Some friends were talking about going fishing recently, and let’s just say I have a lot to learn in this area. As I talked with a colleague about what I’d need to know if I took up the sport, I realized there is quite a correlation between the art of fishing and the process of hiring top talent.
I’m frequently asked how to hire good candidates, so I’ve compiled some tips on how to find a great catch for your next job opening.
Know for what (or for whom) you’re fishing
Before you go down the path of finding your next hire, identify what top talent looks like for your open role. Skipping this step is one of the biggest pitfalls a leader can make when beginning a search. Consider this step like loading your tackle box. Make a list of what is required in the role. How you begin your search heavily impacts every aspect throughout the rest of the hiring process.
Be sure to know:
- Attitude, interests, and motivation of an ideal hire
- Desired behaviors for both the job and company culture
- An ideal hire’s knowledge and skills
Benchmarking these elements based on the attributes of other top performers will ensure you use the right bait to attract fantastic candidates. This step will help you quickly determine whether to keep a candidate or let them swim to another company. Failure to do this can end up attracting more carp than walleye.
Go where the fish are known to be
Top anglers know which fishing holes produce the best results. Likewise, successful recruiting leaders know to use recruiting methods that have worked in the past. At a recent conference, I asked members of a crowd of leaders to raise their hand if anyone was exceptional at recruiting. Normally, no people raise their hands. In this case, however, a leader’s arm shot up and he and shared what successful recruiters already know: the best candidates tend to come through referrals.
Not only do referrals supply the best candidates, but a majority of companies report referrals are their number one recruiting source. So implement your “Always Be Recruiting” practice. Have the mindset that everyone you know is either a candidate for your company, or knows someone who could be a candidate for your company. The most successful recruiting leaders have a broad network to whom they reach out for referrals. This network includes:
- Employees
- Other business leaders who are invested in their businesses’ success (bankers, attorneys, CPAs, etc.)
- Professionals in the community (Rotary, Optimist, Chamber, etc.)
- Contacts at colleges (career services, professors, alumni)
- Community relationships (sports teams, charity organization, etc.)
- Friends and family
This recruiting strategy takes discipline and time—invest in it. When implementing this tried-and-true recruiting method, treat it like you would sales. Develop your recruiting database and keep your recruiting funnel active. The goal is to have a number of candidates in the funnel at all times, so when you do have an opening, you already have people interested in your company. I promise you that finding ways to implement your “Always Be Recruiting” approach is more fun and rewarding than sifting through resumes and interviewing bad candidates if you don’t consistently go that extra mile. Like the angler, keep a few different fishing holes in the back of your mind.
Furthermore, I am often asked about how to best get the right people in a recruiting funnel. Once a person has been identified through a referral, the key is to get them engaged in a conversation with you. Let’s look at two scenarios:
Scenario 1:
[Hiring manager] picks up the phone or sends an email saying, “Hi, this is [hiring manager] over at ABC Company and I have an opening to be part of our IT team. Would you be interested in learning more?”
Candidate: “No. thank you.” (if any response at all).
Scenario 2:
[Hiring manager] picks up the phone or sends an email saying, “Hi, this is [hiring manager] over at ABC Company. One of the most important things I do is identify top talent for our team. I was visiting with Pat Smith, your professor over at Coe College, and she said you were one of the most dedicated, collaborative and brightest students she’s had. Whenever I hear such great things about a person, I want to learn more. I know you’re currently employed with XYZ Company, but I’m wondering if you’d be open to a confidential conversation so I can learn more about you and where you see taking your career in the future? That way we’ll know whether our company can help meet some of those career goals, either now or in the future. Would you be open to visiting with me?
Candidate: “Sure!”
Why are you more likely to get agreement for a conversation in the second scenario? You:
- Used a referral
- Highlighted the candidate’s strong qualities which both compliments and shows you’ve done your homework
Asked for a confidential conversation - Limited pressure to make a move with the language “now or in the future”
- More often than not, when following this approach, the candidate will take your phone call or meet for coffee. But before they do, top performers will do their research, which brings us to our next tip for success.
Make your bait attractive to the fish
These days, top performing candidates have their choice of employers. It is incumbent on an organization to highlight what’s great about working for them. Consider these details your bait.
Historically, the advantages of working at ABC Company could be talked about during a job interview. Today, selling the advantages of a company must come earlier in the recruiting process. The first thing most top-performing candidates will do when they hear about a company is a Google search. They want to learn more about the work environment and leadership before deciding whether to spend time in an interview process. Here are frequent results that appear in your company’s Google search, which lend insight to who you are as an employer:
- Your company website
- Information from Glassdoor
- Information from Indeed
- Company LinkedIn page
- Company Facebook page
Making attractive bait for your potential candidates means creating an employer brand and presence. This will pay huge dividends in the long run. To start, ask your best employees what they like most about working for your company. Their answers will start to paint a picture of what is special and unique. Highlight these aspects as you market your company to candidates through social media, web presence and collateral material.
If you are just beginning to create an employer brand and presence, you may ask, “where do I begin?” My recommendation is to start with a “Careers” page on your company website. Here are a few things to consider:
- Make it easy to access. Create a “Careers” tab at the top of your page specifically for candidates.
- Humanize it. Employee pictures, videos and testimonials are great ways to help candidates visualize themselves in your company and get a sense of company culture—something increasingly important to today’s candidates.
- Describe “A Day in the Life.” This can be anything that tells a candidate the responsibilities of individual roles, why employees like doing this work and what abilities are needed to be successful.
- Make it easy to apply. It should only take 2-3 clicks for a candidate to find your website and apply for an opening to increase the likelihood they’ll act. Additionally, balance your need for a lot of information with their desire to quickly and easily apply. Think about the most critical pieces of information needed at this point in the process, and limit your content to those pieces.
In addition to maintaining a great “Careers” page, ensure your company is well-represented through reviews and ratings on Glassdoor, Indeed, Facebook and Kununu. Just as we’re accustomed to rating our hotels and restaurants, employees and candidates have grown accustomed to rating employers. Be aware of your ratings and proactively manage negative reviews to help attract the most-desirable candidates. Use social media as a platform to talk about different aspects of your company, from what makes you a great business to what makes you a desirable employer. The key here is to keep adding new, relevant content on your chosen social media platforms.
In the end, fishing for candidates relies on your preparation, forethought, and consistent legwork as a hiring leader. Set yourself up for a smooth experience by following these tips. Continuously identifying qualities and behaviors of your best employees, building and maintaining relationships to keep your referral pool deep, and taking the steps to make employment with company appealing by staying up-to-date with a “Careers” page will help ensure your company gets the next best catch.
