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Fishing for Prized New Hires
Active
and passive job seekers
There are two kinds of fish in the
pond—those who are hungry and those who will only go after the most
enticing bait. In other words, you can readily attract the attention of
the unemployed (or those eager to leave their current jobs), but they
often are not be the best fit for your needs. The pool of qualified active
job seekers is at an unprecedented low. To have a well-rounded recruiting
program, you need to dangle your hook in front of the gainfully employed
as well as those already looking. This requires using different methods in
addition to what you have used predominantly to date (i.e., classified and
internet advertising).
What
people are looking for
So
what kind of bait will attract the discriminating, passive job seeker? In
his book Keeping Good People, Roger Herman offers the five
principal reasons why people voluntarily leave their jobs. Turn them
around and you have five key factors in attracting new hires to your
company:
u
Be
part of something meaningful.
There is a strong desire in most people to be part of a larger mission, to
make a significant contribution toward a goal that they could not attain
on their own. Companies that have a strong sense of vision and purpose
have a real advantage in attracting good employees. Candidates want to
know specifically where the firm is headed, and how they can help it get
there.
u
Feel
valued for their contribution.
People are attracted to companies that make them feel important. The
better defined their new role in the organization, the easier it is to
envision how they can add value. This is one advantage of
performance-based hiring, where the candidate is matched to specific goals
and outcomes rather than selected simply on the basis of credentials.
Workers are also attracted to managers and supervisors who take a personal
interest in them.
u
Work
in a flexible, friendly environment.
More than ever before, workers are seeking to balance professional and
personal needs. They don’t mind hard work, but they want the freedom to
pursue other priorities outside of work. Flexible hours and
family-friendly policies are becoming increasingly important. Today’s
worker also values community in the workplace, being able to get along and have common interests with coworkers.
u
Have
opportunity for professional growth and advancement. The notion of a long-term career with a given company is no longer the
norm. Workers today change jobs more frequently, in large part to speed
their professional development. They are drawn to companies that present
clear opportunities for advancement and training. They want to know
specifically what it will take to get to the next level.
u
Be
compensated fairly.
Money is seldom the top factor in taking a new job, but it is always
an important consideration. Candidates increasingly know what the market
will bear for someone of their qualifications, and are readily turned off
by below-average offers. Wages in our business also tend to be lower than
comparable positions in other industries. This places you at a substantial
disadvantage in competing for the limited number of good candidates that
are available.
Continuous
recruiting is needed
Given the current labor shortage, you must be constantly on
the lookout for good people regardless of job openings. And every
employee should be encouraged to join in the search. Company resources
that will aid in this effort include:
u
Recruiting
database. You
should consider creating a database for compiling information on
prospective candidates for future job openings. This database should
be accessible to all employees, who are continually encouraged to help
fill and update it. The database should include:
-
All referral sources. These include individual contacts at organizations and universities that serve your profession, as well as clients.
-
Those who have sent resumes that meet your general hiring criteria.
-
Engaging conference and seminar speakers, and others you meet that seem to possess special capabilities and knowledge.
-
People recommended by your employees, such as former coworkers, college buddies, etc.
Companies that maintain a strong recruiting database are able
to fill as many as 50% of their openings from this source, according to
Zweig White & Associates.
u
Employee
referral bounty.
Offering employees cash or other kinds of rewards for referring
individuals who are eventually hired has become common across most
industries, including ours. If your firm hasn’t adopted this practice,
you are placing yourselves at a disadvantage in the competition for
people. Bounty amounts vary widely but should be sufficient to attract
employee participation (in defining bounties, keep in mind how much a
headhunter would cost you for the same new hire). A bounty program is not
intended to “buy” employee involvement in your recruiting effort.
Rather, it serves as added incentive to employees who are hopefully
primarily motivated to help for the good of the company.
u
Recruiting
oriented website.
Nearly all firms design their websites with a client marketing focus. But
research indicates that clients rarely visit our sites. The most common
visitors are (1) competitors, (2) job seekers, and (3) headhunters, in
that order. So why not design your site with a recruiting emphasis, since
that message is more likely to resonate with those who visit it? (Keep in
mind that competitors are also potential employees.) Of course, your site
can serve dual purposes, appealing to both prospective hires and potential
and existing clients. But the recruiting message should prevail, which
immediately will distinguish your website from your competitors.
u
Recruiting
trade shows.
Similarly, you might consider exhibiting at trade shows or conferences
where many of your competitors (and prospective employees) will be
attending. Rather than the typically client-oriented exhibit, make yours
more recruiting oriented. If you present the attractive messages mentioned
earlier, you might be surprised how much interest you’ll generate. By
the way, actively recruiting sends a positive message to prospective
clients as well (you might even hire one!).
u
Speculative
recruiting.
Most firms in our business don’t seek specific recruits until they have
an opening. This often places them in a position of needing to fill a
position quickly and feeling pressured to hire someone they may not be
totally sold on. The really savvy, high-growth companies in other industries
routinely advertise for positions that are anticipated but not yet
available. That gives them more time to test the market and locate top
candidates.
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