What Is Reverse Recruiting and How Will It Help You to Stay Ahead of the Competition?

What if all of the top talents are already hired and those who are actively looking are not among your desired applicants at all?

That's when reverse recruiting comes into play. The new trend in recruiting represents a complete U-turn, radically reversing the application process.

Below we delve into why this strategy is worthwhile and the first steps to take on implementing it into your HR action plan.

The current situation in the labor market requires new strategies to attract suitable team members. One of these strategies is reverse recruiting.

This is a trend in recruitment that is likely to become more and more popular in the future.

In “reverse recruiting”, companies no longer wait for qualified candidates to apply for jobs, but take an active role and send a job application to their desired candidate.

Simply put, the development of the labor market requires it.

Skilled labor shortage caused by demographic changes and shifting expectations of the perfect working conditions do not make it easy for companies to attract and retain talent in the long term.

The reality in many companies is: They no longer choose applicants. Instead, applicants have to be selected. Companies that accept this fact and want to make the best of it opt for reverse recruiting.

If, on the other hand, you stick to traditional recruitment strategies, you are going to miss out on high-demand, qualified specialists.

The infrastructure required for this new recruiting strategy already exists. On the Internet, you can find platforms such as TieTalent, which may replace traditional recruiting platforms altogether in the future – at least in areas where qualified personnel are in short supply.

Reverse Recruiting and Active Sourcing are not the same.

With Active Sourcing, a company makes initial contact with an interesting candidate. In this way, talents who are currently passive and do not actively apply for job offers are also reached.

Example: A recruiter writes to relevant profiles on recruiting platforms and invites them to apply to the company.

Reverse recruiting does not actually end in a regular application process. The candidate application process is reversed, where a talent agent applies to selected candidates with documents such as an “application portfolio”.

Example: A recruiter finds a candidate on platforms such as TieTalent who meets the requirements for a position and applies to that candidate as a new employer.

With reverse recruiting, you are one step ahead of your competition. Not every company uses this recruiting strategy yet. Therefore, the competition on platforms is still quite low.

Similar to active sourcing, you can get in touch with passive candidates who would not have applied in the conventional recruiting process. If you are a company that searches specifically for talents worldwide, you can use a very targeted approach with reverse recruiting.

Applying to specific candidates will enable you to directly contact a qualified talent based on your hiring specifications. The likelihood that talents will engage with your company is very high, which is ultimately more effective than active sourcing.

The benefits in summary:

• Less competition in reverse recruiting
• Attracting passive candidates
• Easy access to international talents
• Receives a lot of attention from the desired candidate

Reverse recruiting requires a platform where talents and employers can find each other. These are usually online platforms where companies and talents can register and create a profile.

In addition to personal details such as professional experience, skills, expertise, qualifications, salary expectations, and career aspirations, talents can specify their preferred company size, location, and even industry.

Companies then receive relevant matches based on the introduction of their desired candidate. If a match is made, the company can apply.

Outside of the digital world, reverse recruiting is also conducted at offline events. Direct contact definitely has its benefits: It simplifies communication and allows for a better first impression. Companies like Porsche, PwC, Otto Group or even Capgemini have already participated in such events.

For companies, reverse recruiting only works if they are willing to completely rethink their approach. A company that applies to candidates takes a more vulnerable position and meets the candidate at the same level. Here, it is important to be courageous and embrace the change.

What Should Be Taken into Consideration for Successful Reverse Recruiting?

Follow our three tips for effective reverse recruiting.

First, you need to decide on a platform where you can be matched with candidates.

Usually, registration is free so that you can familiarize yourself with the respective recruiting platform and see if it has the types of talents that match your organization's hiring needs.

It is wise to pay attention to the platform's focus. Are there any industries or areas of expertise that the provider specializes in? Pick the right platform and, if in doubt, try out several for comparison.

Reverse recruiting is a strategy that "only" complements the existing HR management.

This means that in order for candidates to respond to your application, you have to be attractive as an employer – and communicate this. (Note that some reverse recruiting platforms can help you craft your message to be more attractive to potential employees!)

Employer branding and offers that employees do not expect or know about are therefore part of the reverse recruiting strategy. For example, if your company offers an automatic salary increase after a certain period of time, this is an important aspect of your employee recruitment strategy that should be highlighted.

Ask yourself how much effort you invested in your last job application. How did you engage with the company? How much time did you spend before sending in your application? Reverse recruiting is very similar.

The application should show that you have intensively studied the candidate's profile and that he or she is not just one of many you contacted for an opening. Less is often more. Therefore, always write an application that is tailored to the individual.

And you may soon be asked “Why did you apply to me?” instead of you asking your desired candidate this question!

Are you looking for top IT and digital marketing professionals? We are specialized in these areas and will support you in finding the right talent for your organization – without any additional administrative work and as efficiently as possible!

Register now for free and try out Reverse Recruiting without any obligation. We are convinced that you will find the talents you are looking for.