Learning the Sweet Spot of Timing in Recruiting
The goal of every hiring manager is, of course, to attract and procure quality hires. Unfortunately, technology, the quest for perfection, and indecision limit success. This time we take a look at best practices in attracting and procuring top talent.
Enjoy!
Gary
No matter what industry you read about, finding top talent is a challenge. In today’s fast-paced world, the goal of obtaining quality hires seems more and more difficult to achieve. The reality…it isn’t as hard as it seems. This time we take a look at some best practices in attracting and procuring top talent.
Email seems to be the preferred communication method for nearly everyone these days. However, it has become a double-edged sword. It is quick, easy, and allows interaction with anyone, anytime, anywhere from multiple devices. It can also become a huge headache when the inbox becomes full of solicitations, junk mail and spam.
When recruiting via email, it is important to understand what compels a potential candidate to actually read the email. This includes a personalized email with their name, spelled correctly, that addresses concerns within their specific industry. The message should not be too short or too long, but shows that the sender has taken the time to understand their pain. The pain could be work/life balance or better pay or benefits. All candidates are considered passive until proven otherwise.
The next logical step in the recruitment process is reviewing resumes. Resumes should be viewed as documents of possibility. There is no such thing as the “perfect” resume that leads to the “perfect” candidate. Perfection does not exist at this stage, but narrowing it down to three, maybe six, possibilities is absolutely achievable. Quality hires come with a specific set of skills that through mentoring, training and leadership become the perfect team member.
The art of converting a top candidate into a quality hire all depends on time. Too quick of a hiring process makes the company look desperate. Desperation is never a great impression. Too long of a process and the candidate becomes frustrated and often starts believing that this is what the culture of the firm might be (i.e. slow and indecisive). The best talent will also likely be exposed to what the competition has to offer and may not be available when you ultimately decide to hire him/her.
Just right looks different for each company and position, however, three to five interviews over a three week (four at most) time period is effective. If a decision can’t be made within this timeframe, it probably will never be made. This indicates that it is time to move on to the next person warming the bench. Once a decision is made, present the best compensation package to the candidate based on their skill level. Don’t “low ball” them and risk falling short just because you want wiggle room for a negotiating position. This is a stressful process for both hiring manager and candidate. Breakdown of efforts at this point does not serve either party.
Effective emails, realizing resumes are documents of potential, understanding that perfection does not exist, and timing decisions correctly will not only attract more top talent, but gain more quality hires. Next time we take a look at the concept of recruiting your existing team members.
Gary Vice is sought out by leaders in Software and Services who recognize the need to attract the industry’s best talent. Through Strategic Recruiting Partners’ extensive network of relationships, they are able to identify high level opportunities for well qualified candidates. To discover how this process can benefit your job search, simply reply to this email or call Gary at 469.402.4008.