With the exercises you have just completed writing
a recruitable req, select several specific selling points
about your opportunity, department, and company. Do not fall back
on generalizations. Specifically show how your company is more attractive
than your competitor (remember your competitor is not the same in MIS as
it is in Marketing) in some areas. Sell your work
environment. Advertise the funded projects, healthy budgets, sane
work weeks, attractive reporting structures, availability of telecommuting
one day a week, for example. Highlight the stable executive
team and department with low turnover. And determine what your
selling points are as a manager. Now you are ready to compete
for candidates.
Word of Mouth
Good hiring managers frequently keep their network up-to-date. The Bay Area
is so small that often there's only two degrees of separation between you
and your new hire (i.e., you know someone who knows someone). Start with
your network and focus on what you have to offer instead of what you
require. If you know someone is a good fit, court them. Take
them to lunch. Find out what might motivate them to make a change.
Do not focus on your need; concentrate on meeting their's.
Advertisements (Corporate Websites, Job Boards, Internet, Local
Newspapers)
Advertising can work, though most potential recruits who are currently employed
will not respond because most ads are so poorly written. And today
(2004), they are more afraid than ever that their current employer may find
out they are looking. Employed candidates who already have all the technical
qualifications for the job have no incentive to respond to your opening unless
you give them one.
Take a recruiting posture! Don't just list what you need; entice with projects,
training, and the work environment you have to offer. Does your company fill
75% of its management openings with internal candidates? Advertise that fact!
Have your executives been stable? Advertise that! Will you invest in the
person and train? Has their been low turnover (someone's doing something
right). Advertise it in big, bold letters!
Most ads today are product oriented, celebrating market position (great if you are recruiting sales and marketing people). They simply say, "We make this great product, we're growing like crazy, come join our team!" Then the ads intimidate a potential candidate with too many requirements. Make your requirements list as short or flexible as possible. To address and entice professionals in support functions, your ad needs to address what is making them unhappy where they are (turnover, cancellation of projects, constant reorganizations, 60-90 hour work weeks, guilt for leaving to pick up kids, etc). Take a look at what you have to offer, and spell it out in your ad.
Remember that general descriptions like "challenging and dynamic"
are commonly construed as "high turnover sweatshop."
If you are delegating the screening of resumes to someone else, make sure
they are familiar with all the plausible backgrounds and buzzwords. Consider
making yourself available by phone during some evening hours to answer the
discreet candidate who is wary of mailing a resume.
The Internet has had mixed reviews when it comes to ad response. The
biggest complaint is that the volume of response is international in scope.
One VP told me he received only two local responses in a six-month time frame!
Nevertheless, it is certainly a viable way to advertise. Make sure the person
screening responses knows what they are doing.
Job Fairs
Can work if you respond quickly. If the resumes collected end up sitting
in a pile for 2 weeks, you've missed out. Expect to see mostly unemployed
people there. The best people usually don't have time to go, and other good
candidates are afraid of running into co-workers there.
Recruiters
There is valid criticism about the recruiting profession, however, clients
are partially responsible for the quality they accept. Consider the level
of service you want, then interview and reference check several recruiters.
For details, see Headhunters.
Do not enlist the help of a recruiter if you plan on penalizing candidates for the fee attached. Only if you are going to assess all candidates fairly should you actively seek out a recruiter. The fee should be something you are prepared to pay for the best candidate.
Verbal commitments, though well-intentioned, mean very little to headhunters today. So many projects and requisitions are canceled at the last moment that deposits for top-rated service are becoming the norm even in the contingency search business. Entice a good recruiter to prioritize your assignment with a deposit, a full retainer, or an exclusive for a set period of time. Negotiate for discounts in return for deposits. Clarify what you expect from the recruiter (face-to-face screening, company visits, reference checks before presentation, resumes first, video presentations, etc.).
Disclaimer: It is hoped that the information provided on these web pages will be helpful to readers. We assume that readers understand that any advice must be weighed against an individual's situation. Some of the information on these pages may be inappropriate for your circumstances. So use your head! Neither John Barry nor Jim Thomas nor Linda Tuerk can be held responsible for an individual's particular use of these suggestions.
| Home/TOC | Next: Ethics in Hiring | Contact Us |
Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999 by Linda J Tuerk. All rights reserved.