It has been a long time since the talent pool for most professional jobs was as small as it is now, something all too familiar to Dave Murry of Cloud Talent. He has been recruiting for IT and engineering roles for 25 years and is fully aware of the talent acquisition problems those industries currently face. He shares the benefits of running your recruiting business on Reflik.
Few would disagree with the assessment of the extent and depth of change in recruitment happening right now. With unemployment at an all-time low in the US, it’s getting harder for businesses to recruit the right people for the right roles. As such, more companies are turning to recruiters to fill their roles and Reflik helps recruiters spend more time finding candidates and less time chasing new clients and jobs to work on.
We spoke to him about the struggles of recruiting for IT and engineering and how Reflik’s unique model helped move his business forward.
A Two-Year Veteran of Reflik
Dave Murry is not new to recruiting. As mentioned above, he has 25 years of experience in two critical STEM areas that have historically had skill shortages.
Dave Murry Owner, Cloud Talent
However, he is new to running his own recruitment business, which he started in 2017. Back then, it was just an idea to start up a side business that wouldn’t take up too much time or cause too much stress, detracting from his main role.
Luck would have it that Dave Murry quickly discovered Reflik. He was drawn to the new way of working, promising to harness the power of technology and the crowd to connect candidates to new roles. It wasn’t long before Dave realized that this was not an empty promise, that this was a genuine model for aiding the recruitment process. He was impressed that both the clients and jobs were real, no fillers, and no time wasters.
Reflik Streamlines Recruitment 
The clincher was the helpfulness, accessibility and knowledge base of the individual Account Managers that have proven critical in helping Dave get his side business off the ground. Before long, with the Reflik model proving true to its word and purpose, Dave came to rely on Reflik for his new venture. It is that personal relationship and knowledge that has really helped Cloud Talent understand the subtle nuances of the hiring process in the modern age.
With weekly meetings and engaging regularly with Reflik Account Managers, Dave was able to engage in a kind of “triage.” That is, understanding which roles needed filling as a matter of urgency before the position is vacant and which would possibly wait a little longer. The fast, efficient process and communication helped Dave Murry organize his time efficiently.
Dave explained that he would then pick a couple of roles and start sourcing for relevant candidates. Because of how Reflik works, he knows that when he finds a good candidate, there is a much higher chance of good quality engagement on this platform. The real advantage is that he doesn’t need to spend time on sourcing clients.
What is His Process? And What Other Tools Are Used?
Dave Murry’s process is elegantly simple. He starts by examining the target role and looking carefully at the business looking to hire. Next, he examines the main industry competitors and then targets those businesses in looking to make the next hire. It’s a straightforward tactic and when aided with Reflik’s careful and succinct approach to listing job requisitions, it is remarkably effective.
Reflik is undoubtedly a vital tool in Dave Murry’s hiring process and he uses a number of other well-known industry tools to enhance his recruiting process. Using Reflik’s platform in conjunction with LinkedIn Recruiter and CATS Application Tracking helps him achieve exactly what he wants to achieve. That, essentially, is all the technology that Dave says he needs to keep on top of applications and the hiring process.
Dave advises against paying for job postings as most of the time they are a waste of time and money. However, it still works for some people and in some industries.
The Benefits of Running your Business on Reflik? Reflik Inspires Growth
One of the main pieces of advice Dave offers to new recruiters is to be honest with potential clients. In the long run, it can be better to turn down a job you won’t be able to fill and maintain trust, rather than take a job that you won’t have the experience to fill and creating a disappointing scenario. He always brings up Reflik, to both new recruiters and those with more experience, as a great opportunity to expand their access to job orders.
Regardless of where you are in terms of experience, Reflik helps recruitment professionals take their business to the next level. In Dave Murry’s own words, “Reflik is a vital and accessible revenue channel and always a great spot to place candidates.”
Even when searching for candidates for his own clients, Dave will turn to Reflik if he cannot place a candidate.
As a final thought, he wrapped up by saying that “Reflik is not a place to throw mud on the wall and see what sticks.” That’s an old method of working becoming increasingly irrelevant as we head into the 2020s. As the unemployment rate drops, it is becoming less efficient and recruiting businesses are less impressed with the scattergun approach, which wastes their time and the candidate’s time.
By submitting quality candidates to Reflik’s clients, and treating the platform as the client, your recruiting reputation will grow, along with rapport, and ultimately, your revenue.
Full Interview: Dave Murry, Owner of Cloud Talent
Please give us an overview of your recruiting career. How many years have you been recruiting?
I have been recruiting over 25 years, the vast majority of that time in IT and Engineering.
How did you find Reflik and how long have you been working on the platform?
Before I started my own firm I was looking for a way to make some money on the side that didn’t involve too much time. I think it’s been a little over 2 years that I’ve been working on the platform.
What do you like most about this platform?
The clients are real, the jobs are real, and Reflik is true to their word and their purpose. And I’ve found the account managers to be accessible and knowledgeable.
How has Reflik helped streamline your recruiting process?
Between the weekly meetings and talking to account managers, I get a good sense of urgency for various roles, I pick a couple and start sourcing, knowing that when I find a good candidate I’ll get activity. I can have confidence that Reflik is on top of the client-side of the process so I don’t need to spend time on it.
When it comes to candidate sourcing, do you have any favorite techniques or tools that have helped you fill multiple roles on the platform?
I generally like to search for current employees in the target role, see where they came from, who are the competitors and then go target those firms.
Do you have suggestions for any low-cost tools for those with limited budgets?
I’m the cheapest guy on the planet (ask my wife), I only use LinkedIn Recruiter Lite ($1200/yr) and CATS for my ATS which is $99/mo and is by far the best ATS I’ve ever used. I don’t pay for any other tools and I have not found the full LI Recruiter tool to be useful, nor have I found paying for any job postings to be worth it. I know I may be in the minority there.
What advice do you have for recruiters looking to step out on their own as an independent recruiter or start their own agency?
Don’t try to be all things to all people. Stay in the space you know and don’t be afraid to tell someone you can’t fill their role if it’s not in your wheelhouse.
How has working on Reflik contributed to the growth of your recruiting business?
Reflik is a revenue channel that is always accessible and a viable spot to place candidates. On top of obviously just recruiting for Reflik clients and generating revenue that way, when I’m sourcing for my own clients and I find good candidates who don’t fit the search I always look at Reflik to see if I can find a spot to place them.
What additional tips or tricks can you share for recruiters and agencies that are new to using Reflik?
Reflik is not a place to throw mud on the wall and see what sticks. That generally doesn’t work with any client and it doesn’t work with Reflik. Treat Reflik like your own client and present quality. It’s no different than your own client – you will gain a good reputation and rapport with them and revenue will follow.
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