The story of Elton Ilirjani and his impact on the employment industry and LGTBQ rights
Elton Ilirjani is a well-known influential advocate for the LGBTQ community rights and the founder of one of the greatest HR organizations, known by the name of The Headhunter.
With offices in 20 different countries around the world, Elton Ilirjani embarked on his journey to building an all-inclusive, non-discriminative system of employment and fight against workplace discrimination.
His story was shared and broadcasted in NHK WORLD JAPAN, the international broadcast service of NHK, Japan’s sole and one of the biggest public broadcasters in the world.
Elton began this mission in the year of 2009, as he shared his own negative experience with employment and being part of the LGBTQ community in his homeland, Albania. He expresses his understanding towards both his countryʼs past and struggles with being under the communist oppression, and the struggles of the LGBTQ community with being accepted, respected and employed in equal terms as everyone else.
His negative experience pushed him to found an organization that would later on change the game of employment and provide better working conditions for the LGBTQ community and everyone else. At the age of 29, Elton founded The Headhunter, and entered a new phase in his journey that would later on reach renowned success and transform the industry into what it claims to be today; fair, inclusive and diverse.
Eltonʼs appreciation towards diversity and his own experience with discrimination, urged him to create a tool known as LGBTQ Employment Equality Index. This index was designed to measure inclusivity and evaluate businesses based on the working conditions, policies and terms they offered their employees. This index brought to light the issues of many businesses, organizations and companies that had practiced discrimination on members of the LGBTQ community during their employment procedures.
The LGBTQ Employment Equality Index attracted the attention of many, including the UN Women Council, who deeply appreciated this movement and its positive effect on the employment market.
Elton expressed how he had always been differentiated from the rest of his friends, and how him being considered as more feminine had affected his perspective in understanding the discrimination of women and their value in society, so this index was a powerful tool that positively served women and their evolvement in the employment industry as well.
However, The LGBTQ Employment Equality Index was not his only movement.
Understanding the discrimination practiced upon the transgender community, Elton started a new movement known as The Lipstick Movement. Knowing he wanted to make an impact through setting an example, he decided to wear lipstick of different, bright colors to highlight the importance of diversity and show his support to transgender people and raise awareness.
Through this impactful movement, Elton made his debut into the fashion industry, where he is today known for promoting genderless fashion and inspiring his followers with his fearless, expressive and influential character.
Elton Ilirjani serves as a powerful example of fearless action, as he states that love kills all fears. His impact on raising awareness regarding inclusivity and the importance of it in the employment market has marked a significant and positive
change in the employment industry. Now and 15 years later, his movement, The Headhunter and his contribution to the LGBTQ Community are deeply appreciated by people all over the world.
The Headhunter Group (THH) is thrilled to announce that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and Government of Kosova (GoK) have selected its subsidiary, The Headhunter Karriera LLC in Prishtina, Kosovo, to support the recruitment process for the MCA Kosovo Key Staff. The awarded amount for the Human Recourses Recruitment Services is 234,000.00 Euro.
For over twelve years THH has supported a number of significant international organisations in Kosovo, the region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro) and internationally to recruit and implement a number of strategic and complex human resources projects.
The MCC works collaboratively with countries to reduce poverty through economic growth. In this particular project, the MCC and The Government of the Republic of Kosovo signed a grant aimed at poverty reduction through economic growth in Kosovo, and have agreed to implement a Compact Program in Kosovo.
To aid the MCC’s and the Government of Kosovo Compact Program implementation, the THH Team will support the MCC and the Government of Kosovo to quickly and efficiently establish the MCA-Kosovo, an entity that will act as an autonomous agency accountable for implementing a Compact Program in Kosovo.
This will involve: Selection of the whole team of MCA-Kosovo entity, including the Chief Executive Officer and other Senior Positions (in total 21 positions). In line with our main focus “equal opportunities for everyone around the world no matter who they are, where they come from, what they believe in” THH will manage the whole recruitment process for these 21 positions, aligning to all MCC and Government of Kosovo principles and standards.
About MCC
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an innovative and independent U.S. foreign assistance agency that is helping to lead the fight against global poverty. Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004 with strong bipartisan support, MCC has changed the conversation on how best to deliver smart U.S. foreign assistance by focusing on good policies, country ownership, and results.
