From Good To Great Recruiting

"The World Makes Way For The Person Who Knows Where They Are Going"-Anonymous


As recruiters- whether for a staffing company or corporate recruiter, we guard the gates of our companies by choosing who gets to join our team and who doesn't. We have the power to create and dictate who we bring on board, how we set the hiring standards, as well as the tone and professionalism of our work environment. But, it is not ever enough just to be a good recruiter; you have to be a great one in order to differentiate your company and yourself in the today's market and to assure that you are only hiring the "Best". Why settle for being a lamb when you can be a Lion and dominate. The way we dominate is by having a strategic and competitive edge; we get that edge by attracting, hiring and retaining the best talent available. In order to succeed in this competition for talent, we must do five things before each interview:

Come up with five reasons why your company is amazing to work for. Think of reasons why you are at your company when there are so many others to choose from.

Come up with five reasons why you are great at what you do. Confidence is key for the person looking for a job, but it is even more important for recruiters, because we are selling a potential superstar on joining our company.

Empathize with the person you're interviewing. Look over this person's resume with admiration and respect and ask yourself: what is something about this person I can respect and admire? Do not start your interview until you come up with at least 5 reasons. (He/She is a leader, President of Student Body, likes to travel, etc).

Remember your success stories. View your greatest hires as your own children whom you have seen grow up and become successful. Think of your best hires and how well they are doing for the company. Think of how great it makes you feel that you have had such a great impact on the company.

Get excited: stand up straight, put your shoulders back, take a deep breath, smile and get yourself so excited about working for your company that when you shake your applicant's hand for the first time he feels that they finally found the job they always wanted.

Passion and profits go hand in hand, and things work best when you are at your best. Be your best every day by incorporating these five exercises into your routine and you will see everyone at your company profiting from your experience.

What else does it take to K.E.E.P your employees satisfied?

"People work for much more than a paycheck."

Having extensive recruiting experience in a fast paced staffing firm (Robert Half International) and corporate call-center environment (Inktel Direct), I have learned that most employees are looking for common elements from the people they work for. People, regardless of position, seek a good "Relationship with their manager", "A positive work environment", and "Praise and recognition". Successfully combine these three elements and implement them effectively and you have created the foundation for a great retention strategy.

It is obvious that these crucial elements have little or nothing to do with compensation. Instead they remind us an important fact: People work for much more than a paycheck. People not only want their jobs to be a source of income but a source of attaining pride, professional development, enjoyment, and acknowledgment of their skills and efforts as well. With this in mind, I would like to introduce to you a retention-boosting method that I came across a few years ago, simply called K.E.E.P.-Kudos, Excite, Empower, Promote. Sounds simple right?

Kudos- Offering kudos to an employee who is meeting or exceeding expectations is a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to recognize their efforts. An employee who is constantly encouraged and continuously feels appreciated is less likely to leave. Just remember that what might be considered as a reward for one employee might not be the same for another. So, make sure to make the rewards meaningful to each individual employee. A few ways to offer kudos may include: Public recognition, an email, a "thank you" or "good job", a note of recognition or any other simple gesture of recognition.

Excite- As managers, we have the ability to set the mood and the tone of the environment that we work in so keep this in mind each and every morning as you are walking in your office. Creating a positive and rewarding corporate culture is essential for generating excitement. Remember that the more people are excited and enjoy coming to work the less likely they are to seek employment elsewhere. Here are some ideas to generate some excitement in your environment: Have a positive attitude, provide your employees with assignments that are achievable yet challenging, frequent praise and recognition, and share the company's successes with your staff so they know their hard work is paying off.

Empower- Trust your employees and give them their space to perform their jobs competently. The more empowered and trusted they feel by you, the less likely they are to leave. Most employees are on the never-ending search for autonomy and the ability to make impacting decision; meet these needs and you will create an undeniable sense of loyalty. Here are a few suggestions for "empowering" your employees: Be open to suggestions and act on them whenever possible, reward smart risks along with result, foster creativity and teamwork, and show confidence in your team's ability to make decisions.


