Is this the end for Recruitment Agencies?.

​Yes and of course, No.

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There is a lot of noise in the market surrounding new technologies that will disrupt the recruitment market. From AI to Blockchain those that are raising cash to fund their tech platforms are heralding the end for recruitment agencies. "Candidates are more than educated enough to deal directly with the employer who is looking to hire them; they don’t need to communicate via a third party. It just adds a day or two to the hiring process." So says Arran Stewart of Job.com who at some point in his career claims he was a recruitment consultant although it is absent from his LI profile.

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All this proves is that not all recruitment agencies operate in the same way. Yes, for those agencies who are no more than CV shifters I suspect the end will be nigh in the next 5 years. They add so little value that tech will replace them.

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It is adding value that both our clients and candidates look for. Not all agencies are perfect all the time, so blockchain will have that advantage as it's not open to human error.

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Yet it is our people that add the value and the key elements that tech currently can't compete with. Maybe Arran was a recruitment agent. The best recruiters are recruitment consultants. Aspire and other professional consultancies take the time to meet our clients to understand and interrogate their requirements. We advise on the state of the talent market and consult around the skills and competencies required for the role. Tech doesn't do that. In fact it's more likely that tech will encourage hiring managers into narrower talent silos of unrealistic wish lists.

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Tech doesn't negotiate, consultants do. Consultants meet candidates and don't just assess their skills. We seek out motivations, reasons for leaving roles and consult on potential new opportunities. Yes Tech can help assess skills but is likely to miss transferable skills as it won't have asked the right questions. Tech isn't the employer brand ambassador, it doesn't tell a story, paint the picture of the role, employer or hiring manager. It doesn't describe the workplace or the culture . It doesn't take feedback, prepare the candidate for interview or the other million amazing things a great recruitment consultant does do.

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We don't always get it right. We are human. Being human is our strength and why we help change peoples lives and improve organisational performance. We will buy your tech and apply it because we are highly valued and here to stay.