About THH
The Headhunter (https://www.theheadhunter.com) aims to “have a positive impact on the people every day. Helping people to “better job, better life” is our common purpose and the way in which we contribute to society. This is what we do, this is what we know about, this is what we care about, and this is what we are all about”. In addition, The Headhunter is the Founder of Dignity Global, a non- government organization that focuses on equal opportunities for everyone around the world, with the purpose to unite everyone with the belief that we all deserve to live a life of dignity.
Elton ILIRJANI, the founder of The Headhunter, Karriera.al, Employment Equality Index, and People First, has been chosen as the first NFT Icon for the LGBTQ+ Community. His values, support, and work toward the LGBTQ+ community have been acknowledged and made him the face of the first NFT for the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride icon is the largest and the first NFT for the LGBTQ+ community! For years, the LGBTQ+ community has fought for their rights for equality and visibility in the civic space. The NFT industry is no different, and the LGBTQ community deserves representation. Pride Icons isn’t “just another NFT project”: Its art pays tribute to legendary LGBTQ+ icons (like Elton ILIRJANI) And they are committed to donating at least $1M USD to non-profit organizations that promote equality.
“We choose Elton to be one of our icons because he is fighting for the same values as we do in the project: equality!”
Elton created the Employment Equality Index for the LGBTQ+, pushing public and private sectors to adopt equal rights policies at the workplace in the Western Balkans.
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a blockchain that can be sold and traded. Types of NFT data units may be associated with digital files such as photos, videos, audio, and/or utilities and benefits.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – “Pride Icon” është NFT më e madhe dhe e para në botë për komunitetin LGBTQ+! Për vite tëra komuniteti LGBTQ+ ka luftuar për të drejtat e tyre, baraza dhe vizibilitet në hapësirën njerëzore. Industria NFT nuk bën përjashtim, dhe komuniteti LGBTQ+ meriton përfaqësim edhe në këtë platformë! “Pride Icons” nuk është thjesht “një tjetër projekt NFT”! Arti i tij nderon dhe lartëson Ikonat Legjendare të komunitetit LGBTQ+ (si Elton ILIRJANI) dhe ky projekt është i dedikuar që të bëjo donacione me një minimum prej 1 milionë dollar amerikanë për organizatat jo fitimprurëse që promovojnë barazinë!
“Ne kemi zgjedhur Eltonin të jetë një nga ikonat tona sepse ai lufton për të njëjtat vlera që ka edhe ky projekt: Barazinë!”
Eltoni ka krijuar Indeksin e Barazisë në Punësim për personat LGBTQ+, duke motivuar sektorin privat dhe atë publik të adoptojnë politika të barazisë në vendin e punës në Ballkanin Perëndimor.
Një token jo i këmbyeshëm (NFT) është një njësi jo e këmbyeshme e të dhënave të ruajtura në një zinxhir që mund të shitet dhe tregtohet. Llojet e njësive të të dhënave NFT mund të shoqërohen me skedarë dixhitalë si foto, video, audio dhe/ose shërbime dhe përfitime.
As new job opportunities continue to come your way, it might become difficult for you to decide which opportunity is worth chasing and which is not. Potentially, any decision you make will probably have a direct impact on your career and even your life. But often, you might regret a missed opportunity, the one that you decided not to chase. Or even you decided to chase the wrong opportunity in the first place, and you end up paying the price for it.
If you are an experienced professional, surely you have realized that the employer, any employer that you might choose is an equal partner in the hiring process.
Yes, you are maybe looking for a new opportunity, but on the other hand, the company (companies) are also trying to identify and attract potential talents such as you. Therefore, why do you not evaluate the employer in the same critical manner that they would evaluate you (this is usually done through online interviews, face-to-face interviews, social media profile evaluations, and several other small evaluation methods)?
Employers should be evaluated before you accept an offer from them. This is an unwritten rule since you are about to enter in a long-term commitment and you give a part of your precious time and talent to this company.
Wouldn’t you regret it if it wasn’t the best choice for you? Of course, you would!
1. Go online, and explore
The company that has offered you the job, or interviewed you should be closely assessed before you accept their offer, or move forward with the next hiring steps. You need to check whether the employer is as true as they represent themselves online.
And how do you do that? You go online and explore. Firstly, you check the company, their stats in terms of how long they are in the business, how big they are, their achievements, partners, etc. You can evaluate potential employers just by looking at their social media accounts. Their social media profiles are the first impression not only for a potential client but also for a potential employee. Go on their website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, wherever they are present, and try to get to know the company through their online presence.
2. Ask them regarding their performance management system
The company you want to join may even be new or a start-up, however, it is important to know their approach to an employee’s performance. It is crucial to know how they rate their employees’ performance and how do employees get rewarded for their outstanding performance.
