Hiring Talent is NOT SCARY

Hiring Talent is not SCARY. Find out HOW! Look at any publication or social media post: 60% or more of the articles are about HIRING, TALENT Acquisition, the Great Resignation, etc. Join me this week and next as we address some of the myths and mistakes that make hiring notable talent so scary. It doesn't have to be. We will talk about Presentation, Pipelines, Screening (what do you really need), Culture, keeping your People, and CLOSING the deal. Join me.

As you look at the Labor Market and the Talent pool today - YIKES! It can feel SO very scary, SO competitive! Fear NOT! We have ways to tackle this Monster. Depending on your Product, Service, and company size - from 3 people to 300 - we need to look at Who you are and What you offer. Do people know who your company is? WHY should I work at you company? You see, the Big GUYS (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google, Netflix, Microsoft) can afford to pay life-changing money, 10-50K over market. That is how they got your last employee. If you are a small firm (under 20 People), are your CEO/FOUNDER, or the Executives are doing the recruiting? What is your time worth? Are you spending 20 hours a week finding talent? Is your team spending this amount of time because you "can't afford" to hire a Professional? If you are a bigger firm (20-100+), you may have a recruiting department, yet they have too many openings. They are not technology experts, and they do not KNOW where to find and Attract the Talent you need. People like to be invited. Is your message inviting? Is your position appealing? Will they listen? Where are you looking?

Sourcing and Screening are proactive activities. Go out and find the people you need. "Post and Pray" is not an effective strategy, posting your position and then praying people respond. This process is both random and long, with an average length of 8 weeks for a search. Go out and HUNT. Clarify the main skills required for the job, the attributes, and characteristics of a good cultural fit in a candidate. Then target the market - including Company Alumni - with the best chance of attraction to our offer and success in the role. This targeting minimizes the amount of time and attrition of the candidate pool. More candidates get through because of the concentrated efforts up front. Consider diverse talent pools. These markets produce driven, energetic talent, more attracted to our Message.

It is the start of the Dating relationship. The prescreen to check the qualifications is where it starts, you are interviewing them, and they certainly are checking you out. How are you tracking your Candidates or Suspects? What notes are you making? What are the criteria to Screen a Candidate in or out? You want to make your interview process Seamless, efficient, and memorable, for you and the candidates. From Prescreen, to tech interview to onsite face to face. You must be prepared, having the reviewed the resume, and credentials before the interview, and made your notes. That is how you formulate the questions you want to ask or follow up on from the prescreen or tech interview. This is the opportunity to build rapport, sell the position, and Company. Bring energy to the interview and have the candidates begging for an offer. There are ways, to shorten the Interview Cycle, review the tips below.

So, you have narrowed down the candidate pool to your finalists. You believe you have the one! The one that matches the Skills. The one that matches the Culture. The one that matches the Salary/Commission/Bonus/Benefits. The One that will work in the Office/Hybrid/Remote. The One that will accept your policy for masks/vaccines/none of the above. You know this because you have a process that checks every step. You are asking the right questions at the Prescreen. You are asking at the Technical Screening. You are asking at the Interview(s). You know what they are Passionate about. You know their Values. You know the other companies they are interviewing, and you know what those offers are. You know what they are making, why they want to leave their current job, so they will not accept a Counteroffer. You know because you have/are building a rapport with every step, every conversation, every phone call, every email, every interview. You are letting them know they are important, they are valued, they can accomplish their goals. You present the offer like a cherished invitation. If you do this, they will come. If you have closed every step, then they know what is to come. Make the offer! ABC = Always Be Closing!

So, you have heard about the Great Resignation, and the newest development is the BIG QUIT. Of all the employed candidates I speak with, less than 30% are happy with their Job. Employees have had enough. They are looking for a Work/Life Balance. After working from home during a pandemic, an hour+ commute to any major metro city does not entice. They have figured out how to work from home, care for their families, and be productive. You know it, and so do they. If you are not taking care of them - with a competitive salary and tangible benefits - they will consider outside opportunities. Evaluate the truth: do they really need to come into the Office? How often? (Consider Vaccine Mandates, Mask Rules, and Safety Policies.) Train your employees. Keep your people. Make a difference.