As recruiters, we are always looking for new ways to match candidates with clients. I love that recruitment can be exciting and it definitely keeps you on your toes, even though we have pretty much been using the same tried and tested methods for years. But - innovation is the key to success, no matter what profession you work in.

If we take a look at the technologies used in recruitment (or for that matter almost any business), advancements and evolutions in the processes are obvious. Whereas once upon a time jobseekers relied on handwritten CV’s, now you’re more likely to see LinkedIn CVs, videos or infographics. The mobile phone, email and social media have all shaped the way in which we live and work.

However, face-to-face is still the best way to network with people. After all, it’s often quoted that 55% of communication is body language. So maybe our best option is to capitalise on what’s already there.

No matter how we approach recruitment, the process remains similar. The eventual result of all of our hard work is getting a suitable CV in front of a client, them assessing it and making the decision to hire or not. Despite all of our amazing technological advancements, this can still be a long process.

In a bid to streamline the process and appeal to graduates, we decided to host a “speed-networking” event. Trialling the concept at the Microsoft HQ in Reading, we invited 40 technology graduates and 15 clients and organised a schedule for each graduate to spend 4 minutes in front of each client. The clients and candidates then chose their top 3 choices, and if there was any matches between the two we arranged second interviews.

Needless to say the new approach was appreciated and the event was a huge success! We placed 12 candidates at the various companies, and the feedback was extremely positive. We have since hosted a further 3 events in Reading and opened the format up in our London office, again yielding great results.

Delivering what we promise through new approaches such as this results in multiple benefits for both parties. Internal hiring managers who read through 100’s of CVs a day become “CV blind” – so much that there are thousands of blogs and articles dedicated to how to make your CV stand out in front of clients! Going directly to interview means you can be the CV so to speak– the first impression your perspective employer will get of you is the most accurate one – face-to-face. Alongside this, finding time slots for interviewing multiple short-listed candidates is time consuming and expensive.

For the candidate, travelling to and from first, second and third stage interviews with multiple companies is also expensive and time consuming, let alone the amount of time it takes to secure an interview in the first place. By considering both ends of the process we achieved a common goal that benefits all parties – recruiters included.

Essentially what I’m saying is that in a world reliant on quick decisions, dominated by quick access information and wide reaching social media networking, it is vital we find new ways to connect clients with candidates in order to keep ahead of the curve. We have to evolve our practices alongside the technologies we use in order to maintain the most effective business partnerships. I’m excited for others to embrace this mind-set and to see how we can shape the recruitment process of the future!