3. Ask about their training and development programs
Accepting a job offer, or starting a new job is should not be determined only by the fact that you might get a better financial reward. As an employee, you should look for companies that are willing to help you grow and develop, companies that offer training and development programs (these may be conferences, training, coaching, mentoring, workshops, etc.). When a company invests in its people, it shows a commitment to your success. Asking the employer about the benefits (apart from the usual ones) is not wrong, on the contrary, it is very positive because it shows that you are also willing to learn, grow, and develop further. Most candidates tend not to ask for training and development programs even though they want to, and we are here to tell you that it is alright to ask these questions.
Lastly, ask yourself, does the company/employer match your career path? Every one of us has a career path plan or aspirations, and when switching jobs, you should always keep in mind that every decision you make along the way affects your career plan. Some jobs may push you forward towards your career path, some jobs won’t.
So, when it comes to deciding whether you want to join a company or not it is really important to have your career plan in mind and have clear objectives for your future. Considering the fact that this will not be beneficial only for you (career-wise) but will be beneficial for you and the employer (time-wise). As Benjamin Franklin once said “Time is money”- so spend it wisely.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and changes in online behavior, including easier access to information, have made the Internet a perfect place for job seekers to meet recruiters. If you are in the process of job hunting, you must nurture strong relationships with recruiters. Recruiters are responsible for filling open positions for a variety of companies. However, a very important part of their job is also the support they can offer to you, the job seeker:
You can prepare for the recruitment process with the help of recruiters;
Recruiters provide practical tips and guidance for the interviewing process;
Recruiters advise you for the potential negotiations about the financial package;
They give you exclusive insight about the new potential company;
Overall, recruiters strive to find the perfect match between the job seeker and the company;
Thus, a strong relationship with recruiters is fundamental for your career progression and aspirations.
But where do you find recruiters and how do you reach out to them? The answer is LinkedIn. According to Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey, 72% of recruiters use LinkedIn for their recruiting efforts. Employers are increasingly using LinkedIn for recruiting.
To contact recruiters, two strategies are used: the passive strategy and the proactive strategy. On one hand, the passive strategy relies on keywords, and recruiters are driven by keywords. On the other hand, the proactive strategy relies on identifying recruiters who specialize in your area of expertise. You then create a clear message and reach out to them. This way you get the recruiter’s attention and can start the process of building a relationship with the recruiter.
Nevertheless, contacting the recruiter is not enough if your profile on LinkedIn needs changes. We have created a few steps you should follow before reaching out to recruiters.
First and foremost, invest in your LinkedIn profile:
Have a professional profile picture (an appropriate profile picture gets your profile noticed in the LinkedIn community);
Enhance your headline (try to provide the right information on your headline, such as what you do, the industry you are currently working in, your expertise, etc. You can be creative here);
Provide a clear and articulate summary (there is a summary section on your LinkedIn profile). Writing a good summary is essential because it is a significant opportunity to not only showcase your professional work but your personality as well;
You can also activate the “Open to Work” option and set the job title, type, location, and so on. “Open to Work” helps recruiters notice you.
Another ‘investment’ you can make on your profile is to publish content. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean publishing anything you see out there, the content should be relevant to your expertise and the industry you are working in. Publishing content is a great way to engage with existing connections and expand your network.
Next, you find the recruiters on LinkedIn, they are the ones that have access to job openings or listings that may not always be available on platforms such as job boards. However, recruiters are often of great value to you because they have connections that could benefit your job search. You can look up “recruiter” on LinkedIn’s search button, however, not all recruiters have the same job title, some go by “Headhunter”, “Talent Specialist”, “Recruitment Specialist” etc.
By using all of LinkedIn’s features, you can search for recruiters and specify the company they work for, in our case “The HeadHunter”. Our recruiters reside in Albania, Kosovo, the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Cyprus, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and Texas (USA). They can be extremely helpful to find the perfect opportunity for you, wherever you reside. After finding the recruiters, the next step is to connect and reach out to them. You can easily send a personalized connection request by letting them know what you are looking for.
Meet our recruiters:
Doruntina, which also likes to be called shortly Dori, has been a recruiter and talent sourcing for more than 7 years. She is a very good career adviser when it comes to helping you what are the next big career moves to make. With The Headhunter, she has helped more than 400 people get their dream jobs. She is located in Sofia and is working Remotely and yes, she can be available for any call at +38349716161 or email her at d.jakupi@theheadhunter.com, or at Doruntina’s LinkedIn Account.
