During the latest edition of TruMontréal, held on November 21 in the glass-walled halls of Centech in Montreal, HR professionals shared their solutions for revitalizing recruitment functions. Some of these solutions are reminders of best HR practices, while others encourage thinking outside the box. Here are 4 projects to consider in 2025.
- Join a professional co-development group
This idea was raised during the workshop “Think outside the box… but in the box! Or how to be creative in your beige cubicle!”
“Sometimes, we feel isolated in our industry,” a participant remarked. “Wouldn’t it be possible to talk to other similar companies? For example, by asking: Are you innovating within your industry alongside your peers?”
At first, the workshop facilitator seemed skeptical of the idea:
“I really like the idea, but in recruitment, there are always fires to put out—someone resigns, replacements need to be planned, etc. So it’s rare that we have time to step back and seek information from competitors or colleagues in the industry.”
However, recruiters attending the workshop stepped in to support the participant, confirming that such collaboration is possible. Recruitment leaders from major state-owned corporations like Hydro-Québec and SAQ meet periodically to share best practices.
Professional circles also exist on LinkedIn. Companies within the same industry, but operating in different regions, share solutions for similar challenges. Reaching out to peers outside one’s organization seems like a good starting point for rethinking recruitment strategies.
- Challenge the manager’s needs
Throughout the TruMontréal workshops, one recurring theme was the importance of validating, clarifying, and even “challenging” the manager’s needs during the recruitment process. During the discussion “Growth, cuts, workload… the emotional rollercoaster,” a recruitment agency explained its approach to broadening its candidate pool.
“After an initial assessment of needs, we conduct benchmarking. We present 5 to 6 candidates, including profiles that slightly deviate from the stated requirements, to see how far the manager is willing to go. We try to remove the blinders they might have when describing the ideal candidate. This allows us to expand the recruitment pool, especially when the sought-after profile is very niche.”
- Revisit spontaneous applications
“What I find extraordinary are spontaneous applications,” said a talent acquisition director. “I always take the time to talk to these individuals to understand why they are interested in us. It’s often said that we hire for skills but fire for attitude and behavior. A person submitting a spontaneous application says a lot about their motivation and values.”
The director mentioned that she has repeatedly “played this card” when a manager presents their recruitment needs.
- Manage your Glassdoor profile
In a discussion on online presence (“Standing out online: the art of differentiated communication”), a recruiter expressed concern about how company branding can be affected on platforms like Glassdoor.
“Recruiters focus heavily on LinkedIn, but I think there are less traditional platforms being overlooked today that still impact our work. Reviews left on Glassdoor or Indeed can have either a positive or negative effect on recruitment. We can lose or gain a candidate.”
A talent acquisition specialist quickly responded with her experience managing Glassdoor profiles for companies.
“A page is automatically created as soon as someone wants to leave a review about an organization,” she noted. “When you claim the page, you can initiate a process to collect feedback from as many employees as possible, which leads to a more balanced portrait of the company. You can also engage in community management.”
Once a company takes control of its profile, it can respond to reviews left by users. Companies have every reason to do so because, according to Glassdoor, 62% of job seekers visiting the site are positively influenced when they see that a company responds to its critics.
These are four projects to start 2025 on the right foot.
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