Technology is now a widely discussed topic in the accounting industry. However, most technology is still only predominantly focusing on helping accountants streamline their accounting processes and helping the industry move towards a Cloud based system. What seems to have been overlooked is the archaic way that accounting professionals tend to move job?
Most accounting professionals tend to be reliant on recruiters to move job, as the lesser evil when compared to the laborious process of sifting through and applying to jobs on job boards. As a result of this dynamic, employers are more reliant on recruiters than they would like to be.
Recruitment Technology
In all industries, recruitment technology solutions are becoming an integral part of a recruiting strategy. We are in the age of proliferation of the ‘matching’ network. Each one promising to turn the agency model on its head. The model is usually to cut out the middle man (the expensive agency recruiter). But can this model really be effective in the white-collar professional arena?
For most time-strapped companies, recruiters are considered a necessary evil in finding the right person quickly.
Let’s not forget that there is real value in recruitment, if done well. The problem is too many don’t do it well enough to justify the fees. Furthermore, most use LinkedIn as a primary sourcing tool. Any in-house HR manager can now do the same, and the agency fees do not reflect this shifting market.
So, what if an online platform wasn’t just about recruitment? And it could provide an online platform for employers to network with active and passive candidates? ProCircle makes the recruitment process all a bit more natural.
Networking
A survey carried out in 2016, in conjunction with LinkedIn, suggests that 85% of people now find their job through networking. The accounting industry is nowhere near that figure.
Both sides of the table are more likely to find a place where they fit in, if they meet through networking. Chances are if you enjoy talking to someone and share their values, you are more likely to enjoy working together. Which means that you are more likely to find someone who will be employed for the longer term.
Unfortunately, the reality is networking is time consuming. Great advice, in theory, to network more but the reality is that most of us don’t do anywhere near as much networking as we should. We often end up talking to the wrong people when we do network. I’m sure we’d all do more of it, if we were talking to the ‘right’ people.
Finding the time is challenging. It’s much easier to pick up the phone to a recruiter.
That’s why a platform like LinkedIn is great. You can connect with a whole host of professionals online. The great thing about LinkedIn is there are millions of people on it (500M+). And the bad thing? There are millions of people on it.
If you’re looking for a particular type of professional, a specific community of people, it’s better to go to a niche platform.
What About Personality?
Recruitment is a people profession.
It’s not just about a list of skills and qualifications – it’s about personality and whether someone will fit in with a corporate culture.
£4.1bn a year is wasted in the UK on bad hires and 48% of those people will leave within a year of joining. So, where a great recruiter adds real value is also in assessing a person’s ‘fit’ with an organisation.
It can be hard to really automate the recruitment process without factoring in this ‘fit’. ProCircle’s algorithm factors in skills, qualifications and personality, bringing the focus back to quality, not quantity – better to have 3 great matches, then 20 average ones.
The system automates the matching process for you, effectively allowing an in-house resourcer or small company to be their own recruiter with ease.
The Future
Technology is likely to revolutionise recruitment, just as it is revolutionising the way our accounting processes work.
That is where companies like ProCircle come in. Their vision is to build the leading online community for accounting, audit, finance and tax professionals to develop their career. Where accounting professionals can go for all their professional needs. And where employers can go to find them.
Jumping on the bandwagon early is likely to give companies a competitive advantage.
Formations Direct has an exclusive offer just for you, £50 employer access to ProCircle for a month which includes a dedicated team to assist you during your onboarding and no restrictions to the number of times you can use ProCircle. Happy Hiring!
For more information and to benefit from this exclusive offer click Signup Now below or call the support team on 020 7101 3339 or email support team and a member of staff will be on hand to help you join ProCircle and guide you through the onboarding process.
Don’t forget to mention Formations Direct to claim your £50 offer.
