Monday, March 23, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
The 7 Deadly Sins of Staffing
Those involved with the Staffing function know you are only as good as your last search.
Good recruiters are constantly trying to meet hiring manager’s goals of speed, cost and quality. It’s a tough business and recruiters want to please. With that said, we have all led an awful search. It could be not meeting the time frame; not receiving return calls from candidates; the hiring manager just didn’t have the time to interview for a month and it dragged out. Or the hiring manager just wants to see 10 more candidates and we permitted it. We have all committed some sin along the way. Here are some tips to manage the Staffing process and create a better relationship between you and the hiring manager.
1. If you don’t get the right information upfront prior to recruiting, you have sinned.
OK that might sound basic but most hiring managers have a preconceived notion of what recruiting activities take place and also assume the job can be filled in two weeks. I have experienced many a hiring manager who had one or two openings a year and could care less about the interview process. They just don’t hire that frequently!
Tip: You have to set the stage. Get a meeting or a phone call with the hiring manager that focuses on your approach for recruiting the highest quality of candidate. Explaining can be painful, but you must. Finding the most qualified candidate would take more than two weeks. (Unless you have candidates waiting in the wings.) Are they more interested in filling the “seat” or finding the most ideal candidate? Also clarify the “must have” skills: what is essential. Most hiring managers have a “big want” but in the end will flex on the “must have’s”. Most of the time, get market data to ensure the hiring manager is aware of what is happening in the marketplace relating to that particular job. I have not met a manager who didn’t want to know what was going on in the marketplace. I also haven’t met a Manager that wants a “B” player. They all want “A” players and need to know what that actually entails. I always assume I have to educate the hiring manager. Educate, educate and educate some more. You are the recruiting teacher to many. Gather as much information about the position, the department nuances, and timing. You can’t communicate enough with the hiring manager.
2. If you don’t have passive candidates in the pipeline, you have sinned. Recruiters must have their own library of potential candidates for their hiring manager. Recruiters must be able to identify individuals and develop candidate relationships.
Tip: Set up your own personal way of managing your network. There are many off the shelf tools that can assist you with managing candidates or networking contacts, phone number etc. I have always called this my library. You might check out a
candidate for one position and leverage them to another later if not a current match. If you are not use to candidate identification, then utilize a name gen (research) company or subscribe to identification tools. Hiring managers normally don’t have a problem paying for competitive intelligence when it comes to filling their open position. They have great curiosity of knowing the names in the roles at the competition. You could also attend industry events and conferences relating to the business. Schmooze. Get industry publications and read the appropriate association newsletters. Follow the leaders in other organizations and start targeting them as potentials for the future. At least they will be great for referrals!
3. By keeping the job description and posting boring, you have sinned. We all hate “those” job descriptions due to the fact they really don’t tell you what you really will be doing each day. Plus they are too long to read. It never fails that the last person in the role had different skills than what you are hiring for today.
Tip: Highlight what skills or experiences are needed in the old molding job description. Highlight just the short phrases or key words. This helps you jump start the recruitment discussion with the hiring manger. Ask many questions. Why would someone want this job? What did the last employee bring to this role? What will make this person successful in this role? What will the new person actually do on a daily basis? What can we deliver to the new employee that would make them feel like they are contributing? What is the career path? What skills will help you, the hiring manager, be successful. You get the idea. Now you are ready to post. Be creative. If you want to avoid this posting activity, there are companies out there that will post for you. And if you want to learn about branding (posting) these jobs, most of the big Internet boards will train you.
4. You have sinned if you only use job boards. It has been proven by many sources there is a big disconnect between where we post and how candidates find positions. Using job boards alone creates a huge influx of resumes that drives up the time to fill, as well as burn many a recruiter out. This doesn’t mean to ignore job boards.
Tip: Investigate the job board prior to posting. Has it generated a ROI in the past? Has the board proven to you that you have received quality resumes? Be selective with the strategy that you use for job postings. Focus only on those that gave you the quality candidate. Use other sources to find the candidates. Leverage your networks and information gathered from publications. Don’t forget about employee referrals as well.
Sourcing sometimes requires some experimentation.
5. By keeping the candidate waiting, you have sinned. After it’s all said and done, many are not respecting the candidate’s time. By not following up and not managing the interview day (manager’s cancellations or rearranging the recruitment process) sends the wrong message to your candidates.
Tip: Explain to the candidate the time schedule of the search. If it’s going to take you three weeks to get back to the candidate for disposition, so be it. Just let them know your process. If the interview schedule changes, let the candidates know it.
Did you ask prior to the interviews who might be able to be a substitute interviewer if someone bails out? Can this substitute make a hiring decision along with the others?
