Frank, the Office Manager for a busy call center, has had the worst day!
He was already prepared for his top call representative’s last day before beginning a 3-month maternity leave to have her newborn child. However, what Frank wasn’t prepared for was when two other call representatives quit mid-shift the same day. Now, calls are backed up and customers are phoning him to state their grievances with the long wait periods.
Which hiring approach do you think Frank needs to implement with his recruitment team for future-ready hiring? If you guessed evergreen hiring, then you’re right!
Since he manages an office in a high-turnover industry, Frank and the recruitment team should work immediately to establish an evergreen applicant pool to quickly screen and interview candidates to onboard quickly. Traditional hiring with sponsored job posts is Frank’s only option to recover from turnover if no evergreen applicant pool exists.
This is the evergreen recruiting vs. traditional recruiting comparison and contrast every company should be doing if their current hiring methods are performing subpar. Let’s dive into the analysis.
Comparing Evergreen and Traditional Hiring Approaches
Completing a traditional recruitment comparison to evergreen hiring is crucial for choosing the best one for when it’s time to hire new talent.
What Is Traditional Recruiting?
Undergoing traditional hiring methods is more of a reactive approach to sourcing and onboarding candidates. The process begins when a vacancy happens within the organization.
The recruitment team posts job listings on the company website, job boards, social media platforms, and other websites to diversify candidate sourcing methods. Then, they source and screen candidates with applicant tracking system (ATS) features such as resume parsing. Finally, they conduct interviews, make the final candidate selection, and submit an employment offer to the applicant(s) of the company’s interest. Traditional recruiting is best for seasonal hires and one-time hires. The straightforward strategy allows companies to discover candidates on an as-needed basis.
What Is Evergreen Hiring?
Transitioning from traditional hiring to evergreen recruiting can be a huge jump if the recruitment team has never undergone this strategy before. It prioritizes ongoing hiring by having an evergreen job description posted to sourcing channels indefinitely to continuously gather applications.
From there, recruitment screens these applicants and divides them into talent pools so they can later reference them when vacancies arise. Hence, evergreen hiring encourages a steady flow of candidates into the talent pipeline that recruitment can draw from once it’s time to onboard new talent.
Evergreen Recruiting vs. Traditional Recruiting: Here Are the Best-Fit Scenarios
Review this chart to see how evergreen hiring and traditional recruitment methods match up based on various factors.
| Factor | Traditional Recruiting | Evergreen Recruiting |
| Best for | One-time hires or low-turnover industries. | High-turnover industries or continuously growing businesses. |
| Hiring speed | Slower. Hiring begins when a vacancy opens. | Faster. Pre-vetted candidates are ready to reach out for an interview. |
| Talent pipeline | Limited. Candidates are sourced as needed. | Broad and ongoing with a steady flow of candidates. |
| Cost efficiency | Lower upfront expenses, but delays can be costly. | Higher ongoing costs, but reduces urgent hiring expenses. |
| Management effort | Easier for short-term management | Requires continuous effort and engagement. |
The Bottom Line: Evergreen or Traditional?
Choosing the right recruitment strategy involves thoroughly evaluating your company’s hiring needs. Any business can adopt evergreen hiring practices to develop future-ready recruitment solutions for quicker selection and onboarding.
However, companies with high employee retention and fewer employees could still benefit from traditional hiring methods. It’s all about company size, workforce demands, and how many potential evergreen roles exist within your organization. While evergreen recruiting helps build a continuous talent pipeline, traditional hiring remains effective for specialized or infrequent roles.
Are you not sure which approach is best-suited for your organization? Reach out to one of our success managers for expert guidance on evergreen recruiting vs. traditional recruiting. Happy hiring!