Julijana has been recruitment and headhunting professional for more than 12 years now. She is a trusted career advisor for hundreds of candidates and a credible employment and recruitment partner for many clients from the government and business sectors.
Julijana says: There’s nothing like the thrill of a candidate’s enthusiastic “Yes!” to an offer, and an equally pleased hiring manager who just landed a top performer. Perhaps even more satisfying is successfully recruiting a superstar and then seeing her develop a billion-dollar product. Knowing my efforts impact the bottom line keeps me going every day. She is located in Skopje and you can reach her up at + 389 71 370 151 or email her at: j.minovska@theheadhunter.com, or at Julijana’s LinkedIn Account .
Emin holds a Master’s degree in Business and Marketing Management from Oxford Brookes University and is a member of the Certified Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) and the John Maxwell Leadership Academy. He is highly skilled in recruitment with extensive experience across several industries, including Leisure and Tourism, Manufacturing, Engineering, and FMCG. With an extensive professional network, he can help you achieve your next career goals and aspirations. He is located in Tirana and would love to get in touch with you on +355 68 60 29 691 and/or at e.shini@theheadhunter.com, or at Emin’s LinkedIn Account.
Ergesta has been attracting and evaluating candidates for more than 8 years and has a natural talent for finding, evaluating, and hiring them. She has experience in human resources, training, and competency framework, as well as sourcing candidates from multiple sources. Excellent interpersonal skills, confident and poised in interaction with individuals at all levels readily developing rapport with clients and colleagues. She is located in Tirana and is available for any call at+355682033430 or email her at e.stermasi@theheadhunter.com, or at Ergesta’s LinkedIn Account
Milic is our IT Recruiter and Recruitment trainer for technical roles. He has a background in IT during his studies at the University of Montenegro, Electrotechnical Faculty. In his free time, he likes to “catch the wind” while kitesurfing, which is his passion during the summer. In winter he enjoys snowboarding. He is our representative for the Montenegro and Serbia office. Feel free to contact him for more information regarding IT roles at m.popovic@theheadhunter.com, or at Milic’s LinkedIn Account.
Olta is based in our office in Tirana is very passionate about serving jobseekers and possesses outstanding communication skills. Since joining the HeadHunter Group three years ago, she has developed strong relationships with several companies. She has been an integral member of the team, successfully recruiting for several partners and sourcing candidates adeptly. Olta absolutely loves what she does, which is why she is always eager to match the right company and candidate. She could be the person you need to land the job of your dreams. Do not hesitate to contact her on +355 68 607 7430 or/and o.qarri@theheadhunter.com. You can also contact Olta through Olta’s LinkedIn Account.
Kreshnik has 12+ years experience in Management, Human Resources, Recruitment, Marketing, and Accounting, with renowned companies and nonprofits in Albania and Kosovo. At the HeadHunter, Kreshnik is focused on recruiting and talent sourcing in different industries. Kreshnik analyses recruitment data provided by companies to improve hiring, increase revenue, and reduce costs by analyzing recruiting data. His currently located in Prishtina, and you can reach him at: k.qorraj@theheadhunter.com, or mob. +383 44 224 466, or at Kreshnik’s LinkedIn Account.
Albin is one of our most experienced headhunters, experienced at finding the right people for even the toughest positions. His background in HR and politics allows him to gain insight into a variety of profiles and judge candidates with such accuracy. Albin is based in Sarajevo, where he runs the Headhunter office, but he works actively in international recruitments also. He can be reached at +38761 146 212 or at a.zuhric@theheadhunter.com or at Albin’s LinkedIn Account.
The Headhunter Group, together with the non-profit organization Dignity Global and its foundation, People First and with the strong support of the Embassy of the Netherlands in North Macedonia as a part of its social responsibility created and implemented the LGBTIQ Employment Equality Index.
The HeadHunter, the largest Group operating in the areas of Human Resources, in the Western Balkans, also present in Cyprus, Greece and the United States, invites you to follow the official presentation of the LGBTIQ Employment Equailty Index. The index is introduced for the first time in North Macedonia and is a system ranking companies which protects and supports the rights and dignity of LGBTIQ jobseekers and employees. The index rewards those companies which have devotedly put into practice diversity at the workplace. The index also represents a great opportunity for companies, jobseekers and legal authorities, to promote best practices in the employment sector. This is an opportunity to provide concrete information about education and awareness-raising against discrimination at the workplace.
