Without getting into the concept of organisational design, and wowing you with probability theory and stats, here are five simple tips to help you and your company win the ‘pick me’ battle for the talent you want to hire. Whether the person you are looking for is a science, technology, engineering or financial services professional, or a receptionist to greet clients at the door, the principles remain the same.
1. Have a clear idea of what you’re looking for
Before you start hiring, you need to know what you’re looking for from a candidate, in terms of title, role and requirements. When preparing to communicate with a candidate, it’s important you have an understanding of the competitive market landscape for talent. It’s also worth having a gauge of variables that may affect your hire, such as skills, money, culture, alignment, technology, change and relationships. Knowing what will attract the best candidates, what the future would hold if they were to pick you, and also what may cause them to leave will help you deliver a compelling employee proposition to attract top talent.
2. Talent search internally
While you’re thinking about the perfect candidate for the role, you may actually find that the best match is sitting in your organisation today. Before casting the net far and wide to find your next hire, why not consider looking closer to home? One of the major benefits of hiring internally is that you know first-hand the reliability and skillset of your hire. It may be that you have the ideal candidate in your team and what you really need is someone to come in and replace their position. If you get a reputation for recognising talent in your organisation, you can use this to help attract external talent.
3. Decide how long you need your candidate for
It’s important to be direct with candidates in regards to opportunity, contract length and expectations. Whether you need someone for three months or three years, make sure you’re honest when making an offer. Hiring on the cheap or creating fictional permanent job specs can damage your employer brand – remember, this experience may be shared online. Give yourself a chance by making candidates aware of the options and opportunities available if they choose to work with you, be it on a permanent or contract basis. You’re likely to find highly engaged employees will be more loyal and productive.
4. Outline the career path your organisation can offer
Understandably, there’s a direct correlation between the level of commitment and energy employees bring to their work and the likelihood of them staying in their job and being more productive. Millennials in particular seem to get a bad reputation for a lack of loyalty, but a sure-fire way of inspiring motivation in all employees is to demonstrate the value that they add to your organisation. By outlining a tangible career path that benefits them and offers potential for a bright future ahead, your hire is much more likely to work hard, achieve high and in turn, benefit you.
5. Assign a sponsor
For every potential hire, you should outline a clear sponsor that the individual feels has an interest and influence on their career. It’s important the sponsor has clarity on what the new hire needs, what their role in the hiring process is (if they have a role) and, most importantly, what the candidate is expected to do once hired. If you can gain an understanding into the areas of working that are personally important to candidates, you can help them to achieve success.
Understanding the importance of your role in the hiring process can really make or break a hire. If you’re able to use these steps to affect and gain control of your recruitment drive, you could find yourself a candidate, help your business and achieve customer and employee satisfaction.
If you’d like to discuss the ins and outs of an effective recruitment process, or would just like some insight from our own experience of the ‘pick me’ battle for talent, then get in touch and my team and I at Progressive would be more than happy to advise you in more detail. For the latest news and industry insights, follow us on LinkedIn.
