| nt of art or magic will help you consistently hire top | | | | issues, obtain referrals, and offer career solutions. Too |
| people. A bit of science, however, might just do the | | | | many recruiters ask the wrong questions, lack |
| trick. By this I mean a series of steps that if everyone | | | | understanding of real job needs, come across as |
| in your company follows will allow you to hire more top | | | | superficial, and dial for dollars to make their numbers. In |
| people on a consistent and repeatable basis. | | | | a highly mobile and extensively competitive market, |
| Over the past 30+ years I've been involved in | | | | recruiters will take on an increasingly important role. |
| thousands of searches, worked with hundreds of | | | | Just like in sales, this requires extensive training, a |
| different hiring managers, trained 3,000 to 4,000 | | | | complete understanding of the market, and a true |
| recruiters, and worked closely with dozens of major | | | | partnership with their hiring leaders. |
| companies. Following are the common threads among | | | | 7. Make the interview your secret weapon. Most |
| the best techniques, processes, and tools I've seen and | | | | managers and executives think the primary purpose of |
| used. Collectively, they add up to a business process | | | | the interview is to assess candidate competency. This |
| for hiring top people. While Performance-based Hiring | | | | is comparable to someone in sales thinking that the |
| provides a simplified high-level summary of these, it's | | | | discovery process is used to determine if a client is |
| the details and execution that will ultimately determine | | | | qualified to own the product, instead of determining the |
| success. | | | | client's primary needs. When the interview is viewed |
| As you review these ten steps, evaluate your | | | | from this perspective, you realize that its real purpose |
| company's hiring processes to see where you stand. | | | | is to look for voids and gaps in the candidate's |
| Although the steps by themselves aren't overly | | | | background with the expectation that your job will fulfill |
| complex, getting everyone to do them all for every job | | | | them. For example, if the candidate hasn't managed as |
| represents the difference between consistent success | | | | large a team, or handled a comparable project, or had |
| and maintaining the status quo. | | | | the exposure your job provides, these voids become |
| Underlying this hiring process is the idea that hiring a | | | | learning opportunities and more important than |
| top person requires a company to consistently | | | | compensation as reasons to accept your position. |
| reinforce the message that it's offering career | | | | Obviously, if the gaps are too big, the candidate is |
| opportunities, not just jobs. At every step, including | | | | unqualified for the job, and if the gaps aren't sufficient, |
| every ad, interview, and conversation, this must be | | | | the job isn't a big enough move. In the process of |
| clearly communicated. You'll clearly see this theme in | | | | conducting the interview with this focus, assessment |
| the steps below, as well as the idea that consumer | | | | accuracy will increase. A major side benefit: you'll have |
| marketing, the latest Web 2.0 advertising techniques, | | | | all of the information you need to defend the candidate |
| and consultative selling are essential tools to get this | | | | from other interviewers who make superficial |
| message out. | | | | decisions. |
| 10 Steps for Hiring the Best People Every Time | | | | 8. Implement a multi-factor evidence-based |
| 1. Offer WOW! jobs. Traditional job descriptions listing | | | | assessment process. The idea of using a yes/no |
| skills, qualifications, and experience are not marketing | | | | voting process to make the hiring decision is superficial, |
| tools, nor are they predictors of job success. These | | | | time-consuming, and prone to errors. While the |
| lists must be diminished in importance. In their place job | | | | interview is used to gather information, if not organized |
| descriptions must emphasize what the person will do, | | | | properly, the information gathered is redundant, narrow, |
| learn, and become. As part of this, clearly describe the | | | | and biased. Worse, since most managers don't |
| impact the person can make. From a marketing | | | | consciously seek out non-confirming information, nor do |
| standpoint eliminate internal, non-descriptive titles. | | | | they assess competency against real job needs, |
| "Not-for-Profit CEO — Back to the Future" was | | | | adding up the yes/no votes is comparable to making |
| a title we used to find the head of a major charity. In | | | | important investment decisions based on information in |
| the ad we described the five-year impact the person | | | | the marketing brochure. Assessment accuracy can |
| would have on the inner city. For bank tellers to fill a | | | | increase when members of the hiring team understand |
| mid-day shift we added the tagline "Are You a | | | | real job needs and narrow their assessment to just a |
| Desperate Housewife?" | | | | few core factors. The key here is to assess a |
| 2. Get everyone on the hiring team to agree to real | | | | candidate's competency and motivation to do the |
| job needs. Before you can offer WOW! jobs you | | | | work required. A formal debriefing session allows each |
| need to get the hiring manager to clearly describe | | | | interviewer to share facts, details, and concrete |
| what the person will be doing and what needs to be | | | | information, rather than relying on feelings, intuition, or |
| accomplished on the job. By forcing the hiring manager | | | | technical competency to make the hiring decision. |
| to convert skills and qualifications into the real | | | | (Here's a complete article on using our 10-Factor |
| performance objectives of the job, you increase both | | | | Candidate Assessment Scorecard to establish this |
| ownership and understanding. Start by asking the hiring | | | | type of evidence-based assessment process.) |
| manager how he/she will respond to a candidate who | | | | 9. Use a multi-factor decision tool to negotiate the |
| asks "What am I going to be doing on this job and how | | | | offer, fight off the competition, and prevent |
| will my performance by measured?" Top people ask | | | | counter-offers. Recruiting is not something done at the |
| this question every time, so everyone on the hiring | | | | end of the interview, it starts with first contact. While |
| team, including the recruiter, must understand the | | | | it's important for companies to judge candidates |