People First is foundation part of the world wide Dignity Global non-government organization founded in 2019 with its headquarters in New York City. The main focus is on the equal opportunities for everyone around the world no matter race, age, sex, religious beliefs or cultural backgrounds.
The HeadHunter Group‘s founder, Mr. Elton ILIRJANI, states in relation to this Index: “We have created the Index as a way to contribute more specifically to improving the life of citizens pertaining to LGBTIQ community, by introducing it first in Albania and then in Kosovo, Bosnia & Herzegovina and North Macedonia. By strengthening the competitive spirit in the private sector, we have created this Index to reward companies in their efforts to include LGBTIQ people in the workplace, and to encourage companies in receiving ever-higher ratings, year after year “.
Mr. Elton Ilirjani, founder of The Headhunter Group
In the Index, a number of 70 companies and organizations of North Macedonia, from a big number of industries, were included in the survey, which expressed their willingness to participate in this research. Following a standardized format and methodology, The HeadHunter Group staff makes verification of policies and practices in place while conducting interviews. Out of the 70 participating companies, five of them have managed to win awards; bronze, silver and gold. Analysis of findings have shown that policies, diversity, practices and programs in general, in the workplace, are absent in North Macedonia. Even if they are present, generally do not include LGBTIQ community jobseekers and employees. Companies lack of policies, practices, and trained human resource managers in the field of diversity at work. Just to mention few key findings from the study, on the question: Does the company have a non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity policy that applies to all employees?
Exactly 50% of companies state that they currently have a policy for non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees. Although this represents half of participating companies, as this question is not specifically for LGBTIQ persons but for all persons, it shows that there is still tremendous room for improvement in building a culture of non-discrimination. Companies were asked if the policy is specific to LGBTIQ and related status. None of the companies had policies which contained language related to LGBTIQ and related status, again highlighting the fact that employment policies as yet do not sufficiently protect LGBTIQ job-seekers and employees. However, is positive that 13% of the companies mention that all terms are included in their policies and only 6 % of companies train their human resource managers or other directors on non-discrimination and equal opportunities. Taking into account the findings, The HeadHunter Group sees a great need for training about diversity in the workplace for companies in North Macedonia, as well as about standardized policies and practices that companies can tailor and adopt.
“In the Index’s findings, we were not surprised by the lack of investment in the workplace diversity,” says The HeadHunter‘s founder, Mr. Elton ILIRJANI, “but negativity appart, we see an unique opportunity and interest from companies in adopting policies and train their staff on this issue. We are ready to offer support to companies based on their willingness, through making our technical available to them. “
The HeadHunter Group will introduce the results of this Index on May 17, 2021, at group’s web site
Working for many years as a recruitment and executive search consultant who speaks to tens of people every week, it’s my responsibility to find candidates who are well matched for the roles and profiles available.
I don’t want to waste the candidate’s time by matching them
with a job they are not interested in. Nor do I want to waste the client’s time
by sending them a candidate who isn’t right fit for the role, or is not really
interested in it.
Sometimes, it is one of the reasons why recruitment
consultants have a bad reputation. Meeting with clients I hear all too often
from clients that they have been sent candidates who are no near the right fit
for the role or their business culture. This confuses me and makes me wonder:
do recruitment consultants want to waste their own time, too?
Competition is aggressive in the recruitment industry. We as
recruiters and executive search consultants need to be careful for our
reputation by doing things differently. We need to stop thinking about
short-term improvements and, instead, focus on providing long-term value for
candidates and clients, investing and building relationships made on trust and
transparency.
The first phone call with a candidate is arguably the most
important call in the entire process. I want to find out as much as I can –
after all, the more information I have, the greater chance there is of placing
that individual in the right role, with the right company.
The initial call is also a chance to estimate whether or not
the candidate is interested and committed to the process. This helps to limit
the chance of any ‘failures’ – such as the candidate dropping out – and ensures
we maintain great relationships with our clients.
When it comes to questions, I ask things like:
How would you describe yourself?
Where are you located?
What are you looking to achieve in your career?
Why are you looking to leave your job?
What are you looking for in a new role?
What does your perfect role look like?
What are your strongest skills?
What do you bring to a team?
What are you most proud of so far in your
career?
Apparently, every
role is unique and clients look for different qualities and skills in
candidates to match their culture. So I’ll also ask tailored questions to tease
out certain information the client and I want to know about the candidate.
