is that nobody is posting jobs in the newspapers anymore, everything is online now. This way we can attract candidates from all over the world."

Recruiters also have to constantly educate themselves and adapt to this ever-changing marketplace, whether that be by sourcing new candidates through on-line social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, or by holding open houses in every municipality to source candidates who might not be able to come to them.

D’Eça adds that reference checks are happening faster than they’ve ever been done before – while the candidates are being interviewed. "Once we’ve sourced a good candidate, we’ll be out there calling their references while they’re meeting with our recruiter," he says. "When they’re finished with our firm, they are good to go."

This model would work well for employers, D’ Eça advises. His recommendation? Don’t waste any time.

"If you like what you see, hire on the spot," he says. "If you drag your heels at all, that candidate is gone within 24 hours. That’s the speed this marketplace is moving right now, and that’s the speed employers need to move as well."

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