What Makes Mindspan Different?

Employer Brand

Technology and software industry leaders in Canada and the United States trust Mindspan to craft their story, provide executive presence and communicate their growth plans to an audience deluged by likes, dislikes, hashtags and trending. The payoff? Attracting high potential, high performance candidates whose personal values and career ambitions align with the employer value proposition. Great things happen when the employer value proposition aligns with an employee’s core beliefs, work ethic and career objectives. In a business which is equal parts art and science that is Mindspan’s differentiator. Business leaders overwhelmingly tell us that despite increasing investments in technology and recruiting resources, finding quality new hires is the single biggest obstacle to growth. Quality of hire … talk to our clients and they’ll say that Mindspan:

• Focuses on understanding the client’s business objectives. We know the technology sector and we understand business. Every discussion should be driven by your strategy, we’re worth talking to.
• Digs deep to understand your industry dynamics, competitive positioning, enterprise drivers, your real job needs and the growth opportunity a role offers. We use these as a guide to help determine fit around culture, skills and experience.
• Views corporate HR as a friend and ally, we both serve the same client in the hiring manager. Every search requires lots of interaction with the hiring manager. A partnership.
• Begins every search with a blank slate. Each search is unique and customized and is built using a performance-based hiring strategy.
• Develops trust with the candidates we engage on your behalf. We’re honest and consultative, not transactional. Candor is a word frequently used in these discussions.

Employer brand is the image you project in the market, the impression that lingers after every single interaction between your firm and the candidates you speak to. If your company measures employee engagement, you should pay extra attention to how internal and external recruiters represent you in the market, because they are your de facto brand ambassadors. A recent survey by consultancy Employer Brand International reported that about 85% of companies surveyed either do not have an employer branding strategy or it needs improvement. LinkedIn Global Talent Trends 2015 survey reported that over 80% of candidates say a negative interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they once liked. Think about that the next time you trust a junior recruiter or contingency search firm with an important search in a scarce market.

Candidate Experience

In the universe of potential candidates for a role you want to fill, over 70% are passive and not actively looking. Of those, the majority are satisfied with their current employer. As a recruiter you need to bring you’re “A” game when you approach a proven performer who is not looking to make a move. Mindspan’s communications strategy is to actively seek out these passive candidates. They may have jobs today but smart individuals think about their next move even if they’re not actively looking.

Mindspan engages and helps guide these smart people in career discussions. We help them distinguish between today’s job and tomorrow’s opportunity. We look for connection points between the role our client is looking to fill and the candidate’s career direction. Candidate experience is the result of thoughtful, measured discussions about an individual’s past accomplishments, aspirations, gaps in skills and experience and the path to achieving their goals. This is serious stuff and we take it seriously.