When it comes to the job hunt, it’s a buyer’s market these days. And job searchers are looking for more than just a set of benefits. They are looking for fit. What does this mean for organizations looking to hire?
It means you will need to work harder to find the right talent that will help you move your organization forward. Here are five insights to help your organization navigate this hiring frenzy and come out the other end with the right people.
Know what you stand for as a company
This step is a huge time-saver if done properly. Is communication operationalized in your organization? By this we mean, do you understand who you are as a company (values) and where you want to go (vision)? If you have a clear handle on this, it’s easier to find the right people to help you get there. Sure, that shiny executive might have a great work history, but are they going to be able to help your company get where you want to go with your expertise, style, and history?
Being able to share organizational purpose with potential hires, not only gives people more context, it helps you and the people you are interviewing make smarter business decisions. A friend recently reminded me of the adage: When you are clear about your yes’s, it’s easier to say no.
Be clear about the type of talent you want to help you grow.
It’s not all about money
Creative executives want to work in places where they can make a mark, where they are challenged and engaged. Execution is a necessity of any job, but no one likes feeling like a ‘wrist.’ This is where that culture thingie comes into play. Think of it as your company’s secret sauce. If you don’t have a good handle on your organizational culture and how to communicate your culture to the people you interview, we recommend a culture assessment.
Be proactive, really
Great talent is not easy to find. The reality is that recruitment funnels take a back burner to the day-to-day grind, unless you …
- have a good in-house recruiter with amazing follow up who strategically reaches in, out, and across your networks and theirs to find great matches
- really, really need someone yesterday – as in, you and your people are not-sleeping-enough-need people
- you incentivize your talent to help you find good fits within their network (try a referral fee – it can save a lot of money in the long run)
Here is where doing the work to create a leadership program for your people comes into play. If you know the philosophies that drive the action you require as a company, then you have a great filter by which to evaluate potential hires. Don’t wait to recruit until you are under the gun. Connect with those people that you might want to bring on one day, today.
Use your talent assets
Enlist your people to help. Because everyone has free time to recruit, right? No recruiter (in-house or independent) can cover every facet of your recruitment efforts, even with great researchers on their side. Use your network to help uncover possibilities that might have gone overlooked…as well as get a little extra love from people that are already digging your company.
Choose wisely
People who don’t want to be at a job will ultimately bring more damage than companies first anticipate. It’s hard to calculate a missed opportunity on a quantitative level, but we’ve all experienced this qualitatively. We see all the possibilities that come into focus when someone is an engaged, committed, passionate leader, so you’ll have to trust us. It’s more effective for the long game to make sure that you have the right people in place. And don’t hesitate to remove people that aren’t. Rarely do organizations let people go too quickly. If you have toxicity, deal with it. Otherwise, it can infect the whole organization.
Good luck on your recruiting efforts! If you need help navigating these big questions of culture and developing leadership in your organization, The Creative Executive can help.
