Kael Campbell
president,
Red Seal Recruiting Ltd, Victoria

Kael Campbell
president,
Red Seal Recruiting Ltd, Victoria

A BC HRMA member since 2000, Kael Campbell is the president of Red Seal Recruiting Solutions Ltd, a leading trades and industrial management recruiting employment agency in Victoria. Red Seal services clients across Canada, including the mining, utility, manufacturing, construction and industrial sectors. Kael’s bachelor in business administration from Simon Fraser University is complemented by a concentration in HR management and a specialization in social psychology.

According to Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of the Power of Habit, we need to change our habits if we want to change our organizations. For recruiters this means developing habits that sustain recruiting. In order for a habit to be formed we need a cue, routine and reward.  Logging in to Facebook is one such habit: cued by email alerts or a smart phones vibrating, we routinely look at friends posts and are rewarded with funny posts or photos.

At Red Seal our most successful recruiting tool is our email job alerts. We use them to help candidates form a new habit. We provide candidates a steady stream of interesting job ads and updates through email marketing; each email serves as a cue. Emails are sent on a regular basis to make opening the emails, and visiting our website or Facebook page routine.  The reward for candidates?  Regular updates and information about jobs, the ability to share exciting opportunities with colleges, alumni and co-workers and the ultimate reward—the potential of a new career.

Jennifer Billingsley,
HR consultant,
Thompson Rivers University

Jennifer Billingsley, CHRP
HR consultant
Thompson Rivers University

An HR consultant for Thompson Rivers University, Jennifer Billingsley, CHRP has worked in both public and private sectors, giving her a broad perspective of different business approaches.  Having tied for the highest score on the NPPA exam, Jennifer also works with various students and groups to prepare the practitioners of tomorrow and gain fresh insight.  Jennifer also serves as the communications chair for BC HRMA’s Central Interior Advisory Council.

Effective recruitment begins with organizations knowing what their needs are.  First, identify the gap that exists and understand what skills and abilities are required.  Second, create an appropriate role description. Third, identify who your ideal candidate may be.  For example, is it a seasoned professional or someone who is just starting in that field?

To ensure fit for the organization the candidate should share the company’s values. Once you have identified who the ideal candidate is, create an advertisement that will speak to those specific applicants, highlighting those similar values, and the skills and abilities needed.  Advertise where this pool of candidates will likely be looking.  For example, if you are hiring a professor, academic journals for the area of study will likely be successful.

Recruitment can often be a knee jerk reaction, which is a costly mistake.  When organizations are thoughtful through this process, they will see higher levels of success.

Nick Melemenis
labour relations specialist,
Sun-Rype Products

Nick Melemenis
labour relations specialist,
Sun-Rype Products

Dynamic and personable, Nick Melemenis secured his business degree in human resources from the Okanagan School of Business, along with a diploma in Hotel Management from SAIT—and is currently working on the CHRP designation.  As labour relations specialist for Sun-Rype Products in Kelowna, his focus is primarily on grievance management, attendance management and recruitment.  Currently sitting on the BC HRMA Southern Interior Advisory Council, Nick also assists the Central Okanagan Foundation with HR projects.

The most effective means of recruitment for organizations today includes endorsements and recommendations—along with the power of technology. This process of recruiting may be an age old process, but in today’s world this it has exploded. The recruitment process can extend much further beyond those you work with or those you see in the industry. Technology has made this process much more efficient and streamlined.

Many positions at Sun-Rype Products have been filled using both: through industry endorsements or internal recommendations, whether it was word of mouth, or through a leading industry technological tool such as LinkedIn. Our staff is our front line resource regarding filling vacancies. Beyond our staff, BC has a strong network of HR professionals and we utilize that network. The ability of communicate with contacts has never been easier. In summary I have found that endorsements and recommendations are key means of recruitment, and will only become more effective as technology grows in our ever changing HR industry.

Barb Schimnowsky
managing director
WestView Executive Search

Barb Schimnowsky
managing director
WestView Executive Search Ltd.

Barb Schimnowsky is a certified management consultant and managing director of WestView Executive Search Ltd. With over 20 years experience in executive search and recruitment, Barb has assisted many organizations by recruiting top-quality candidates across a broad spectrum of industries and functions.  A BC HRMA member and active contributor to her profession, Barb’s volunteerism has ranged from authoring the HR Guide For Community Sport for by 2010 Legacies Now to ongoing support of the major gifts committee for Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

Depending on the position you’re recruiting, social media can be very effective in identifying candidates, but not necessarily the best candidates. Profiles are often dated, the cost to properly leverage the tool can be high, and you can be perceived as trying to poach staff.

When hiring executive, senior management, or skilled professionals, identifying passive candidates is still the most effective method. The in-depth research identifying sources of where the talent you are looking for may be housed, and the proactive and personal contact with individuals has proven time and again that it works.

This is why an employee referral program is also a powerful recruitment tool.  Individuals familiar with your organization identify top prospects not in a job-search mode, assess their suitability to your culture, and personally sell them on the opportunity. Augment your employee referral program with external resources and you’ll have a recruitment process that will yield high quality, high impact hires.

Sabrina Mowbray, CHRP
HR coordinator, Sinclair Group Forest Products

Sabrina Mowbray, CHRP
corporate HR coordinator
Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd.

Sabrina Mowbray strives to bring energy to all she does, including her role with Sinclair Group Forest Products where her focus is on aligning the 50 year old company’s business strategy with the history and values of the organization. Always playing an active role within the community, Sabrina recently joined the Community Employer Partnership board in order to work towards attracting, retaining and engaging talent in the North—and serves as post-secondary liaison and mentoring program co-ordinator for the BC HRMA Northern Advisory Council.

Recruitment in today’s world must be approached in a holistic manner.  It is important to fully define and understand the needs of the organization as well as its culture and values.  In addition to having the required technical skills and experience, potential employees must have the capacity to be fully engaged and to contribute positively to our team.

A proactive focus is essential.  Employers cannot afford to wait until there are vacant positions that need to be filled.  Recruitment needs to be continuous – an ongoing process of networking, building relationships and creating a talent pool for future needs.  I strive to understand what it is that attracts and motivates the desired candidates and target my efforts towards them.

Embracing today’s multicultural and multi-generational labour market, I endeavour to integrate everything from traditional methods to social media.  Working with post-secondary institutions and participating in job fairs, I collaborate with other employers and community organizations with complimentary strategies and initiatives.

(PeopleTalk: Winter 2012)