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By and large, the less there is of any particular commodity, the more valuable it’s likely to be.

Think about gold. According to one online resource, all the gold mined since the days of the ancient Egyptians would fit in just over three Olympic-sized swimming pools. That doesn’t seem like much, especially considering that trade in the precious metal has been a worldwide affair since before 2000 BC. Yet, the pursuit of its riches has caused “yellow” fevers among countless numbers for generations, reshaping countries and communities around the globe to the present day.

The more has rarely equated to the merrier.

That said, the example carries a lesson for the hiring industry, which despite navigating a tight job market in the U.S., has been trending in the direction of increasing mining efforts for job applicants on a broad scale. In essence, “shoveling more applicants into the funnel” for consideration. That costs a lot of money for what would also seem like a small return on investment (only about 2 percent of submissions receive offers).

Diving into the deep end

Studies show that the majority of workers who moved on to new roles last year weren’t even looking. More often than not, they were lured away by companies who saw “passive candidates” as preferable to those actively searching the job boards. Of course, that brings a lot of different players into the fray—most of them ramping up submissions by volume—in the hopes that the ratios turn out favorably.

Not surprisingly, few make all that big of a splash.

Many employers fall prey to the same thinking, following the misguided notion that the more responses a job posting receives, the better the chances of finding their next all-star. Unfortunately, talent doesn’t bubble up to the top so predictably. By contrast, insiders now believe a more refined, strategically targeted search within a smaller pool of active professionals is the smarter way to go about digging.

Your best defense against claim-jumpers

On paper, finding the right candidate for the job should be a lot easier than it is. Energy and enthusiasm may be in ample supply, but even among college graduates, the skillsets aren’t translating on the job. Career readiness competencies in areas like problem-solving and work ethic—qualities deemed “absolutely essential” by companies across the country—just aren’t there with the regularity seen in previous decades.

Even those who sport the glitter of a shiny penny aren’t always going to fit the slot.

That’s yet another example of fool’s gold, as are the increased incidences of applicants “ghosting” their interviews, and even their start dates. Truth told, seeing big numbers come across the hiring desk may appear to suggest a high degree of desirability in your company, but filtering the good nuggets out of the slurry is hard work by any estimation. Likely not the reason any company begins the search in the first place.

Start your next expedition with CarterWill Search

If you’ve got the will to find professional office staffing solutions, particularly in the areas of finance, accounting, and information technology (IT), CarterWill Search has the way. Our team of experts is dedicated to identifying the perfect match for every position, every time.

Relationships are what really matter the most.

Over the years, employers of every stripe have turned to us for candidate screening and search efforts that put that precious commodity front-and-center. The difference brings the “best of the best” to the surface—predictably—turning the possibilities into probabilities with integrity, respect, and trust.

The Midas touch with staffing services is another way to put it.

Not necessarily gold in hand, but it does come standard.

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