Unlike so many other trades in the modern economy, security engineers have the bargaining power over prospective employees with their skills so scarce. So says Brett Ennals, MD of Cento and Fire and Security Jobs.
It is widely documented that the skills shortage within our industry is growing.
We’re now in a situation where there are simply not enough skilled technicians and engineers to fill the roles available as well as a low take-up of engineering as a career by today’s school and university leavers.
This changes the conventional recruitment process where the employer has the bargaining power. Instead, the candidates have the upper hand in the situation and a ‘what’s in it for me?’ attitude exists.
The Recruitment & Employment Confederation reported that 634,000 people were placed into permanent roles via a recruiter in the UK between 2014/5, indicating how much movement and scope there really is for talented people.
Skilled candidates know their worth more than ever before and are increasingly aware of how much a potential employer needs them.
The increased use of social media during the recruitment process also means candidates can discuss experiences with an employer instantly and frankly – putting the pressure on the employer to build a reputation for a positive working environment that attracts potential candidates.
With more than 103,000 people now working in the recruitment industry, it can be a real challenge for an employer to know exactly what help they need in the process, and a candidate-driven marketplace certainly needs to be handled appropriately.
Working with a specialist recruitment consultancy armed with insight and industry knowledge will help an employer achieve the results they want with access to the best candidates available.
The real misconception about such recruitment consultancies is that they are to blame for rapid staff turnover, working with a limited group of candidates to fill available roles, approaching other candidates as soon as their contract allows them to leave.
Recruitment consultancies cannot take the blame if a new employee leaves a business after only a short amount of time. The fault often lies with both the recruitment consultancy and employer for overselling and then under-delivering on the role expectations.
In this candidate-driven marketplace, this approach will fail every time.
For an employer to realise the full benefits of an external recruitment consultancy and the specialism and talent pool they bring, they can take simple steps to encourage staff retention and development.
Employers should:
Specialist recruitment companies are in an unrivalled position to advise on how businesses can attract and retain the best talent. Our advice to security firms is simple: use them!
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