This article appeared in the June/July issue of Your Business Magazine.
A successful appointment is an investment in the present and future prosperity of your organization; a poor one is a waste of your time and money.
Research shows that the recruitment and selection process can cost anything from one to three times your new hires’ salary. With this in mind, it’s clear you need to attract the right talent from the start.
The recruitment process should result in a pool of applicants from which you can choose your new employee. The selection process should be focused on identifying those candidates most likely to succeed in the particular role. The experts agree that a systematic approach that is fair, unbiased and objective, rather than a hunch or ‘gut feeling’ is the best way forward here.
Put your best foot forward
The process of attracting the right talent starts long before you advertise an actual position. The perception of your business in the market, among students, the media, your competitors, etc., will significantly influence the calibre of person you can hope to attract. I asked candidates recently whether they would rather apply for a position at the Coca-Cola Company or at the local library. They all chose the former without asking about the nature of either role or the remuneration they might expect. This speaks to the potential power of your company’s brand.
So think carefully about the type of person you want to attract and tailor your marketing message to appeal directly to them. For example, Goldman Sachs aims to attract young, ambitious candidates from diverse backgrounds. To this end, their marketing message reads: “We offer the opportunity to make an impact… You’ll draw strength from a highly collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment and you will be part of a team that helps you succeed.”
This message speaks directly to what is important to the Y and Z generations; teamwork, social responsibility, legacy. Potential employees can easily assess their ‘fit’ within Goldman Sachs; those who do not subscribe to the values and ambitions outlined above will probably look elsewhere for employment. The firm has set a clear expectation regarding the types of people it is trying to attract. This message is consistent in all their marketing efforts, from career fairs at schools and universities to their job adverts.
Extend the candidate pool
Where you look for potential employees is also important. Goldman Sachs, which is a financial services firm, recruits from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds, including finance, engineering, science, technology, and the humanities. Barclays Capital has a similar approach; they recently ran an advertisement showing students, academics, and professionals sourced from a surprisingly diverse range of professions and fields. Their policy is clear: they aim to recruit and combine some of the best minds in those fields to conquer the world of finance.
The lesson? Look beyond requisite qualifications and clearly articulate the skills and talents you require in each role. With that in mind, you can recruit from a much wider pool of candidates. Theory, processes, and procedures can be learned, but natural talent is either there or not. Look for the latter first; the rest can follow.
Get creative with your choice of channels
Recruitment agents and newspaper adverts are the traditional means of finding talent. In today’s connected world, however, you can cost-effectively recruit in other ways. For example, personal endorsements from people you respect and trust can be leveraged. This can be done via platforms like LinkedIn or employee referral programmes; let your network know what you are looking for and allow them the opportunity to suggest suitable candidates for your consideration. People with integrity will want to guard their reputations and will only propose candidates whose behaviour and skills reflect well on them. Similarly, those individuals who have been recommended need to perform at their best if they are to retain their endorsements. I was recently put forward as the ‘go to’ person for a strategic planning workshop by the head of media relations at the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber. That is an ally I want to keep, so I worked particularly hard and gave the session 110% effort. I benefited from the referral and my client got my A+ game; a win-win for all. Association can be a powerful thing – use it to your advantage!
Know what you’re looking for
Behaviour-based competency assessments are, I believe, one of the most powerful tools in predicting the success of an appointment. This is where many recruitment efforts flop; employers fail to clearly define the requisite skills. Compare the statement that “strong interpersonal skills are required” with “must have an ability to (a) build positive working relationships (b) build trust and (c) communicate”.
Identifying the specific behaviours that are relevant to the skills required for the position can be tricky. The example below shows how specific behaviours can be mapped to a single skill: the ability to build positive working relationships. Use carefully worded and integrated interview questions to allow candidates the opportunity to demonstrate as many of these behaviours as possible.
Maintain a 360° perspective
A good recruitment and selection process provides the opportunity to assess the capabilities of the candidates, allows them the chance to find out more about the job, the department, and the company, and promotes a positive image of the company.
Be sure to pay attention to the candidate experience; always remember that the best candidates have options and will look elsewhere if you don’t consider them, too. Smooth the candidate experience by:
• Setting expectations for the timeline and process.
• Not requiring an unreasonable investment of time and information up-front. Don’t ask for an unreasonable level of personal information just to be considered for an interview.
• Providing clear job descriptions.
• Rejecting candidates promptly.
Simply treating candidates with courtesy and respect has become so rare that employers who do, will stand out. Good people will want to work for them and even candidates who do not get interviewed will leave with a positive impression.
A word of caution
You have a legal responsibility to ensure that no unlawful discrimination occurs in the recruitment and selection process on the grounds of race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, etc. Equality of opportunity is an integral part of the recruitment and selection process and to this end, employers may offer training and encouragement to any under-represented groups. Make sure that all your recruitment partners understand this. When I first returned from the UK and was looking for employment, I was advised by a recruitment consultant to “play the blonde card before the brains card”. This raised all sorts of alarm bells for me, both in terms of my assessment of the recruitment consultant and the firms that engaged him in business.
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