Promote- The key to any successful retention method should be a structured program that provides and nurtures professional growth and development for employees of all levels. If your employees feel that they have hit a "Glass Ceiling" with the company, then the next logical step would be towards the door. So when possible always try to promote from within, help employees develop career plans with the company, set up a mentoring program, help employees achieve their goals.

Happy employees that enjoy coming to work everyday are the key to any successful organization, so remember that creating a positive company culture is mutually beneficial for you and your employees. Many times we assume that our top performers already know they are doing a good job, but don't make that assumption; a small gesture has the ability to go a long way. A simple thank you or a brief email can motivate someone to keep trying their best not only at work but at other things too. Try and take a personal interest in your employees and don't ever take someone's hope from them, because for some-- that is all they have.

How to Keep Your Best People

"Statistics say that 22% of high value employees often think of quitting, 20% would leave for a similar position and 13% are looking for a new job right now-- or at least as soon as the economy recovers." (humaneticsllc.com)

Hire right
Who do you blame when a new employee doesn't work out? It may surprise you that the majority of executives blame themselves. Or, to be more specific, they blame their hiring procedure. Therefore, the first step on your mission to control the turnover rate is to re- evaluate your company's hiring practices and policies. Here a re a few tips to keep in mind:

Identify your needs
Understand the work flow and when peaks occur, so as to know when you are more likely to need more employees and for how long. Also, take some time to evaluate the collective skill sets and personal attributes of your staff and decide if there are any proficiency gaps to fill. Take your time before you begin interviewing-- to determine exactly what it is that you are looking to hire for and what specific skills you need out of a candidate for you and the employee to succeed. Create a specific and detailed job description for each position-- be sure to include core competencies and duties that speak to your target audience.

Be rational
Overstating your needs might get you a candidate, but chances are the candidate is not going to last very long. Honesty is always the best policy, especially when it comes to hiring. So be sure to be candid about the company, the position and the opportunities ( short and long-term). This will assure that you will find the right candidate and that they are joining you team for the right reasons.

Don't ignore your employees
Previous studies have shown that candidates hired under the recommendation of current employees are more likely to stay longer than those who come on their own. Current employees know the organization and are less likely to risk their reputation by recommending someone who is not going to work out. They are also more likely to speak honestly about the company and the opportunities and therefore attract the candidate without the "sales pitch" that hiring managers usually use.

Rehire a previous employee
The advantage of rehiring a former employee who left under favorable circumstances, is that you already know the caliber of work to expect from them and the learning curve is substantially lessened. Aside from that, you also already know how to coach that employee best and how they will fit in with your current employees. So don't shy away from rehires, instead keep an open mind and place them back on your team with a strategic mindset.

Provide exciting incentives
Incentives can be anything from allowing people to take an extended lunch break to perhaps even leaving early. Loving the feeling of being a winner is something we can all relate to. Providing something to work towards will allow for employees to feel motivated to take that extra step or to make that extra call, simply because they know there is something additional waiting for them at the finish line. Other incentives can include things like, tuition assistance, casual dress days, and additional vacation time. Remember that people work for much more than a paycheck.

Start off on the right foot
Make sure that all new employees are fully aware of their duties the company's organizational structure, and what is expected of them. You cannot possibly expect someone to live up to your standards if you do not make those standards clear form day one. So, be sure to take a look at your new-hire orientation process, and make sure that it is up-to-date and effective. If you set the right pace from the beginning, you will ensure that your new employee will be performing at their very best.

Keeping your best employees is essential to your organization. These are the employees that make you look good and keep your organization oiled and fine tuned. So be creative, innovative, and exciting when thinking of new retention methodologies. And keep in mind that your employees (whether they are the best or average), are the driving force behind your business; so take the time to acknowledge their efforts and let them know that their loyalty and hard work is appreciated. You will be surprised how the little things can sometimes make the biggest difference.