Tony Alteri Talks Recruiting In Today’s Market
Tony Alteri is Director of Talent Acquisition at Interactive Resources. He has worked as a recruiter for several years and specializes in placing IT professionals. In this interview, Tony talks about today’s market and the challenges of hiring specialized talent.
It seems there are a lot of people looking for work and a lot of opportunities available, yet jobs still go unfilled. What’s the disconnect?
There are a number of reasons jobs go unfilled, but most often it comes down to supply and demand and flaws in the hiring process. The jobs that tend to go unfilled typically target niche skill sets that very few job seekers have in a given market. This high demand translates to a very competitive environment where candidates often have multiple offers on the table at one time. Because these candidates have so many options, companies need to move fast to make competitive offers, or risk losing candidates. Many times there’s also a disconnect between HR, hiring managers, and staffing agencies. Job descriptions are often vague or incorrect, or salary expectations are below market value…the list really goes on here.
Many IT staffing professionals see the market as “pro-candidate”. Can you elaborate on this?
I feel the market is pro-candidate in certain areas, but not as a whole. Some skill sets are so scarce that candidates who possess them can have more control over the process and command higher salaries in given markets. I have seen salaries rise significantly in some areas of the market while others have remained consistent or fallen. It really varies with the skill set the candidate encompasses and availability and demand of that skill set in a given market.
Recruiters provide a valuable service to individuals and companies, but typically have a bad rap. Why?
Many staffing agencies often hire recruiters straight out of school, despite their lack of IT knowledge and experience building/maintaining relationships. These firms put significant emphasis on hitting numbers rather than making quality placements or building solid relationships with candidates/clients. If you look at 90% of the staffing firms out there you will see these agencies are revolving doors…they churn and burn employees for a variety of reasons.
A potential job seeker or hiring company might start working with one recruiter/sales person only to see him/her exit the industry completely a few months later. Many staffing companies are looking for the cheapest, most cost-effective method possible. It might be successful short-term, but it ultimately leads to very negative perceptions of staffing agencies/recruiters overall.
What do you think the staffing business needs to better serve hiring mangers and candidates?
The staffing business is very saturated right now, which, in my opinion, makes it tough to serve candidates and managers. I’m baffled that organizations will work with twenty different staffing companies to fill fifty positions. Personally, I think this complicates the process and causes confusion across the board, creating a frustrating experience for everyone involved.
Tony Alteri can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Photo by JonoMueller