Career Development Has Evolved, and So Should Recruiting Practices

Take a moment to think about the job market, and all the ways it has evolved. Career growth has become an increasingly flexible path that looks different for everybody, while it used to be more of a straightforward, one way up sort of thing. While career development has changed to reflect the current needs of modern society, most recruiting processes have failed to keep pace.

While career development has changed to reflect the current needs of modern society, most recruiting processes have failed to keep pace.

Employees have traditionally been conditioned that they need to climb up the ladder or across the lattice in order to grow their careers. While there are many routes for career development, these are two common paths that usually stand out as the more obvious choice. 

Climbing the ladder is a traditional and vertical approach that makes the most sense for those on a specialist track with a clear idea of their ultimately ideal role, especially within a defined function such as Legal or Finance. Crossing the lattice to your desired job within or outside your current company is a great way to expand your breadth of knowledge, skills, and aptitude. The lattice method is also useful to anyone considering a career change, needing to balance work and life demands, returning to the workforce after stepping out, or anyone seeking to add a few tools to their kit.

A combination of these two approaches is often another strong strategy, but these are by no means the only effective ways to reach professional goals and experience successful growth. These traditional models of ladder and lattice have evolved alongside the rapid changes in the job market, the widespread adoption of inclusive recruiting, obvious generational shifts, and the emergence of the gig economy.

Expanding the recruiting process in this way will open companies’ ability to be more inclusive in their recruiting efforts and bring in diverse thoughts, ideas, and experiences for a more well-rounded and innovative team.

Traditional career growth has changed beyond the ladder and lattice structure, and so should companies’ recruiting approaches. The recruiting approach should move beyond keywords with a focus on job titles, companies, industries, or specific skills, and should instead focus on key attributes and competencies. Expanding the recruiting process in this way will open companies’ ability to be more inclusive in their recruiting efforts and bring in diverse thoughts, ideas, and experiences for a more well-rounded and innovative team.

Below are some recruiting ideas for companies to consider outside of sourcing candidates in the traditional ladder and lattice approach:

Candidates that are returning into the job market: 

• Life happens, candidates have many valid reasons to take time-off from the job market. Whether to raise a family, care for a loved one, pursue a different career/interest, or simply take a break, this time off should not be a reason to overlook a qualified applicant. 

Candidates that have reached their career goals and want a position that is scaled back to continue contributing in a meaningful way:

• Not all candidates are motivated by a title promotion but want an opportunity to do good work. Despite what society may tell us, moving up is not the only right way forward.

Candidates that have moved from corporate to start their own company and now want to return to a corporate role: 

• It takes a lot of courage for someone to leave a corporate job to take a risk to try something new. Think about the value of that initiative, and all the great skills that the person has acquired trying to start their own company.

Candidates that are looking to move from another industry:

• In order to assess their level of qualification, take the time to assess skills that are required for similar jobs in another industry. Candidates coming from a different professional background can bring a fresh perspective and an innovative approach.

Candidates that are part of the gig economy and act as independent consultants:

• These candidates have a wealth of knowledge and they’re driven by working with various clients to solve their business problems. Since candidates of this variety are becoming increasingly more common, companies will benefit from keeping an open mind to help widen their talent pool.

Organizations that consistently refuse to go beyond ladder and lattice methods will likely suffer from talent shortages and stagnant culture.

The job market of top talent is tight, and candidates are motivated differently based on their values, current and future career goals, and demands for work life balance. Understanding this will help drive companies to think differently, outside of the traditional recruiting model. Considering candidates outside of the normal ladder and lattice approach can add diversity, energy, loyalty, and innovation into the company culture. Organizations that consistently refuse to go beyond ladder and lattice methods will likely suffer from talent shortages and stagnant culture.

If you feel your recruiting function could use some improvement to incorporate the above strategy, schedule your complimentary consultation below and let’s chat! Thank you for reading Talent Advisor Group’s first blog and stay tuned for more expert insights by signing up for our newsletter.