Recruiting for strong SAP talent has been challenging of late. The IT job market is strong and the opportunities abound for qualified talent. Speaking from personal experience and close to 15 years of ERP recruiting background, SAP job opportunities are pouring in the door like never before. But, at the same time, SAP clients have become much more savvy than they were in the early 1990's.
The uniqueness of the recruiting services industry makes for its own challenges. We, of course, sell a product to a customer and that product has the ability to say 'no' to the sale.
From the candidates' perspective, the robust job market puts them in a position of strength when negotiating for an open position. Candidates can push the envelope with salary demands and can typically receive sign-on bonuses for accepting a position. They can also typically have the luxury of multiple opportunities to choose from. All aspects of the offer will matter, but cash is king. There used to be a larger focus on training, 401k and other benefits, but many times those perks are either expected or become secondary to the base compensation offer.
What is interesting about today's SAP job market that differs from the boon of the early 1990's is the in-house knowledge the clients have about their ERP systems and their willingness to be very choosy when it comes to whom they hire. Don't get me wrong. Clients have every right to wait for the perfect candidate to walk in the door. But that perfect person is a hard one to find.
The clients that look beyond just the words and experience on the resume are the ones that are able to grow their IT teams faster and with more agility. Those that take the time to understand a candidate's background and see the possibilities for advancement based on their potential on-the-job experience or involvement in future training classes can reap the rewards of the current SAP talent pool.
Another good article to read is called Recruiting the Top 1 Percent. Many companies state that they hire only the top 1 percent of available candidates. Well if I receive 1,000 resumes and hire 10 of those people, that's an easy claim to make. But who is to say that those 10 people are the best and the brightest? Finding the best talent for your company is not a numbers game. And many times it can't be handled like a human scavenger hunt. The best talent needs to be nurtured, respected and challenged.
