How can you attract the right talent for your organization or for your client? At recruitDC’s Spring 2017 Conference on May 25, keynote speaker Perri Chase, co-founder of Talent Remastered, tackled this very issue. She presented information that is equally valuable for job candidates, as they should understand the expectations of internal and external recruiters to ensure they find the right match in a job and organization.
Chase began with some stunning statistics from a 2017 Korn Ferry survey. Ninety percent of executives polled said retention of new hires is a problem in their company, as 10 to 25 percent of new hires leave within the first six months. The main reason: Their role is different from what they expected it would be during the hiring process.
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What does this tell us? There is some level of miscommunication or misinterpretation during the recruitment process, where roles and company culture are not accurately portrayed. It is incumbent upon the candidate to ask the right questions, but the majority of the responsibility falls on the recruiter to take the time with candidates to make the right matches and avoid costly mistakes.
The Power of One. Chase recommends that, as a recruiter, you should use one format for every person you interview. Your goal is to understand each candidate, their motivations and how they make decisions. If you’re using one type of interview format for each person, you’ll have an easier time comparing candidates and your colleagues will respect your judgment as a result of the benchmarks you use.
Format. The goal, Chase says, is to have the person tell you their story rather than guiding them through their work history. The best way to do this is to start from the beginning of their work history, and let them talk you through it all. As they talk, ask specific questions to obtain more data points, such as “Who were you reporting to?” and “How many people were on your team?” This will help you present useful information to your colleagues or clients.
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Length. According to Chase, you should spend at least 20 minutes with a candidate, and better yet, one hour. When you speak with someone for a longer period, you will more readily notice patterns in answers, and thus, behaviors. You are also more likely to catch inconsistencies and mistruths.
Attention to Detail. As a recruiter, you need to listen very closely as the candidate speaks. Look for patterns regarding decision-making, which will help you understand the candidate’s judgment and motivations. It is your job to take that information and note trends in order to really understand who they are and what makes them successful (or not). This will enable you to share not only specific candidate work-related data with your colleagues or clients, but also your personal opinion of each candidate.
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Help the Candidate. The other benefit of talking with each candidate for an extended period to really get a picture of who they are is that you can help them overcome humiliation from past work situations. If you have a candidate you believe in, it is your job to make sure they are best prepared for the next set of interviews to land the job. As you get to know them, you can help them overcome self-limiting beliefs so that their confidence is high when they go on to future interviews.
By using the techniques above, your value as a recruiter will increase, says Chase, because you become a trusted advisor of your colleagues and clients. At the same time, candidates will respect your time and attention. As a result, you’ll have a better chance of landing the most successful talent out there for your organization or client. As a recruiter, what could spell success better than that?
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How to Recruit Success Into Your Company originally appeared on usnews.com
