EP306 | Top things that recruitment agencies get wrong about IT

In episode 306, Wave CEO and Founder, Dave Jenkins sits down with Richard Caldicott of Caldicott Consulting to discuss the top things that recruitment agencies get wrong about IT. From robust CRM systems to the future impact of AI on the recruitment industry, this episode offers recruitment agency leaders answers to their tech stack, security, and common IT issues, and will help prepare you for the future. 

Here are our top 5 questions which their conversation answers. 

Are computer Viruses still a top threat in 2024? 

Since the beginning of the internet era, users have dreaded the infamous computer virus. However, after decades at the top spot of IT security issues, viruses are somewhat dated, with many security systems now able to identify and prevent breaches with relative ease. The reason for this is viruses are made up of code, so even when a new virus is made, it will share similar code to that of previous ones. This similarity enables protection software to identify those similarities and block the virus. While you should always be aware and cautious of suspicious downloads and files, if you have good protection software, you should be fine. 

What is 0-day exploit, and why does it matter? 

Every industry has its buzzwords, which to those outside of the industry would probably have zero idea what it means. To clarify, 0-day exploit is not the name of an upcoming movie (although that would be a good title), it is the length of time (days or hours) in which a hole in your security system or platform is identified to the time it is fixed.  

Dave has quite a good analogy for this: “So they realise you left the window open, and they all start piling in to take your stuff out”. 

But this is the reason why so much of our equipment and software, if accessible, is constantly updating with patches to help prevent people from exploiting these holes in the system. 

What is email deliverability and why is it so important to your agency? 

Email deliverability in its most basic form is where your email goes when it’s sent to an inbox e.g. the main inbox or the junk folder. It can’t be understated how important email deliverability is, with your recruitment fee on the line. In an industry where it’s the fastest finger first, if your candidate lands in the inbox of your client, while your competitor goes into their junk folder, you are more likely to land that interview or placement.  

Making sure your emails arrive in the right place isn’t just an IT issue, it’s a business issue, meaning that key email policies like your DKIM and DMARC shouldn’t be made by IT alone.

Why do you need to make cyber awareness training part of your onboarding process? 

Businesses face more cyber threats than ever before, whether it’s email, systems or software, our dependence on technology is critical to the running and success of every business. So, it is vital that your team should know what the risks are, how they might be presented to you and what you should do when a risk is identified. 

While you should adopt continuous training with your team, the easiest time to implement this training is during the onboarding process. Different members of your team will have different levels of awareness and knowledge of these threats, so offering this training early means every member of your team has a base level of knowledge which can be built upon with future training. 

What are Richard’s thoughts on AI in recruitment, and the future? 

It’s fair to say that most people have an opinion of AI, however, in reality, most are spouting hot air, however, Richard is not one of those people. With an understanding of IT and recruitment and how the two interact he believes that AI won’t take away jobs from those forming partnerships and relationships with their clients.  

However, transactional recruiters need to watch out. Richard suggests that AI can already do most of what a transactional recruiter does, but faster and often better, without the need to take sick days. However, for those who have deeper relationships which combine function with market knowledge and experience, AI has some way to go. 

About Richard Caldicott

With over 20 years IT experience and over 8 specifically in the recruitment sector, Richard is passionate about leveraging the power of technology to help recruiters and recruitment business work smarter not harder, providing end-to-end IT and Technology consulting.

Find out more here