As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm a marketing guy so I read a lot of marketing blogs. I've also always been a marketer who has been "out of the box." Some of this has been necessity (I've worked for at least 8 startups--lost count somewhere along the line) and some is style--that's just who I am. But one thing I continue to point out is now that I'm marketing for a recruiting automation software company (Hire.com), it continues to amaze me at how much of good recruiting follows the same principles of good sales and marketing (so you might think about reading some of those blogs too--I'll be referencing them often).
One of the marketing blogs that I read daily is smallbusinessbranding. Its author, Michael Pollock, has created a small business branding manifesto . If you're a recruiter--read it. More than half (possibly all) of the points Michael makes in this manifesto apply directly to recruiting. Loosely paraphrased, these are some of the high runners. Forget acquiring candidates--create an inclusive network. Forget traditional recruiting--think conversations. Forget control--it's an illusion. Forget selling--think connect. Forget professionalism--think humanism.
These concepts are what recruiting (and marketing) are all about. Here are some things you can do now:
- Make an emotional connection--read personalize your communications. If you are looking for sales reps, create a message and proposition that tells the story in sales-ese of why a sales person should want to work there. Engineers--engineer-ese. Accountants--accountant-ese. Don't just post a job and wait.
- Talenteering is not acquisition--it is attraction. Widgets and office supplies get acquired. Talent is attracted through a process of relationship building and sharing of relevant information (I think that's a conversation--see 3 below). Create an experience that supports this concept. This is the heart of building an employment brand--it's not the logos and colors and taglines, it is the total candidate experience created by building a personalized relationship. (Nice combination of 1 & 2 eh?)
- Start a conversation. You can do some of it electronically. Create a personalized career portal. Create a recruiting blog, it's working well for others. Create live chat. Pick up the phone. Meet the candidate for coffee. Allow a conversation to happen. This is an absolute must for passive and semi-passive recruiting.
- The candidate is control. You can automate your processes 'til the cows come home, but the good candidates will always be in control of the process. The timeline will be theirs, the information they want will be theirs, the people they talk to, etc. Support it, and make it easy for them to be in control.
Stop recruiting--start talenteering. Spend at least some portion of your day (even if it's only a half hour) doing something new that you haven't been doing to get more proactive.
These comments hit directly to the heart of recruiting! For the reasons described above is why our profession has been plagued by fakes. Almost anyone can get on the internet and contact applicants that apply directly to their jobs, but it takes a special talent to pick up the phone and make a connection with an applicant. I have been in the business of recruitment for over 20 years and my success comes from my ability to make a connection with the job seek or friend who is in need. Thanks for stating our role so very clearly...maybe others will learn. Regards,
Posted by: Lynn Arts | April 13, 2005 at 06:29 PM