RECRUITINGSTRATEGIES

　　ByLizRyan

　　Ratherthanstickingwiththestandardrecruit-and-selectmodel,companieslookingforserioustalentneedtosellthemselvesaswell

　　IfweenduponedayinsomethinglikeAldousHuxley'sBraveNewWorld-aplannedsocietyinwhichkidsareassignedtheirfutureoccupationsbythethirdgrade-someofthelittletykeswillsurelyendupinhuman-resourcestrainingclasses,learningaboutthetwostepsinvolvedinstaffing：recruitingandselection.

　　PeopleinHRhavebeentalkingaboutrecruitingandselectionaslongasIcanremember-andforjustaslong,deludingthemselvesaboutthewayweoughttobehiringmid-andsenior-levelexecs.

　　HARDTOFIND.Recruiting,aswehavepracticedit,hasmeantcastinganettoalerttherightpeopletoajobopportunity.Oncetheylineupatyourdoor,figurativelyspeaking,youstartthesecondstage-selection.Thatmeanspickingthebestpersonandmakinganoffer.Seehoweasyitis?

　　ThisprocesscallstomindthelongshoremeninOntheWaterfront（starringthelateMarlonBrando）,whowaitedtobecalled-ornot-forworkeverymorning.AVietnamesefriendofmineexperiencedthisinreallife,whilelanguishinginaHongKongrefugeecampbeforehisimmigrationtotheU.S.SoIknowthereareplaceswhereexcellentcandidatessitandwaittobeselected.

　　NotintheKnowledgeEconomy,however-norinthecompetitivemarketplaceforsenior-leveltalent.Notachance.Eveninthisstill-not-rosyjobmarket,reallygoodcandidatesarehardtofind.Theproofisthatexecutiverecruitersarestillearningnicefeesforfindingpeoplewhocanmakeadifferenceinacompany'sfortunes.

　　FOURVARIETIES.Moreover,employersareaddingslotsverycautiously,andsomuchisridingoneachemployee'sperformancethatit'svitaltofindtherightpeople.Andthisiswhyit'sessentialforcompaniestoabandontherecruitingandselectiontraditioninfavorofabetterapproach-onethatIcall"vetandwoo."

　　Idevelopedthevet-and-woomentalityduringthelaborshortagedaysofthetechboominthemid'90s.Duringmyemployer'srapidgrowthitbecameobviousthateverysenior-levelcandidatewasasignificantpersontousinonewayoranother.Generally,theyfellintofourcategories（using"he"forsimplicity）:

　　1.Thecandidatewasbothsolidandsoldonus,andwewouldpursuehimlikeacheetahafterathree-dayfast.

　　2.Thecandidatewassoldonus,butnotrightforusrightthen.Sowewouldkeepthedooropen,becausehemightbeaterrifichireinsixmonthsorayear.

　　3.Thecandidatewasn'tsoldonus-redalert！-becausewecouldreallyhaveusedhim.Maybeanothertime.

　　4.Thecandidatewasn'tsoldonus,andthatwasfine,becauseweweren'tagoodmatchforoneanother.We,nonetheless,wantedhimtothinkwellofus-andtellothersaboutourwonderfulcompany.

　　Whodidthatleavetosummarilydismisswithatwo-line"nothankyou"letter？Noone,that'swho.

　　LISTEN,LEARN,SELL.Icametorealize,inshort,thateverymeetingwithaprospectivemanagementhire-usuallyoverameal,ascustomdictatedatthetime-shouldrevolvearoundvetandwoo,listenandsell,evaluateandsharethevisionofourcompany'sshiningprospects,andgainanunderstandingofwhetherthecandidatewassomeoneweshouldhire.Andalsotogetthepersonexcitedaboutourcompany,aninseparablegoal.

　　Whatevertheoutcomeofaparticularsearch,it'simportantthatyouneverstopevaluatingandneverstopselling-consultativesellingthatseekstounderstandwhatacandidateisafterandwhetheryoucandeliverit.It'simportanttoapproachthesetasksseriously,becausenocompanydeservestohiredecent,senior-leveltalentifittreatsthefirstcoupleofinterviewswithanycandidateasa"youshowus"screeningbeforeitbeginssellingitself.

　　Thisiswhyit'salmostalwaysafatalerrortoassignmid-andsenior-levelcandidateselectiontojuniorhuman-resourcespeople.Canyouimaginehavingtodescribeyourexpertiseinbrandstrategytoapersontwoyearsoutofcollege？

　　MULTIPLEPAYOFFS.There'snospecialsecrettothevet-and-woointerview.Simplytalk,listen,andaskquestions.Not"tellmeyourgreatestaccomplishmentsatABCCorp."questions.Regular,humanquestionsthatwilldrawoutthecandidate'sinterests,strengths,andthoughtprocesses.Yoursellingshouldbemoreinthelineofrecountingyourownhappyexperiencesatthecompanythanrecitingitsaccomplishments.

　　Thegoalistoprovideyourselfwithachoiceofseveralmotivated,expectantcandidates.Thepayoffwillbebetteremployees,goodwillforyourcompanyinthejobmarket,andgreatfuturerelationships-amongboththepeopleyouhireandtheonesyoudon't.