Selecting professionals who best fit a job’s requirements is crucial for donors and non-profit organizations. COVID-19 has created an element of anxiety regarding the availability of jobs in the international development sector but, for ambitious and talented candidates, the challenges are simply obstacles to overcome. The same can be said for the DevelopmentAid Recruitment Solutions (DRS) team who opened the door for us to find out more about their work, struggles, and achievements and also to give experts some valuable insights on landing a dream job.
Read exclusive perceptions from a former DRS recruiter for International Projects.
What has been one of the most challenging projects you have been involved in?
One of the most challenging but interesting projects I’ve worked on was the recruitment of a candidate for the position of Indigenous People’s Officer for the Forest Stewardship Council. I had to identify an indigenous member from small communities of the Caribbean, based in Germany, who was willing to move to Panama. The candidate had to speak Spanish and know the way the community lived in the Caribbean. I got the chance to interview people from very small indigenous communities (National Toshaos Council, Amerindian People Association, etc.), I even made some friends on Facebook! Amazingly, I succeeded in providing the client with some good candidates
Identify three challenges you have faced as a recruiter during the pandemic
● Organizations were trying to retain their internal resources (both human/financial) and did not seek recruitment support
● Framework Contracts (FWC) slowed down in pace since most jobs were home-based with no travel
● Home-based/virtual missions became the norm and even now while recruiting, people are a little sceptical about traveling, giving being home-based as a condition of employment.
What is the most time-consuming element of the recruitment process for the international development sector?
Two things are pretty time-consuming and challenging: when searching for winning experts for FWC contracts, there is serious competition. In the same context, when you identify the candidate, the process of collecting work references (this is obligatory for long-term projects in the EU ) requires a lot of time. For example, I spent a month collecting 25 certificates from 25 different organizations that the expert had worked with throughout his career.
What are the three key questions you ask yourself when analyzing a CV?
● Is the CV/candidate relevant for the role in terms of his/her presented experience?
● Were his/her previous roles similar in comparison to what I am searching for?
● If selected, will he/she be able to undertake the job with the client I am working with?
What stage of the recruitment process do you prefer or find the most engaging?
I prefer searching for experts – and starting this as soon as I have all the necessary details to identify candidates (ToR for EU projects, and clear indications from the client for a Talent Shortlist).
What influences the success of the recruitment process in the development and humanitarian sectors?
It depends what type of positions you are recruiting for. For FWC projects it is important to target quickly because of the high level of competition but for long-term positions, qualitative searches and not rushing.
What differences are there in the recruitment process when it comes to short-term, long-term, and permanent positions?
For all, it is important to think about the quality of the delivered results when you get in touch with candidates. For a long-term position, you might have more time to undertake the research, one of the differences is that you can analyse the role you are recruiting for from different angles and focus on all the needs accordingly. This refers to permanent positions as well. For short-term consultancies, being pressed for time and by the competition, you have to target the requirements from the beginning.
Which have been the top five development sectors with the most demands during COVID-19?
Health, resilience, rural development, wash and conflict resolution
What makes DRS stand out in international development aid recruitment?
● Well-targeted on the areas to recruit for
● Strong internal database of experts and an extended pool of professionals in LinkedIn accounts
● Multi-focused and multi-tasked due to the diversity of provided services.
What proven tools do you use when looking for experts?
It depends on the role/position being recruited for. I prefer screening LinkedIn first. In many cases, I might remember similar previous roles and find a good candidate from the connections and/or recommendations. Also, of course, our internal database (Tenderwell. app) and DevelopmentAid. The last option – for difficult research – I screen Google, websites, etc. that are relevant to my search after exhausting all the other above-mentioned resources.
What top three pieces of practical advice would an international recruiter offer to those who are seeking a job?
● Prepare the CV/cover letter well by focusing them both on the job description
● Update your LinkedIn profile and/or any websites that are sources recruiters use to identify candidates
● If the recruiter asks for a call/short conversation, feel free to partake, it may break the ice before an official interview.
Find out more about the DevelopmentAid Recruitment Solutions (DRS) here.
