There’s a fairly predictable curve that most new decision-makers fall under when they’re looking for top talent. Typically, they think of themselves as being a good judge of what makes a good employee, and a sound evaluator of the requisite background, experience, education and skill-sets required for their key positions. Being over-achieving workaholics they almost always add the job of recruiter to their already full plate—and generally fail.
Why? Because when they’re doing the recruiter's job, they're generally not doing their own. In reality, they’re putting off their regular duties (like running a company, division, or profit center) and begin to spread themselves thin. The irony here is that they would never take on the job of janitor if the toilet backed up (they would at least call a temp if the normal employee was unable to perform); nor would they take on a technical position outside their professional area of expertise—say they’re a mechanical engineer by training and there’s a current need for an electrical engineer. Nope—not happening because we all know that electricity can do some pretty weird stuff. For some reason, though—everyone seems to think they can be a good recruiter. You know: give it a whirl and see what happens. How hard can it really be?
HEADHUNTER. Yep--I said it. "Head" = Qualified Candidate. "Hunter" = A Lot Of Work.
Some things never change. It’s never been easy to find the best talent—because they’re generally not looking for a change, don’t have their resumes posted on job boards for you to search, won’t respond to job postings--and the companies they work for keep them well below the radar. As the hidden costs (some are not so hidden) accrue from leaving critical positions unfilled, the added burden of recruiting pulls down an otherwise smooth-running division. In short, the critical work just doesn't get done.
We see it all the time.
So, what’s a busy senior manager to do?
If you’ve made it this far through this article, you’re probably smart enough to find some professional recruiters who work in your field. Select a few to make friends with and contact them. If nothing else, they’ll probably offer you some advice that might come in handy someday. Of those that respond, choose one to go down the path with.
Why should you start a relationship with a recruiter before you actually have positions to fill? Why do this now?
Good relationships take time to develop. Good relationships are based upon trust. You’ll want to know that your recruiter understands the direction you and your organization are going. The more you share with your recruiter, the more success they’ll have when it comes time to attract some top talent for you. In essence, they’ll be able to find what you want—and not waste anyone’s time (especially yours) with the wrong candidates.
When you think about it, can anyone really put everything they want into a job description? I’ve never seen one quite that detailed, especially after an organization's HR and legal departments have a whack at them. What about the personalities of other key players already on the team? The subtle nuances of your corporate culture? Common vision? Shared values? How your division is different than the rest of the organization? How success is really measured? What common traits have successful candidates shared in the past? These elements should be clearly understood by your recruiter before you decide to work with them.
All good recruiters tend to specialize over time. If someone contacts me asking for help outside of my areas of expertise, I can generally refer them to someone appropriate and most professional recruiters will do the same.
When you're selecting a recruiter, listen to your gut—it will likely be right. They should be able to tell you exactly what they do, how they do it, how long it should take, and what to expect along the way. If they're not able to articulate these things in terms that you understand, consider moving on.
If you start the ball rolling now, when the time comes to fill those critical positions, you’ll be glad you did.
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