At Recruittech I argued that the balance of power has shifted to job seekers. I highlighted three trends which I think made this scenario possible:

1) Information asset increased: Barriers to corporate information and employment opportunities are broken. We are in an environment where job seekers know more about an employer then vice versa.

2) An explosion in job searching tools and options: Without doubt the job seeker of today have a myriad of tools to find jobs. If 250+ job boards are not enough, a whole world of connections is offered by social networks. New media continually offer new platform to announce availability.

3) Changing job search and work behaviour : While tools are abundant, it’s the changing behaviour of job seekers which will have the most impact on job advertisements. Job seekers are increasingly mobile, frequently change jobs and do not trust corporate advertising. Our view of workplaces and jobs is evolving.

Implications for recruiters and employers are many. Attention will be harder to win. Targeting and employment branding will go niche. Generic ‘employer of choice’ doesn’t mean much to job seekers accustomed to seeking contextual content. How recruitment advertisement (vacancy index) moves and behave will be dictated by the whims, behaviour and choices made by job seekers. Rejection or patronage by job seekers will dictate the winners.

When I started blogging a year or so ago I was aware of only a handful of blogs in the HR/Recruitment space. Today, there are a lot more blogs around. Thomas Shaw alone maintains 27 different feeds. I’ve also come across several recruitment firms who are dabbling with blogging. Without doubt more companies and individuals are blogging.

Forrester recently released their 2009 Social Technographics Profile, which categorised Internet users into different groups based on their behaviour and usage of social media. Forrester doesn’t provide a year-to-year comparison for Australia. But from 2009’s data alone, it is clear that the vast majority of Internet users are ‘joiners’ or just ‘spectators’(refer graph).  I believe the scenario is the same in the HR/recruitment industry.

So, here is the big opportunity : ‘Creators’ are still a minority. And as far as reaching out to job seekers or employers is concerned, it is a good minority to belong to.

Blogging is a good way to reach out. It is authentic and encourage transparency. It forces you to give before asking anything in return. And that is what your future employees or clients are increasingly expecting (Why? Amongst other things, your competitors may already be doing that).

While I talked exclusively about blogging, I think it is the same for other forms of social media. First mover advantage applies. It’s much better to be a leader than be a follower. What do you think?

P.S: Interesting that most of the presenters at Recruittech are avid bloggers

“To be honest, I am here for the free drinks”, a gentleman I befriended at a recent HR conference quipped.

Attendees’ indifference aside, the case for physically attending conferences seems to diminish by the day. Technology driving the adoption of virtual conferences are improving and free webinars are available with increasingly regularity. Besides, content presented at most conferences are eventually available for free. If you wait a month or two, you can view most of the material presented at TED. New forms of meeting are also emerging. Tweetups are a product of our age and many swear by the unconference style.  Indeed, conferences are changing rapidly, in content, form and the value they offer.

So, RecruitTech ask you to part with $299, and more significantly give up one whole day of your life? Why should you bother?

I think a well run conference offers value that the alternatives do not. For a start, good conferences work hard to treat you like royalty, after all you are investing money and time. Good conferences provide intimacy between speakers and attendees; facilitate networking and encourages taking new steps. New connections, new relationships and new knowledge (One cannot get from PowerPoint transcripts) are offered in abundance.

Indeed, there are two sides to the conference coin. It’s the organiser’s responsibility to provide a platform where attendees can learn, make new connections and be motivated to do things differently after the event. On the flip side, attendees should prepare themselves to be active participants. The days of just showing up are long gone. Even the best run conferences mean little if an attendee is passive, showed up just to please the Boss, or worse not willing to take ‘action’ after the event concluded. Generally, one is not inclined to invest money and time on anything unless the goal is to gain something. Why should conferences be any different?

Clayton Wehner has arranged an impressive line-up of speakers (including a flattered yours truly). Relevant issues of our times will be addressed in a format conducive for maximum face time and learning. Recruitech is worth considering if you want a conference to trigger an action. Otherwise, check other events. Or even start one yourself. Sitting still is not an option, not when everything (including conferences) in our world is changing so rapidly.

(p.s: If you are attending, say ‘hi’. It would be lovely to meet in person)