If no one is available, do you have a room set up for the candidate to make phone calls to their office or hook up to do emails? Do you have a key contact for sheparding the candidate throughout the interview day? It’s great to have substitutes and a place where everyone knows where to find the candidate. Make the candidate feel important. Respect their time. Provide the candidate with realistic timeline for continued follow-up. Determine who is responsible for the post-interview follow-up along with the offer process.
6. By not keeping the candidates warm and engaged through the entire recruitment process, you have sinned. To keep the candidates engaged, all parties involved with the recruitment process should be marketing and selling not only the job opportunity, challenge, impact to the organization, but also the company in general.
Tip: Recognize that there is a difference between representing the organization positively and selling. Coach the hiring manager on screening as well as selling during the interview process. Make sure those that are interviewing should listen for objections and other factors that could cause a concern by the candidate. Proactively answer these concerns and if you don’t have the answer, indicate that you will get it for them. And get it! Some companies have the screening done by two to four company representatives and one of those individuals is responsible for selling. Ask yourself if you are portraying the position accurately and will the candidate understand the value proposition. Don’t bend the truth. The entire search process should be conducted with enthusiasm! I actually had one candidate call me back and say that the company really didn’t need her. She described her interview as pleasant but didn’t understand why there was an opening or the forthcoming challenges. Actually, at the end of the day, she didn’t understand why we were recruiting for the position. Make sure someone is selling the opportunity effectively.
7. If you don’t include the hiring manager with the onboarding activities, you have sinned. The hiring manager must understand the onboarding process starts at the beginning of candidate identification. A friend of mine explained that it should be at the front end of the search process. She is right!
Tip: Ask about onboarding with the hiring manager when you are starting the search. In your very first conversation, ask about how he/she would be assimilated to the department. What performance goals will be expected during the first 6 months for the new employee? What tools need to be aligned for appropriate assimilation? Will there be a mentor assigned or a “buddy?” It should be understood that even after a candidate has accepted a position, keep communicating with them. The hiring manager must be involved with ensuring the job offer is reinforced and that all are excited about them joining the new department team.
In summary, if you can eliminate some sins in the recruitment process, you will have a better outcome. I am not saying there won’t be some stinker searches or hiring managers that “just don’t get it.” If you can work with the tips above, it might make your life easier. Continue improving your approach, your search process, the candidate relationships, and your partnership with the hiring manager. In the end, you are still only as good as your last search.
Good recruiters are constantly trying to meet hiring manager’s goals of speed, cost and quality. It’s a tough business and recruiters want to please. With that said, we have all led an awful search. It could be not meeting the time frame; not receiving return calls from candidates; the hiring manager just didn’t have the time to interview for a month and it dragged out. Or the hiring manager just wants to see 10 more candidates and we permitted it. We have all committed some sin along the way. Here are some tips to manage the Staffing process and create a better relationship between you and the hiring manager.
1. If you don’t get the right information upfront prior to recruiting, you have sinned.
OK that might sound basic but most hiring managers have a preconceived notion of what recruiting activities take place and also assume the job can be filled in two weeks. I have experienced many a hiring manager who had one or two openings a year and could care less about the interview process. They just don’t hire that frequently!
Tip: You have to set the stage. Get a meeting or a phone call with the hiring manager that focuses on your approach for recruiting the highest quality of candidate. Explaining can be painful, but you must. Finding the most qualified candidate would take more than two weeks. (Unless you have candidates waiting in the wings.) Are they more interested in filling the “seat” or finding the most ideal candidate? Also clarify the “must have” skills: what is essential. Most hiring managers have a “big want” but in the end will flex on the “must have’s”. Most of the time, get market data to ensure the hiring manager is aware of what is happening in the marketplace relating to that particular job. I have not met a manager who didn’t want to know what was going on in the marketplace. I also haven’t met a Manager that wants a “B” player. They all want “A” players and need to know what that actually entails. I always assume I have to educate the hiring manager. Educate, educate and educate some more. You are the recruiting teacher to many. Gather as much information about the position, the department nuances, and timing. You can’t communicate enough with the hiring manager.
2. If you don’t have passive candidates in the pipeline, you have sinned. Recruiters must have their own library of potential candidates for their hiring manager. Recruiters must be able to identify individuals and develop candidate relationships.
Tip: Set up your own personal way of managing your network. There are many off the shelf tools that can assist you with managing candidates or networking contacts, phone number etc. I have always called this my library. You might check out a
candidate for one position and leverage them to another later if not a current match. If you are not use to candidate identification, then utilize a name gen (research) company or subscribe to identification tools. Hiring managers normally don’t have a problem paying for competitive intelligence when it comes to filling their open position. They have great curiosity of knowing the names in the roles at the competition. You could also attend industry events and conferences relating to the business. Schmooze. Get industry publications and read the appropriate association newsletters. Follow the leaders in other organizations and start targeting them as potentials for the future. At least they will be great for referrals!