Asking a lot of questions benefits everyone – the candidate,
client and myself. I can accurately assess whether the candidate’s
characteristics are right for the company and in turn, identify whether the
company can provide the candidate with what they are looking for, for the
foreseeable future. The more informed I am, the better I can do my job.
The questions I ask also encourage candidates to consider
their position on a deeper level. I ask why they are leaving to get them to
think about what they don’t like about their current role, so that they don’t
end up in the same job with the same characteristics. I ask what they are
looking for in an employer – in terms of values, development opportunities,
culture and perks – to make sure they’ll look forward to Monday mornings, not
dread them. Finally, I make them realize the main, personal factors involved in
making them feel happy and fulfilled in a role.
We spend more time at work than we do at home with our
families, so it’s important to have jobs we love. Candidates need to be matched
with roles that tick all of their boxes, while clients need to be paired with
candidates that have the right skills and experience, but are also the right
cultural fit. As a recruiter, it’s my role and duty to make that happen.
Do you remember what the world felt like when March 2020
started? That was just a few weeks ago, though it feels like a few lifetimes
have passed since. Globally, we have been pushed into a new world. As the
Country Manager of a recruitment company, The Headhunter, one of the questions
I am getting asked by clients most frequently is, “What should I do about my
hiring plans?”
Whether companies were planning to hire for a growth period
or even just adding one or two key positions, this is a critical question
without easy answers as they are now hiring in a crisis caused by the COVID-19
pandemic.
As I’ve spoken to business managers and leaders in the past
few weeks, I am hit by how personal these choices can be. Our near-term
decisions stand to deeply impact the people who are the vital spark of our
companies – both those we’ve already hired and those we had plans to hire in
the coming weeks or months. We need to look out for our people at the same time
as we look out for our companies; we want to continue investing in growth while
being cautious about what’s to come. The question is how to balance?
Going into analyzing framework or one-size-fits-all approach
to hiring in a crisis, it’s more complex than that. Instead, I’d like to share
some of the questions we’re asking ourselves and suggesting our partners
consider. We hope these will help you think through your own plans, too.
As you consider your next steps, we’d suggest you weigh the
following three points related to hiring in a crisis:
Company Impact
Role Details
Costs of Starting Over
Company Impact: Will
your company be impacted, how deeply, and for how long?
The global economic slowdown is real and many companies are
facing challenging times. However, there’s a big difference right now between a
company that might actually see an increase in business (e.g., a hand sanitizer
company, a telemedicine business) and a company that may be permanently damaged
(e.g., an airline, hotel restaurant), with a vast range of possibilities in
between.
Each company’s leaders should try to understand what the
COVID-19 pandemic will mean for them, and how long it might last. You don’t need
jump to worst case scenario thinking, and think in specifics not generalities.
Your business is not the stock market; just because markets are down doesn’t
mean your business will be for long. Some of the most stringent social
distancing and shutdown measures may pass in under 2 months, and we all know
that the world will want to get back to normal as soon as possible.
At the same time, it is a good time to take a sober look at
what the known risks mean for your business and for your cash runway. Do you
believe the worst will be over in the next 1-2 months? If so, perhaps the best
answer for hiring in a crisis is to stay the course, considering delayed start
dates for new hires if that’s helpful or possible. To state the obvious, the
more seriously you’re impacted, the more seriously you should consider a hiring
freeze for at least some positions, if not more drastic cost-cutting measures.
Role Details: How
does the new hire serve the present vs. create the future?
Not all new hires should be considered equally. There are
several dimensions along which you might consider differential approaches to
hiring in a crisis. For example, are you hiring this person to address
short-term production or client needs? Or are you hiring this person to build a
stronger future? If you’re hiring people to serve short-term customers, and
those short-term customers may not be coming through your doors right now, then
you ought to consider pausing. However, if you’re hiring someone to build a
product or lay a foundation for future growth, this may be a great time to get
them on board and get to work.
I’ll share an example from our business. We are recruitment
and headhunting company. We expect that in the short term, recruiting activity is
slowing down and it remains to be seen how long this will last. So, while we
had planned to hire a number of new recruitment professionals to serve clients,
we’ll likely pause those searches. On the flip side, we are in the process of
hiring a senior leader to support our client who sees this period as an
opportunity to contact candidates with right fit.
Costs of Starting
Over: How hard will it be to start over later?
Last but not least, it’s worth considering where you stand
in your process. If you haven’t written the job description yet, there are
fewer costs to pausing. On the other hand, if you’re interviewing finalist
candidates and on the verge of an offer, the costs of starting from scratch are
very real.
