The New Dictionary of Hiring

Recruiting Gravity

/RI-KROO-TING GRAV-UH-TEE/

NOUN

Recruiting Gravity is an employer's ability to draw the right people toward it instead of relying entirely on outbound pursuit.

MEANING

If nobody has a reason to choose you, recruiting is all push. More outreach, more ads, more follow-ups, more agencies. Create enough preference and some people start coming toward you. They return calls, mention your name and seek out jobs before you've asked them to.

‍

Recruiting Gravity doesn't mean you can fire the recruiters and wait for applications to fall from the sky. It means your recruiters don't have to create every bit of interest themselves.

Defined by:
James Ellis,
Employer Brand Labs

Category:

The Talent Market

Related Terms:

→

Share of Consideration

→

Preference Dividend

→

Talent Demand Creation

→

Indifference Tax

MAKE THE CHANGE

Instead of:

Assuming more outbound effort is the only way to increase hiring.

Ask:

How much easier would recruiting become if more of the people we wanted already wanted us?

EXAMPLE

A recruiter can spend weeks chasing reluctant prospects, or begin a search with people who already follow the company, know its work and have asked to hear about openings.

HOW TO USE IT

Look at where qualified interest comes from before heavy outbound effort begins. Invest in the stories, relationships and reputation that draw relevant talent toward the company over time.

SAY IT TO LEADERSHIP

Our recruiters shouldn't have to manufacture all the interest themselves. If we build a reputation the right people care about, every critical search starts a little further ahead.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH

Share of Consideration: Recruiting Gravity is how far the right people come to you on their own; Share of Consideration is how many of them would take your call at all.