The 80/20 Rule of Recruiting
By: Mike Fox (January 2010)
Brightlights
I'm going to let you in on a secret that can save your company thousands of dollars in recruiting fees. It can ensure you get access to some of the best candidates and it can fundamentally change how you're perceived in your market. Now, these suggestions are so simple that you might consider them trite but, if you put them to use I promise that you will see a dramatic difference in your hiring success.
Treat people with the same respect and level of service that you'd expect.
If you simply do what you say you're going to do, when you promised to do it, you're in the top 20% of the industry. This effort stands out! If you go a little bit beyond that with faster response, better and more cohesive interviewing questions, etc. then you're in the top 20% of the 20% or top 4% of the industry. It's that simple...do what you said you'd do and when you committed to do it!!
Work nimbly.
The best candidates are hired quickly. This doesn't mean not being thorough in your hiring process. It does mean setting a reasonable time frame for the process and when delays do happen,ensuring that people are simply kept in the loop.
Promote your company's unique value proposition
Ensure that you are clear on what makes your organization unique. Practice this message and make sure everyone can enunciate it.
Practice your interviewing skills
Ensure that all the people who interview candidates divide up the various areas they to focus on. Don't be redundant in your interviewing questions and end up asking the same questions over and over again. Ask your favourite recruiter for ideas and suggestions.
Prove your company's stability.
Your business may have solid funding, soaring sales, an iron-clad business plan and a bright future yet job candidates have no way of knowing all this. This means that it's your job to reassure potential hires that your business is in the game to stay and isn't preparing to pull a disappearing act. To land top candidates provide serious prospects with documentation of the business's stability.
Find a professional recruiter that you trust
Recruiters live in this world all day and every day. Find one that you like, and trust, and work with him/her to hone your processes. Benchmark yourself against your competition with the assistance of your recruiting partner. We/they can be invaluable!
None of these are revelatory. They are basic check marks that reflect what anyone would want in a place of work. Trust me on this...if you are honest and open with people, and do what you said you were going to do, you will get better people, have less turnover, and pay less to find them!