Archive for Recruiting
Why “Group” Interviews Don’t Work
Posted by: | CommentsA good friend of mine who is a very experienced sales executive called yesterday to share a great story. He was interviewing for a position and went back for the second interview only to be told he would would be interviewing with 25 people simultaneously. It was a medium-sized company and they informed him that he needed to “pass muster” with all of the key players in the company.
Unfortunately, the mob mentality is not good when it comes to choosing employees.
Don’t always believe what you read when it comes to hiring!
Posted by: | CommentsThere has been an awful lot of talk recently about the changing landscape in the employment market. Unemployment rates are rising, there is a financial crisis and most people are confused about where markets are headed. As a result, a lot of strange people are coming out of the woodwork with some really crazy ideas. And, unfortunately, some of the mainstream press is perpetuating these crazy ideas.
Just yesterday I read the feature article in a major business publication titled, “The Hiring Game, New Times, New Rules.” (The fact that they use “game” in the title should be your first clue that they don’t get it.) The article outlined that, due to the current economic conditions, the power in the has shifted from candidates to the hiring managers. Idiots!!!
Anatomy of a Good Recruitment Ad
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are going to attract top talent you have to use the right lure. You need to write your ads so they appeal to the person likely to be successful in your environment. And, you have to attract that person’s attention. In short, you need to use your Unique Hiring Proposition (UHP).
Your UHP simply answers the question, “Why should I work for you?” Think of it as the driving force, your mission statement for all your recruiting activity. People need a reason to work for you and your UHP supplies that reason. As a side note, your UHP also helps identify those people who should NOT work for you.
With your UHP in hand, you need to view attracting candidates as a sales problem. How do you go about attracting prospects for your product or service? First, you identify what a good prospect looks like. What interests them? Where do they live? What do they read? What do they do for fun? Where do they congregate? Once you know all this, then you can determine the best way of raising their interest. Finally you present your product in an appealing way and try to close the deal.
Recruiting is no different.
The Business Owner’s Most Important Decision
Posted by: | CommentsImagine this situation. You are competing against two other firms for the same piece of business. One firm is the 900-pound guerilla in your market, and the other is a competitor of about the same size. You have the best technology, the big company has the most market share and brand recognition and the third competitor has the lowest price. Who gets the business?
Hire Slow – Fire Fast — Wrong!
Posted by: | CommentsTake your time when you hire but be certain to fire fast. It seems like Moses brought this message down from the mountain. People have been repeating it for so long that it has taken on an aura of correctness. Too bad it is wrong. Let me show you what I mean.
I had a discussion with an executive coach recently who was telling me how he was counseling his clients to take their time in hiring. I asked him why he was counseling this. His answer was that it only makes sense to take your time hiring so you don’t make a mistake and have plenty of time to compare candidates. Seems to make sense. But, not so fast my friends. This is a lousy piece of advice. Hiring must be done a fast as possible. Let me explain.
