Our colleague Gizem is a recruiting expert. Her main task is end-to-end recruitment, including the consultancy for the hiring managers at clients, the development of job ads and benefits, judgment of CVs and candidates, interviews and preparation of contracts. She loves being responsible for clients' recruitment such as for Kenbi, Share or ProjectTogether.
„But recruiting becomes harder due to the shortage of skilled workers and therefore, it takes a longer time to fill roles“, says Gizem. „And this shortage will keep us busy for many years to come. That is why I am convinced that we have to rethink recruiting, be more innovative and bold.“
For Gizem, there needs to be a paradigm shift. In the future, the recruitment focus should be on "hire for attitude and train for skills" rather than looking for candidates with the 100 percent fitting expertise and work experience.
The shortage of skilled workers has reached a new high in Germany. In July, 49.7 percent of businesses were impacted. The shortage of skilled workers is already a burden for companies - and it can be assumed that more and more positions will not be filled in the future.
In addition, every vacant position costs money. And the longer a position is unfilled, the more expensive it becomes. Doesn't it make more sense to invest these costs in the further training of candidates who do not meet all professional requirements right from the start but show the right attitude? For Gizem, important attitudes that show potential are motivation, hands-on mentality, flexibility, eagerness for learning, communication skills, and teamwork.
If you decide for a different recruiting approach, it will open up new perspectives. For example: Career starters or career changers who do not fit perfectly to the job profile but have potential could also be options for vacancies. Of course, it has to be considered if the certain job position and the time investment allow it. But you also have to consider that juniors or career changers will earn less than senior professionals you were looking for. So some of the costs that flow into their training pay off.
Furthermore, this new approach will ensure more diversity in the team because focusing on various capabilities prevents stereotyped thinking and leads to more creative and innovative ideas. If you give lateral entrants or even older specialists a chance, this does not mean that they are second choice candidates. On the contrary, they will enrich the team in various ways and contribute to the further development and sustainability of the company.
„We at DONE!Berlin employ many career starters and career changers. Not all colleagues originally come from the People & Culture business, but from areas such as psychology, technology, design or law. But with the right on-boarding, training and leadership, these talents continue to develop into successful HR consultants“, says Gizem.
Outside of work, Gizem is interested in making music and playing the guitar. She has been playing the guitar for more than 10 years and music is a big part of her life. Gizem is listening to music many hours a day and also while working, music is essential for her. It helps her to calm down and concentrate. In addition, she follows the financial markets and is interested in the newest trends and opportunities in terms of investments.
