The last thing you want to do in a tight labor market is hire the wrong employees just to fill empty slots. Planning for staffing needs in advance is imperative to the process, however, in some labor markets, all the planning in the world won’t make a difference if growth explodes beyond expectations.
“That is what has happened here in Texas,” says Jacque Myers, senior recruiter, Engineering Services, with The Daniel Group. “Employers began planning for a tight labor market three to six months ago. But no one realized how rapid growth would take hold. There is extreme need in certain categories, especially in oil and gas.”
Myers says that the local job market should also brace for a very high percentage of turnover among professionals, engineers in particular, during 2012. “Now is definitely the time to get ready,” she notes.
Smart Business asked Myers for tips on how employers can deal with the tight labor market.
Who internally should be involved with identifying the best candidates?
The first answer that usually comes to mind is HR. However, keep in mind that the HR staff is busy with HR functions such as employee benefits, payroll, keeping up with labor laws, etc. It takes time and expertise to source candidates. Your HR personnel may be adept at certain functions of recruiting, however performing a search encompasses much more than that and can be very resource intensive.
How can companies identify highly qualified candidates?
There is no better way than to receive a referral from an existing employee. A trusted employee is not going to give you a bad referral — they don’t want to tarnish their name unless they are positive about the person. Networking is another way to meet good candidates. It’s also an opportunity to observe how candidates interact with others on a professional basis.
Another way to identify candidates is to have a recruiter approach individuals that may be working for one of your competitors or working in an industry closely related to yours. Staffing agencies work with internal databases and have access to many other avenues, such as multiple job boards, and attend expos and after-hour functions, which can be helpful for some of our national searches. Our firm employs individuals that pre-screen candidates every day, all day to keep our database fresh with qualified individuals.
In what situations might it make sense to work with a recruiting firm?
In addition to the most common reason, which is to get good qualified candidates in front of the hiring manager quickly, there are other instances where it can make sense. Perhaps there is a specific person you want to reach out to and a third-party recruiter would be the best person to handle that. This is true especially if the potential candidate is working for a competitor.
What if there is a very specific hiring need?
In that case, you may want to consider a retained search, which is a highly specialized search, mostly for C-level positions. Or maybe you need to locate a job candidate in a very specific region. These types of searches are fairly intensive because the outside firm will devote one person exclusively to your search. The firm will usually ask for a deposit in advance to cover the recruiter’s time. In this situation, the recruiter should report back to you every day, or every other day, regarding their progress. In most cases, this particular scenario has been very effective in finding a qualified candidate for the client.
How can a company narrow down to the most attractive candidates?
You have to determine if there will be a good cultural fit. It’s easy to devise a written job description, but that’s only 50 percent of the equation. Are you a small group? Do you need someone who will be self-motivated sitting off in a corner? Or do you want a type-A personality? Often the hiring manager is the only person who can accurately answer these questions. Other important factors to consider are job tenure, education and location. The recruiter will often know you and your culture extremely well by the end of a placement.
Any tips for ‘closing the deal’?
Try to get to know the candidate as well as you can before you make the offer. If they are working, why do they want to leave their current job? What are their motivating factors? Do they want more money, more job satisfaction, a better location? What is important to them? What do they want? If it’s more money, you can usually provide for that. But what about their family — will they need help relocating? Does the candidate want to go back to school? Are they pursuing other interests? Ask if the candidate is entertaining other offers. If so, ask ‘what can that company give you that I can’t?’ There are all kinds of things you can offer, such as more vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or a flexible schedule. You can even adjust job titles. Make sure to rule out any barriers before any negotiations or offer letters may be on the table.
JACQUE MYERS is senior recruiter, Engineering Services, with The Daniel Group. Reach her at [email protected] or (713) 932-9313.
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