The Aberdeen Group Reports Challenges in Sourcing Six-Figure Talent

NEW YORK, March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from The Aberdeen Group reveals that human resource executives and corporate recruiters are being squeezed tighter by the ongoing high rate of unemployment.  Building off its landmark study, Talent Acquisition Strategies, The Aberdeen Group's latest study – Challenges in Sourcing Six-Figure Talent – surveyed more than 270 organizations to identify specific challenges in recruiting senior positions.  The research highlights the challenges of sourcing quality candidates for critical high-paying positions where making a bad hire can be costly in the short- and long-term.

Aberdeen's research concludes that one of the least effective solutions for sourcing six-figure talent are job boards.  Among the findings:

• One third of respondents indicated less than 10 percent of applicants sourced through these sites actually match the qualifications defined in the job description
• 70 percent reported that job postings on these sites deliver too many candidates
• 59 percent indicated that they don't have enough resources to review all applications submitted through job boards. Aberdeen attributes this to "the passive nature of the job board, which lacks human support that goes beyond usability to encompass dedicated resources that understand the region and the industry."

While most of the recruiters responding to the survey indicate the push strategy of job boards is ineffective, a pull strategy – actively seeking out resumes and candidates – proves more successful.  Sixty-three percent of organizations that partner with a recruitment solution provider that help in the sourcing process reported less than 10 percent first-year turnover for critical, high-level roles. These organizations are also 37 percent more likely to indicate that their sourcing efforts are effective.

"When it comes to these roles, Aberdeen's report on Talent Acquisition Strategies confirms that job-boards fall short," said Alex Douzet, president and co-founder of TheLadders.  "At TheLadders we pair technology with human support to ensure sourcing effectiveness for employers. By putting the 'human' back into HR, we offer a complete solution that saves employers time, delivering high quality pre-screened professional candidates through online tools or our FitFinder service."

Aberdeen's research demonstrates that the most critical piece to talent acquisition is relationship management. It is a necessity to have active involvement in the recruitment process rather than just posting to job boards. Having the human factor expands the effort to search for, find and pull the right resumes and candidates, instead of getting stuck in a crowded talent pool of unknown quality.

FitFinder, launched by TheLadders in 2010, pairs the human factor with technology and has seen tremendous success since launching last year.  Talent Specialists at TheLadders are now sourcing over 2,000 jobs per month for employers.  On average, TheLadders Talent Specialists search for and deliver the top candidates that match a particular position with over 70 percent accuracy in forty eight hours.

To meet demand, TheLadders has 35 full time Talent Specialists on staff that specialize in particular geographic regions and functions.  On average and with the support of a Talent Specialist, time-strapped employers and recruiters only have to evaluate 5 to 10 targeted resumes to zero on the right candidates, significantly cutting the time for recruiters to source candidates for a position. 

About TheLadders.com

TheLadders.com is the world's leading online service catering exclusively to the $100K+ job market. Our job is to make the search for senior talent and senior positions quick and effective. With access to the most $100K+ jobs in one place, senior level professionals can get to the next step in their careers faster. Top recruiters value the ability to quickly and easily connect with so much qualified talent in the sales, marketing, finance, HR, legal, tech and operations industries. In addition to traditional job search services, TheLadders.com also provides a host of specialized career development resources, including an executive resume service; advice from career experts; customized online profiles; and e-mail alerts. Founded in 2003 by Marc Cenedella, TheLadders.com is headquartered in New York with offices in London. For more information, please visit http://www.theladders.com/.

SOURCE TheLadders.com