Don’t adopt a sunk cost mentality, but it’s also important
to remember that finding great people is a challenge even in the best of times.
If you’re finding candidates you like, there’s no guarantee that they or
equivalent talents will be ready to join when you’re next ready to hire. In
these situations, you might consider making the offer but working with your
candidate to delay the start date. While caution is appropriate, we ought to
also ensure we have the team in place to get back to business when this passes.
Another thing: while we do what’s right for our business,
let’s also continue to have empathy for the jobseekers out there. Just as this
is a frightening time for the macro-economy and many of our businesses, many
individuals are facing uncertain job prospects and professional futures. Let’s
extend the same kind of empathy and transparency we’d want if the tables were
turned. Take the time to communicate clearly with candidates who have applied.
Share any relevant changes to hiring plans. Do what you can to offer advice or
feedback. Respond to emails, and when in doubt, pick up the phone. Granted, we
all have our own problems, but times like these also present opportunities to
come together to be the best versions of ourselves.
These are complicated times and topics, and we’re having
textured conversations with our clients spanning many unique circumstances. We
come to this with more questions than answers about hiring in a crisis. How are
all of you approaching this? What’s working for your unique circumstances? We
hope to share more ideas on how to make work for you, how to hire and on-board
virtually, how to preserve and build culture in a time of uncertainty, and
more… And of course we’d love to hear from you, and please do let us know if we
can help.
I am assured you will agree with me when I say that finding high-quality candidates isn’t always a simple task for businesses. Traditional recruitment techniques, publishing a job advert and waiting for people to come to you, don’t work when you are trying to fill a senior role like CEO, CFO or COO or other top management position.
Capturing the attention of the high-calibre candidates you
need requires a smarter way of recruiting. That’s where headhunting comes into
play and that’s when The Headhunter is contacted.
Also known as executive search, headhunting is a specialist
recruitment service which takes the chance out of candidate attraction. Rather
than hoping for the right candidate to come along, headhunters actively seek
out the right people for your business. How? Well, in the following blog post I
will try to explore …
Build Contacts and Network
When headhunting for high-level roles, recruiters need to
find candidates they can trust. That means listing quality over quantity, which
can be time-consuming.
One technique that Headhunter, as recruiters uses to save
time on sourcing appropriate candidates is to reach out to their existing
network of candidates.
By contacting people who the recruiter already knows, the
process becomes much easier and you can be confident that your recruitment
agency has found you a great candidate before they even set foot in the
interview room.
Become an Expert
in Client’s Industry
When looking to recruit for a senior role, you can’t afford
to waste time with candidates that don’t have the required industry knowledge.
That’s why, unlike traditional recruiters, headhunters take
the time to become experts in your business’s industry. This allows headhunters
to target the right candidates first time.
So, if you’re looking for a recruitment agency to find
executive candidates for you, make sure you take a moment to test their
industry knowledge.
Building a
Professional Relationship
As mentioned, unlike traditional recruitment, executive
search requires searching for candidates who are not looking for another job.
This makes building a professional relationship with candidates essential.
This starts before the potential candidate has even been
approached. A headhunter will conduct his/her research ahead of time to
determine their qualifications and suitability for the role.
This then allows your recruitment team to tailor their pitch
to suit the candidate, which improves the chances that the potential candidate
will be interested and ensures your business fills any high-level vacancies
quickly.
Knowing When to
Stop
There’s no doubting the value of headhunting. A headhunter
is more likely to be able to persuade a potential candidate to consider a move
than the prospective company approaching directly.
They take time to understand advice and position a role with
the candidate in a way that makes it attractive, selling the advantages of a
role over their current position. This advice includes salary and remuneration,
based on research and benchmarking of similar roles in the industry.
So, while the headhunter is best placed to nurture the
candidate, there may be times the headhunter must consider and review their
approach.
Because the majority of candidates contacted will currently
be in a job and not actively be looking for other positions, it’s important to
identify as quickly as possible whether they might be genuinely interested.
There’s no use in a recruiter chasing down a candidate for
weeks, or even months when their lack of interest could have been identified at
the very first point of contact. When it comes to spotting these poor-quality
candidates quickly, there is no substitute for experience, so ensure you choose
a recruitment agency that can prove their quality.
Reaching out on
Social Media
LinkedIn has become a common part of the recruitment process
for us, but it isn’t the only social media that is useful.
