Five Steps to Better Recruiting Outcomes
Backed up by varying degrees of commitment and execution, most organizations still loudly profess that, “People are our most important asset.” And, in a little less ideological plane, most seem content with the assertion that hiring decisions are among the most important decisions that any manager makes in the course of their career.
That leaves us with a burning question: If those two conditions are true, why do we perform so miserably when it comes to sourcing, screening, selecting, and signing talent… the right talent?
Really. Why do we hire so many people who are in deep water even before their interview haircut needs to be revisited? How do we manage to find so many people whose internal compass points 90 degrees or more from that of the organization? Why didn’t we see it? Why didn’t they? And, just as the job market is moving from the “Warm” to the “Low” heat setting, why are so many organizations whining about a mostly non-existent talent shortage? In a word, it has to do with recruiting fundamentals, specifically the lack thereof.
Spend just a short while reviewing the current literature on employment and you run into a lot of pieces about maintaining and improving your employer brand, and posts which remind us that the great ‘War for Talent’ isn’t over. Those are both important topics, indeed I’ve written about them, but in so many cases that’s tantamount to putting the cart before the horse when our recruiting fundamentals are in disrepair. A few thoughts that could lead to better outcomes:
Teach managers how to do it.
Every week, hundreds, if not thousands of people are thrust into management positions, at all levels, for the first time in their lives. Other than what learning comes from just going out there and mucking about, virtually none of them are trained, either before or after accepting the assignment, on things like candidate sourcing, screening, interviewing, or selection methods - things that lead to those ‘most important’ decisions. It’s as if we’re assuming that people come out of the box with this stuff pre-installed. And we’re all born with the skills to perform brain surgery, too.
Be deliberate and methodical about your processes.
Too few organizations follow a cogent, discernible process when it comes to recruiting. Start with making recruiting an ongoing (as in constant, full-on) responsibility for most managers. Think about it… What are the odds of the ideal candidate having an opening in their dance card at the exact moment that you have a vacancy that fits them? Absent a pipeline of leads (candidates), when faced with an opening, our judgment is quickly compromised as we become singularly focused on putting butts in seats. We all know how that ends.
Constantly re-examine your candidate sources. Invest in them. Keep them fresh and informed. Not unlike a skilled fisherman, be willing to get out of the main channels and look in the quiet pools and back eddies for talent. Keep your lure in the water, and remember that great talent doesn’t flock. You have to find them one at a time.
It should go without saying that your interviewing process should be as thoughtful as it is rigorous, for both parties. Converse more, interrogate less. Ask better questions, and having done so, have the good sense to shut up and listen, really listen. Be a lot better prepared than you likely are today. If the first time you look at a candidate’s resume is five minutes before the scheduled interview, you’re about to waste their time and yours.
Look for ‘Fit’ Before Job Qualifications
The vast majority of people who fail in a job do so not because of a lack of talent, but because by virtue of pace, preference, values, style, or temperament, they don’t fit the organization. This occurs in much the same way that a human body ‘rejects’ a transplanted organ where the match between the donor and receiver is not close enough.
Our recruiting efforts should usually start with the premise that there are likely more technically qualified candidates in the field than people who fit the organization. There is another reason for doing it in this order, one that involves the aforementioned judgment failures. When presented with a candidate whose position qualifications are superb (e.g., a baseball 3rd baseman with good glove skills, quickness, a strong throwing arm, and big bat), we find it all too easy to overlook the fact that they are totally self-centered and a cancer in the locker room. We see the shiny bauble and we want it, now.
Be Candidate Friendly
Build your processes and back them up with behaviors that would be in place if you were seeking volunteers, rather than paid hands. Every interaction with a candidate, in person or otherwise, needs to be thoughtful, responsive, polite, and embracing. Lose the typical “I’ve got what you want” recruiter attitude, and replace it with a mindset which understands that job candidates, even unsuccessful ones, still have the potential to be brand ambassadors, referral sources, and yes, customers.
Measure the results, and reward performance
Lastly, if you really want to move the needle, it is essential to measure and reward each manager’s performance in the staffing area. How long does it take them to fill position vacancies with solid people? How well do their new hires perform in both the short and long term? What are their recruiting costs? Are they paying appropriate attention to diversity interests? Are they a talent magnet that attracts or repels great talent? Pardon the repetition, but if these are truly the most important decisions your managers are making, their bonus targets need to reflect that.
Those are my views. If you are proud of your organization’s recruitment / selection processes and have something to share, we’d love to hear from you.
Bill Catlette is an executive coach, conference speaker, and advisor to management on leadership and workforce matters. Bill@ContentedCows.com