Recruiting Philosophy

 Chapter Five - Recruiting
Part One: Recruiting Philosophy

A good employee recruitment process is at the heart of every effective strategic staffing model. The new economy is forcing companies to look at recruiting differently. Recruiting can no longer be treated as a random act. Recruiting needs to be a habit, it needs to be a process, and it needs to be part of the strategic planning process to be successful.

In the new economy, there is the additional problem of having more candidates. There are far more people looking for jobs and responding to ads and postings. Attracting candidates is not the problem. Attracting good candidates is the problem and is getting more difficult. As a result, the approach to recruiting needs to change.

There are two categories of recruiting. The first is reactive recruiting. This is where the recruiting process does not begin until an open position is identified. This kicks off a flurry of activity and includes throwing a lot of time, effort and money at attracting candidates.

The second type of recruiting is proactive. Proactive recruiting is where the process of identifying and attracting new talent is ongoing. If talent is the lifeblood of the business, constant effort needs to be applied to attracting the best. Recruiting cannot be a random act.

This is a paradigm shift in thinking. Don’t just recruit when there is an open position. Be proactive with all the recruiting activities. The hunt for top talent should be a never-ending process.

The goal of an effective recruiting program is to attract top players. It is not as simple as building a cadre of candidates. Top talent always has to be the focus.

To attract top players, the recruiting process needs to be geared toward building relationships. It takes a lot more than a clever ad or job posting to attract the “A” players. To attract the best, relationships need to be developed. It is critical to discover win-win deals if you are going to put a deal together.

Here is an example of the importance of relationships in recruiting. You are at a cocktail party and begin a conversation with a stranger. The third sentence out of your mouth is, “Hey, do you want to work for my company?” The person is going to think you are out of your mind. This is the equivalent of fly-by recruiting.

The opposite is to take time to establish a relationship. Learn a little about the person. Share some information about yourself. Once a mutual interest is established, it is possible to cultivate a relationship.

In translating this scenario to recruiting for a company the only difference is instead of a one-to-one relationship it is one-to-many. Effective recruiting necessitates cultivating relationships with many people simultaneously. This may seem to be a problem, but the great news is there is a solution. It is technology, and specifically, it is your website. This is the perfect medium to share information and begin the relationship building process.

The currency of the recruiting relationship is information. The person needs information about the company and position. You need information about the person, their background, behaviors and experience.

Using a website as part of the recruiting process provides a number of benefits. First, there is no limit to the amount of information that can be shared. And, there is no additional cost to adding more information. The web provides the opportunity to employ multiple delivery modes including print, audio and video. A well designed recruiting website provides the ability to establish relationships on a one-to-many basis. The foundation of an effective recruiting program includes a purpose-built website.

Quick note: The website does not need to be standalone. It can be the employment section of your company site.

Here are a couple of key ingredients in an effective recruiting website.

First, tell your story. Take as long as necessary. Consider including:

• The history of the company.
• Key company achievements.
• Financial achievements and successes.
• Employee benefits.
• The size of the company and the number of employees.
• The advantages of working for your company.
• And anything else the potential candidate might find useful.

Another key part of an effective recruiting website should be testimonials.

Most people think of testimonials strictly as a product endorsement. Testimonials don’t need to be restricted to satisfied customers. What about satisfied employees? This is a great use of a testimonial?

The other beautiful thing about using a recruitment website is both audio and video are simple to incorporate. Consider including audio and video testimonials from satisfied employees. Have them share the reasons they came to work for the company. Have them share the reasons the company is a good place to work. Have them share successes. Think of all the possibilities.

Recruiting is no longer restricted to just the written word. A video tour of your plant can be powerful. The company’s products and services can be explained in great detail via audio or video.

The philosophy of recruiting needs to change for the new economy. No longer is it effective to be reactive. The new goal is to attract the best people and begin a relationship. Use a recruiting website to take advantage of the wide variety of ways to deliver the message.