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5 Ways to Survive the Hiring-in-a-Talent-Shortage Fire Drill

29 September, 2018 by admin

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With unemployment low and a general talent shortage looming, front line managers are feeling the strain of recruitment. As the team struggles to stay afloat, the team leader struggles to find the right candidate in a tight labor pool. This challenging environment finds leaders under pressure to make quick hiring decisions; but are you simply filling a seat or finding the right fit? Here are 5 steps to help hiring managers navigate the recruitment world:

  1. Invest Time With Your Recruiter – Whether you have an internal or external recruiter, arm them with clear information about the necessary hard and soft skills you seek. This will set the table (or desk) correctly for a timely and focused search. Do not assume your recruiter understands the scope of the role or the dynamics of your team. Beginning a search with ambiguity will not a productive search make and you will waste time with candidates you shouldn’t be looking for.
  2. Commit To Regular Weekly Updates With The Recruiter – Your recruiter requires feedback and direction; their outputs will only be as good as your inputs, so it’s far more efficient to collaborate on which stones to turn. Are you seeing candidates that meet your priorities? Do you need to reprioritize the must haves list? This feedback helps steer your recruiter in the right direction and ensures you arrive at the right destination, together. A regular meeting keeps your recruiter engaged and maintains a sense of urgency and accountability.
  3. Be Available To The Process – Making a critical team hire is just as important as making any other operational decision for the organization. The recruitment process will add to your work load and you will not be alone in the struggle to carve out time in an already overbooked agenda. Remind yourself that a great hire can improve morale, increase productivity, reduce waste and ultimately benefit your team and its performance. With this mentality, block time on your calendar to ensure you are available for interviews. True, candidates may not be available during those scheduled time slots. If that happens, you just gained two hours to re-focus on something you may be putting off. Hello Win/Win.
  4. Don’t Wait for Comparison Candidates If You Have an A+ Ready to Join the Team – It’s a lot like house hunting; you fall in love with the first house you look at but don’t want to put an offer in until you see more. Guess what, you’ve likely lost the house for the chance that you might find another house like it. So ask yourself whether you are ensuring due diligence or just doubting your decision making. If you have found a star candidate and they happen to be the first person you meet, count your blessings and your dollars. Bring them to your team before another company sees what you see.
  5. Consider a Non-Traditional Candidate Background – Some of the most impactful people you hire, may not come with a resume that reads perfectly for the role. A hire interested in a career change will likely work harder to prove they can successfully make the shift. A unique background may offer a different perspective from that of the traditional candidate. While their onboarding may require extra time or a varied approach, outside the box team members often bring incredible value to a team.

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