3. By keeping the job description and posting boring, you have sinned. We all hate “those” job descriptions due to the fact they really don’t tell you what you really will be doing each day. Plus they are too long to read. It never fails that the last person in the role had different skills than what you are hiring for today.
Tip: Highlight what skills or experiences are needed in the old molding job description. Highlight just the short phrases or key words. This helps you jump start the recruitment discussion with the hiring manger. Ask many questions. Why would someone want this job? What did the last employee bring to this role? What will make this person successful in this role? What will the new person actually do on a daily basis? What can we deliver to the new employee that would make them feel like they are contributing? What is the career path? What skills will help you, the hiring manager, be successful. You get the idea. Now you are ready to post. Be creative. If you want to avoid this posting activity, there are companies out there that will post for you. And if you want to learn about branding (posting) these jobs, most of the big Internet boards will train you.
4. You have sinned if you only use job boards. It has been proven by many sources there is a big disconnect between where we post and how candidates find positions. Using job boards alone creates a huge influx of resumes that drives up the time to fill, as well as burn many a recruiter out. This doesn’t mean to ignore job boards.
Tip: Investigate the job board prior to posting. Has it generated a ROI in the past? Has the board proven to you that you have received quality resumes? Be selective with the strategy that you use for job postings. Focus only on those that gave you the quality candidate. Use other sources to find the candidates. Leverage your networks and information gathered from publications. Don’t forget about employee referrals as well.
Sourcing sometimes requires some experimentation.
5. By keeping the candidate waiting, you have sinned. After it’s all said and done, many are not respecting the candidate’s time. By not following up and not managing the interview day (manager’s cancellations or rearranging the recruitment process) sends the wrong message to your candidates.
Tip: Explain to the candidate the time schedule of the search. If it’s going to take you three weeks to get back to the candidate for disposition, so be it. Just let them know your process. If the interview schedule changes, let the candidates know it.
Did you ask prior to the interviews who might be able to be a substitute interviewer if someone bails out? Can this substitute make a hiring decision along with the others?
If no one is available, do you have a room set up for the candidate to make phone calls to their office or hook up to do emails? Do you have a key contact for sheparding the candidate throughout the interview day? It’s great to have substitutes and a place where everyone knows where to find the candidate. Make the candidate feel important. Respect their time. Provide the candidate with realistic timeline for continued follow-up. Determine who is responsible for the post-interview follow-up along with the offer process.
6. By not keeping the candidates warm and engaged through the entire recruitment process, you have sinned. To keep the candidates engaged, all parties involved with the recruitment process should be marketing and selling not only the job opportunity, challenge, impact to the organization, but also the company in general.
Tip: Recognize that there is a difference between representing the organization positively and selling. Coach the hiring manager on screening as well as selling during the interview process. Make sure those that are interviewing should listen for objections and other factors that could cause a concern by the candidate. Proactively answer these concerns and if you don’t have the answer, indicate that you will get it for them. And get it! Some companies have the screening done by two to four company representatives and one of those individuals is responsible for selling. Ask yourself if you are portraying the position accurately and will the candidate understand the value proposition. Don’t bend the truth. The entire search process should be conducted with enthusiasm! I actually had one candidate call me back and say that the company really didn’t need her. She described her interview as pleasant but didn’t understand why there was an opening or the forthcoming challenges. Actually, at the end of the day, she didn’t understand why we were recruiting for the position. Make sure someone is selling the opportunity effectively.
7. If you don’t include the hiring manager with the onboarding activities, you have sinned. The hiring manager must understand the onboarding process starts at the beginning of candidate identification. A friend of mine explained that it should be at the front end of the search process. She is right!
Tip: Ask about onboarding with the hiring manager when you are starting the search. In your very first conversation, ask about how he/she would be assimilated to the department. What performance goals will be expected during the first 6 months for the new employee? What tools need to be aligned for appropriate assimilation? Will there be a mentor assigned or a “buddy?” It should be understood that even after a candidate has accepted a position, keep communicating with them. The hiring manager must be involved with ensuring the job offer is reinforced and that all are excited about them joining the new department team.
In summary, if you can eliminate some sins in the recruitment process, you will have a better outcome. I am not saying there won’t be some stinker searches or hiring managers that “just don’t get it.” If you can work with the tips above, it might make your life easier. Continue improving your approach, your search process, the candidate relationships, and your partnership with the hiring manager. In the end, you are still only as good as your last search.
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