Good headhunters will contact the candidate on the social
media platform that they are most active on. By finding them on platforms such
as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, executive recruiters are better able to
attract candidates and engage with them on a platform where they are more
comfortable.
Meeting the
Candidate Face to Face
If the candidate who is being headhunted is currently
employed, they will likely be hesitant to take a recruitment call at work and,
since they are not actively looking for other jobs, may be unlikely to take a
call at home.
Where traditional recruiters would miss out on these
candidates, headhunters go the extra mile to find the right person, setting up
face to face meetings after work or on their lunch breaks. This puts the
candidate at ease and provides a better chance to discover whether they are the
right fit for your business.
Being Believable
This is a key point. When conducting an executive search, high-value
candidates don’t want their time wasted with speculative job opportunities. If
the recruiter doesn’t believe that the candidate they’re contacting is right
for the role, how will the candidate ever believe it themselves?
As recruiters, we make it clear to each candidate we
approach that they are a perfect fit. And this isn’t just guesswork. Based on
our research, we know that every person we talk to is the right fit for the
job.
Being Transparent
We’ve all come across jobs that look a little too good to be
true. This lack of honesty, unfortunately, leads to many candidates being
sceptical about roles they’re offered. Headhunters understand this, which is why
they champion transparency.
It makes sense. You wouldn’t want to be told about a job
that sounded interesting but was completely different when you found out more
about it, would you? Since headhunters are experts in your industry, they are
well equipped to present job opportunities clearly and answer any questions
accurately.
This gives the candidate confidence and ensures the
recruitment process is a smooth one.
Networking with
the Right People
It goes without saying that, when looking to source
candidates who aren’t actively looking for another job, headhunters have to go
beyond typical recruitment duties.
A great headhunting technique used by many of the best
recruiters is to attend networking functions that their desired demographic
will be attending. By approaching candidates in a space where they are not
expecting to be headhunted, the recruiter is better able to build trusting,
professional relationships that can then be turned into valuable candidates.
Improving Employer Branding
Branding is something that isn’t always considered in the recruitment
process but one of the main reasons a candidate might decide not to take a job
is because of the reputation of the prospective company.
Executive recruitment teams will work with you to ensure
your brand gives off the best impression possible. High-calibre candidates are
more likely to be interested in a role with a company they’ve heard good things
about and it’s the job of the headhunter to manage their candidate’s perception
of the employer’s brand.
Now you know some of the main headhunting techniques
recruitment teams use to secure high-calibre candidates, it’s time to learn how
you can benefit from them.
If you’re interested to know more about how The Headhunter
can help to find your next candidate, give us a call or contact us on email.
While the world’s economies are still waiting to start recovery, after
an abrupt stop caused by the pandemic which left many companies bankrupt
and millions without jobs, several of our clients contacted us to start
headhunting for them.
We thought at first that this was just by chance, or that it was connected to an industry that wasn’t affected, after all, who was hiring at present time, but this wasn’t the case. And then we started hearing about similar things from other headhunters and within industries that were affected by the pandemic.
I managed to arrange several conference calls
with some of our clients that had headhunting requests, and just to make sure
that this wasn’t some isolated case I spoke to our clients from New York,
Tirana and Sarajevo. I was lucky that The Headhunter Group operates in a dozen
countries, so it wasn’t hard for me to get a more global picture of what was
happening in the markets. After just a few conversations, it became clearer why
some companies were looking for employees even though they were posting losses
and not hiring since mid-March.
“We’re not taking anyone in the next couple of
weeks, but when this dies down, we want the best possible candidates ready to
start quickly” – said a manager of mid-sized company from Sarajevo to me. Quite
similar explanations were given to me by other clients. They suffered losses,
some minor, some quite significant losses. But they understood that very soon
the economy will be picking up, and when it does, they wanted to be ready, and
ahead of their competitors.
The more I thought about it from their
perspective, to more apparent it became, though we are living through very
difficult times, very soon we will be up and running, and opportunities in the
market will be incredible for both employers and employees. Those millions that
were left without jobs in the past two months will be looking for new jobs, and
the same will happen with those employers that were forced to let them go.
In the next couple of years, we will witness
an extraordinary movement in the employment markets. Millions will change jobs,
and quicker than ever before in history. Candidates will look for new and
better employment opportunities, try new things, get qualifications for
different jobs, while employers will look to find new candidates to fill the
positions that will open up as soon as companies are up and running. And in
this very near future, the companies that have started to recruit already, will
have an enormous advantage over their competition.