| performance objectives of the real job. When you | | | | across multiple factors, it's equally important for |
| don't know real job needs, the interviewing process is | | | | candidates to evaluate different job opportunities |
| less accurate, everyone substitutes their own | | | | across multiple factors as well. Some of these include |
| assessment criteria, and top candidates get confused | | | | learning, growth opportunities, compensation, quality of |
| and turned off. | | | | the hiring manager and the team, job match, visibility, |
| 3. Make it about careers, not compensation. The ad | | | | cultural fit, and work/life balance. This can be |
| copy must clearly emphasize the challenges in the job, | | | | formalized by sending the candidate a multi-factor |
| the impact the person can make on the company, and | | | | decision form comparing your job with all others he |
| some of the growth opportunities. For example, "Help | | | | she is considering, including his/her current position. |
| us launch a new Blue Tooth headset line" is far more | | | | Suggest that during the interviewing process, the |
| compelling than, "Must have five years of RF product | | | | candidate get specific information on each of these |
| marketing experience." When recruiters first contact | | | | factors before reaching a final decision. As long as |
| candidates — whether they're active or passive | | | | your situation represents a positive long-term career |
| — the emphasis must clearly be on influencing | | | | move, your job will often win out without compensation |
| the candidate to evaluate your opportunities as career | | | | being the primary reason. While you'll need to persist in |
| moves, not just as another job for more money or | | | | ensuring your candidate obtains the proper information, |
| one closer to home. This will help ease the negotiating | | | | this is how you recruit candidates in today's highly |
| process and minimize the threat of counter-offers and | | | | competitive and highly mobile environment — |
| competitive offers. | | | | with knowledge and insight, not heavy-handedness. |
| 4. Implement an "early bird" sourcing strategy. At a | | | | 10. Link the hiring process with your company's |
| basic level it's essential to write compelling job ads that | | | | performance management system. The use of job |
| are easily found. This requires complete knowledge of | | | | descriptions defining the real performance objectives |
| search engine marketing techniques to position ads | | | | offers a natural bridge to the performance |
| high in any type of search, whether it's Google, an | | | | management process used by most companies. This |
| aggregator, or on job boards. From a more advanced | | | | way, candidates are assessed against real job needs |
| perspective, it's important to recognize that top | | | | and they're accepting offers based on these same |
| performers don't enter the job-hunting market ready to | | | | real job needs. This increases understanding and |
| hunt and peck for a job that matches their skills and | | | | interest by clarifying job expectations every step of |
| experience. Instead, they tip-toe into the market, first | | | | the way. This can be reinforced by establishing a |
| contacting former associates and doing some | | | | formal pre-start (the time between offer acceptance |
| top-down industry and company research. If this is | | | | and the start date) and on-boarding program where |
| fruitless they'll then expand their search efforts through | | | | the new employee and the hiring manager clarify, |
| aggressive networking and Googling for jobs. Sourcing | | | | agree on, and prioritize the performance objectives. |
| programs need to target these early entrants by | | | | Performance can then be closely tracked and |
| positioning ads in the right places and proactively | | | | measured at regular intervals during the first 3-6 |
| expanding employee referral programs to ensure that | | | | months. This also offers a means to measure |
| the best people contact your employees first. | | | | candidate quality using the same 10-Factor Candidate |
| 5. Allow candidates to "just look" rather than buy. Most | | | | Assessment Scorecard used to initially assess the |
| company hiring processes and career websites are | | | | candidate. Retention and job satisfaction are sure to |
| designed based on the premise that candidates are | | | | increase when hiring is based on matching real job |
| ready to apply for a specific job. This is a | | | | needs with the candidate's abilities and motivating |
| fundamentally flawed concept. The best people, | | | | needs. |
| especially the early entrants, are just looking and | | | | The problem with too many HR and recruiting leaders |
| comparing options. To accommodate these people, | | | | is that they view the hiring and recruiting process as a |
| recruiters must not push the process too fast, and | | | | series of independent steps. Without the proper links, |
| managers must be willing to talk or meet with | | | | the end-to-end process is likely to fall apart. For |
| candidates on an exploratory basis. Career websites | | | | example, combining a great sourcing program with a |
| need to allow candidates to chat with a recruiter in real | | | | "make the candidate apply" philosophy, coupled with a |
| time and look at groups of jobs, rather than specific | | | | clinical behavioral interview, is sure to yield very few |
| requisitions. The focus of all of this must be based on | | | | top performers, even though many entered the |
| the idea that while early entrants start by just looking, | | | | pipeline. |
| they are willing to move forward in a logical sequence | | | | The key to making the end-to-end process work is to |
| as long as they obtain the proper information at each | | | | step back and understand the unique needs of top |
| step. Ensuring they get the proper information is key to | | | | performers. From this high-level strategic perspective |
| managing this pipeline of top performers. | | | | the design of each step is fundamentally altered. This |
| 6. Use consultative selling techniques to develop a | | | | high-level view also allows the integration between the |
| candidate/recruiter partnership. Changing jobs is a big | | | | steps to be designed into the process at the front end |
| deal, and in today's high-pressure work environment, | | | | rather than as an after-thought. While converting the |
| time is a precious commodity. Recruiters need to | | | | hiring process into a scalable business process is no |
| instantly engage, not take "No" for an answer, develop | | | | easy task, it's not nearly as hard as implementing other |
| relationships, uncover the candidate's pressing career | | | | major companywide business initiatives. |