Copier ChannelSM
Hiring Is About Supply, Demand and Timing
As recruiters, we often are asked what might seem to be an easy question: “How quickly can you find someone to fill this position?”
Unfortunately, that question doesn’t have an easy answer.
“We can put together a list of qualified candidates in five minutes and five clicks,” said Paul Schwartz of Copier Careers®, the only recruiting firm dedicated to the Copier Channel. “But that’s when the real work begins.”
With over 100,000 profiles of Copier Channel professionals in its database, Copier Careers has recruiters who can quickly assemble a list of potential candidates. They review profiles to ensure the candidates are qualified by experience and training, but this is where reality slaps expediency in the face.
In the Copier Channel, there is a shortage of qualified candidates for job opportunities across the board – tech, back office, sales and leadership. This is largely because of the explosive growth of the Copier Channel in the past decade, when the industry morphed from the copier business into a sophisticated business-solutions channel.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of computer and information technology occupations will grow an above-average 12 percent between 2014 and 2024.
“We can find the right person for the job in our database,” Schwartz said, “but there are many factors we can’t control.”
- The perfect “hire” might be perfectly happy and well-compensated where she or he is now.
- Great candidates might have built a territory and created a revenue stream they don’t want to give up.
- They might have other contractual obligations or a non-compete contract.
- They might have children in school or family obligations that don’t align with changing jobs right now.
Copier Channel Hiring is About the Long Game
Finding the right person for a position in the Copier Channel often doesn’t happen when there is an immediate need. That is the pinch point in a channel where there is a shortage of qualified workers.
“We often have more job orders than we have immediate candidates,” Schwartz said. “We really want to live our motto — More than Resumes, Candidates® — so we created a model to add value by becoming long-term strategic partners with our Copier Channel clients.”
Copier Careers developed Adaptive Retainer Recruiting® to get beyond the contingency search model to fill positions. Adaptive Recruiting engages with clients to identify business needs and opportunities by building long-term relationships (with businesses and professionals), helping them to respond reactively and proactively to changing times.
We help our clients find someone they didn’t even know they needed.
“This lets us focus on our clients’ needs even when they don’t know what they need going forward,” said Jessica Crowley, business development manager and senior recruiter at Copier Careers. “We understand their business. We see trends and can see a hiring need developing.”
The ability to anticipate needs and opportunities comes from a deep understanding of industry metrics and how Copier Channel businesses operate and evolve.
“Different stages of business growth cause specific hiring needs, and that is where our industry knowledge can save our clients a lot of time and frustration,” Crowley said. “We will help them find someone they didn’t even know they needed.”
Recently, Crowley identified the need for a director of operations in several companies that were experiencing rapid growth. Then she identified strong candidates for the role and suggested proactive hiring. It was a win for everyone involved.
Building a Database, Connections and Results
Copier Careers has worked with some companies and Copier Channel professionals for more than 20 years. From those connections, Copier Careers tracks changes in the industry, opportunities, trends and advancing skills sets.
“We capture as much data as we can,” Crowley said. “We have more than 3.5 million notes in our database about our connections, hiring needs and new niches in the Copier Channel.
In this changing industry, a definite “no” can turn into “I’m ready to move on,” very quickly.
“People never fall off our list,” she said. “They might not be ready to move or try something new when there is an immediate need, but we always stay in touch.” With mergers, acquisitions, leadership changes and other variables in the industry, she said, a definite “no” can turn into “I’m ready to move on,” very quickly.
“We are patient, and we keep checking,” Crowley said. “We are dealing with people and their life. Experience shows us that in a week, a month or a couple of years a lot can change, so we are always poised to help connect Copier Channel employers with legitimate, qualified staff.”
“We understand our clients,” she said. “We know so much about our industry that we can help companies grow and help professionals advance in their careers.”
Back to the No. 1 Question: “So, how quickly can I find someone?”
There isn’t a single or simple answer. But there are strategies to help your Copier Channel business connect with great workers more quickly:
- Hire proactively. Because Copier Channel professionals have specialized skills and very specific training requirements, it is critical to recruit and hire proactively. If the right candidate comes along before you have an opening, the best decision might be to hire now.
- Build bench strength. Offer opportunities for your team to learn new things and advance in their careers. It will enhance job satisfaction and might reduce turnover.
- Always talk to potential candidates. In a channel with more jobs than job seekers, never turn down a chance to talk with a potential job candidate. Be willing to invest in a candidate with skills learned on other software or hardware — or one who needs only a few hours of training to become the perfect hire. Be willing to adapt.
- Be a great employer. Do you offer the benefits, work environment and opportunity for advancement that makes your business a place people want to work? Always know if your salaries and benefits are competitive.
- Be willing to wait for the right candidate. Sometimes the perfect candidate isn’t ready to change jobs, but the wait might be worth it.
With the expansion of the Copier Channel likely to continue, the answer to the No. 1 Question is clear: The best practice to meet the demand for trained Copier Channel professionals is to be proactive, thoughtful and entrepreneurial to attract, train and retain staff. The effort you make now to add skilled professionals to the Copier Channel will have rewards when time is of the essence.