I’m seeing a big change in my global clients this year towards a very focused search strategy. Whereas most companies were using online job boards until recently, many are now cutting back. Applications have risen since the recession and even more so now as candidates are feeling safer about moving on, but many applications to online job postings are from candidates entirely unqualified for the roles on offer.

Organisations are instead relying on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn to find candidates, promoting their internal referral schemes and/or using specialist executive search companies who will go the extra mile to find the candidate who ticks all the right boxes – experience, skill set, values that match those of the company, personality that will gel with the current team and make a positive impression on clients, etc, before they are even put forward to the company – thereby saving the organisation a huge amount in time and resources.

As such companies are refining their processes, reducing the number of recruitment firms they are working with and are focusing on building strong relationships with 2 or 3 key recruitment/search companies to help them find the right people for the roles. McGraw Stone has benefitted from its speciality niche and seen a strong increase in the number of roles across its main client base.