I am constantly reminding myself, “If you want to change your outcome, change your perspective.” The same holds true for trying to acquire key talent for your organization. While I continued to throw mud at the wall hoping one of my ideas would stick, I finally engaged the services of a subject matter expert who changed my perspective on how to acquire talent.
Recruiting is selling
If you think about business development, sometimes the sales cycle takes months or years, and recruiting is no different. You must continue to nurture your relationship with the candidates.
To do this effectively, I recommend utilizing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software program in conjunction with your Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Potential employees may not want or need your job presently, but put qualified candidates in your CRM program and continue to nurture the relationship. Keep reminding them that you are here, your company is growing, and you want them on your team. The moment they decide to change jobs is the moment you want them thinking of you.
Sourcing
I was recently introduced to the term “sourcing.” It simply means, “The practice of locating and selecting individuals based on set criteria.” If you are struggling to get an adequate number of applicants, you may want to consider a sourcing specialist.
“Posting and praying” (putting up ads and praying applicants will apply) is not going to cut it these days. Sourcing is a daily outreach into the business community to continually be filling your funnel. It is the hunting and gathering of quality applicants. If you are not sourcing, you will most likely not achieve your hiring goals.
Build rapport
Much like sales, if you don’t establish rapport with your hiring candidates, you probably won’t close the deal. No matter how many recruiters you have, consistent messaging is critical.
The key is to sincerely care that the candidate is the right fit and that you are the right fit for the candidate. If you want what is best for the candidate, you will also get what is best for your organization. One way to establish rapport is to continually give your candidate the option to opt out. That will establish that you are not just hustling them through because you must fill a spot. You care about your needs, but about theirs, as well.
SME
My last piece of advice would be to find a subject matter expert. I recently spoke with someone whose experience in recruiting is far deeper than mine. She is the one that taught me “recruiting is selling.” I had never had the perspective. The best part is that ideas are free.
At one point, I felt as if our inability to hire was a real threat to our business. If you are feeling the same pain, you may want to engage the services of a consultant or a mentor for your recruiting department. If you are open to changing your thinking, the return on that investment will be immediate and potentially life-changing for your organization.
Dennis W. Lejeck is founder and President of Black Knight Security
