Recruiting for Retention
Fresh out of college – plunged into the fast-paced world of third-party staffing, I learned a number of good lessons about recruiting.
You see, the pressure was on. Having paid for college myself, I was under water with student loans and additional debts that had accumulated over the course of my college career. Even though I had been working about 60 hours a week, the cost of living in Washington, D.C. was very high!
Once the staffing industry found me, there was no turning back. It had to work!
I must have driven my various mentors crazy. The questions just kept pouring out… “How do I…” – “What’s the best way to…” – “Is it legal to…” – Needless to say, they were very patient!
Beyond the processes and best practices, there comes a point when a recruiter develops their own style. A moment when you realize… “Hey! I’m a recruiter and I finally know what I’m doing!”
My “moment” came during a recruiting call. It was the moment I realized how impactful clear expectations can be for a candidate. While chatting with a potential applicant, I started getting very keyed in on explaining the expectations of the role – how they would be judged, what would make them successful, the good and bad parts about the position. I’m not sure why I became so blunt… it just happened.
To my surprise, the candidate not only grew more interested, they openly appreciated the candor.
Long story short, the candidate accepted the position and started up in a contract-to-hire role with my client. Later, she went on to get hired by the company. I never told her that she solidified the way I recruit… perhaps I will someday. Until then, I will take the lesson and use it in my future work.
Honesty and openness with candidates will lead to better hires and a higher level of retention. If you want to keep them, make sure they know what they are getting in to. You would want the same.
Do you sugarcoat your recruiting or do you put it all out there? Do you have a non-negotiable part of your recruiting process?
Photo Credit, tiffa130
Michael Long (The Red Recruiter) is a small business owner that wears red shoes every single day. Based out of San Antonio, TX, Michael’s firm specializes in identifying the very best Human Resources and Social Media talent across the country. In addition to scouting out the best and the brightest, Michael is continuously engaged in speaking, training and consulting on the topic of social media as it applies to recruiting, job search, human resources and overall corporate strategy. @theredrecruiter
September 29th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Great thoughts Michael. I do not believe overselling (adding sugar) a company’s brand + role serves anybody’s best interest in a strategic + thoughtful recruitment process. Authenticity is very important as you look at the prevalence of retention issues that managers face. Managing client + candidate motivations + expectations is best practice. Everyone involved in the talent acquisition process (recruiters, clients, candidates) should form a unified sourcing + branding process to manage these points appropriately + authentically + creatively.
It’s all about hiring decision-makers strategically forming smart partnerships with the recruitment + branding process. Let’s move away from the idea of one company using multiple recruiters – essentially creating an impersonal vendor concept + making the process of employment branding + positioning a meaningless market competition. I advise company leaders to find one (or a select few depending on the size + hiring needs of the organization) talented recruiter/org/recruitment function and dig in deep to form a win, win strategic business partnership. In this case, less is definitely more!
September 29th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Since I’ve made the jump from agency to corporate recruitment I’ve developed a “no sugarcoat” rule. I’m completely transparent with the candidates, sharing with them where they are in the process and what specific number they are in the recruitment/interview process.
Finally, I make sure that I personally call everyone who interviews with us back. These are not the easiest calls to make, but the candidates truly appreciate them.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:56 am
@Meghan – Agreed! Less is often more in that situation. It should be a partnership.
@John – Good man! I bet they really do appreciate that.