Great Recruiting in a Rising Economy

With the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovering well above 11,000 and with companies planning diligently and looking forward to 2007, we are seeing a continued "hot market" for marketing and marketing communications professionals. That's actually good news for both job candidates and for companies. For job candidates, it means there are more opportunities available; for companies, it means that more candidates will consider making a move for greater opportunity.

A rising economy poses interesting challenges for everyone involved in staffing and recruiting, so here we offer tips for great recruiting in a rising economy. For a great outcome, all parties must put in their best effort:

TIPS FOR CANDIDATES

Know your own talent... Even though companies appreciate employees who are flexible, experienced and knowledgeable enough to tackle anything that they toss at them, they make hiring decisions based on the FIT of the candidate to the job. For example, if you are great media relations professional who has created some executive presentations and set up some events over the years, don't try to sell yourself as a speechwriter or an events manager. Sell yourself as a great media relations professional!

Demonstrate your "fit" for the job... Hiring managers generally know what they want, and they tend to stick with their criteria. Take the time to know what those criteria are, and make sure you are able to demonstrate your fit for each one. It doesn't really matter that you CAN do the job; it matters that you are EXPERIENCED in the job and have a TRACK RECORD of success.

Understand your "fit" for the workgroup... Having the right talent, skills, knowledge and experience for a job is only half the recipe for success; you have to a be a great fit into the workgroup as well. This is a totally subjective judgment on the part of the hiring manager and others in the company. It is based on meeting you in person and judging how well you connect with them and how your communications style meshes with theirs. Keep in mind that this is a two-way judgment; you should be totally comfortable with them, too. After all, why would you CHOOSE to work in place that you were always out of synch? That's like choosing to marry someone you don't love!

Be committed... The selection process for a long term contract professional or a permanent employee is so involved that no one wants to do it just for fun. It uses valuable time and resources. Therefore, go into the process assuming that it could be a long-term commitment. No employer wants to hire someone who is just "testing the waters" or experimenting with alternative career paths!

Show enthusiasm... You prefer to work with people who have great attitude and enthusiasm, right? Well, that's how hiring managers feel, too. One of our clients is in the trash disposal business. But to hear her describe it, she is in the environmental protection and recycling business and her passion for the business is contagious. Why would she settle for someone who does not share her enthusiasm? Why would she bother to meet and evaluate someone who has not bothered to thoroughly research the company and the industry prior to an interview?

Respect the process... Every hiring organization, including Brookwoods Group, has a process for evaluating and hiring professionals. Some processes seem to make more sense than others, but you have to respect the process to be in the game. For example, at Brookwoods Group, we do background checks BEFORE we present candidates to a client. That requires a signed application and a list of references. Some candidates believe that background checks should happen AFTER they have met with the client and a job offer is imminent, so they refuse to do the application. We'll respect that decision... but we won't present them to the client, either! Remember, for every person who demands special treatment, there are a dozen qualified people who are easy to work with!

TIPS FOR COMPANIES

Take action at the right time... The hiring process can and should move quite quickly. Once you have approval to fill a role with a contractor or employee, then get the right people working on it at once -- whether it's internal HR staff, or your staffing/recruiting service provider (Brookwoods Group, of course!). Expect them to be responsive -- in fact, demand it! In turn, when resumes or profiles are delivered, evaluate them and respond immediately with yes, no or maybe. Meet with the "yes" people as soon as possible. Make a decision. If someone is not a great fit for the role, say so and let everyone move on. If they are a great fit, take action to get them on board immediately. After all, why would a great professional want to go to work for an organization that cannot make simple decisions?

Be committed... If you think you MAY get approval to hire a contractor or an employee, and you just want to see who is available or what the costs are, starting a search process is a bad idea. If the process is drawn out for months or results in no one being hired, then you just harm your own reputation. For example, one visible organization in Houston has had the same marketing communications job posted for over a year. I know several people who have applied directly with the company, only to have no response or to be told they did not have some obscure experience that is not even listed in the posting.

Show enthusiasm... Hiring is a two-way street. If you are enthusiastic about your company, that will appeal to candidates. If you are favorable toward a candidate, tell them so! (No one should be so clueless to interpret positive feedback as a job offer!) I have actually known a hiring manager to tell a prospective candidate all about why they hate their job and why the company is in such trouble. Who would want to work there?

Offer challenge and excitement... Almost any job can become routine over time, and this reality is of special concern to the two younger generations in the workforce. They have been raised with a constant diet of videogames, computers, internet, global connectivity and group initiatives. They thrive in environments where there is challenge, teamwork and risk. Candidates are more willing to take risks in their careers, too, because they understand that they may work in several companies and several careers. The way to win them over (and to retain them for the long run) is to lay out a clear challenge for the job, commit to rewards for success, and promise variety in this job or easy switch to other jobs in the company.

Be realistic about compensation... Even in a rising economy, candidates cannot successfully demand inflated salaries. (Enron is gone and the dot-com bubble is over, you know!) But smart companies know what great professionals are worth and are prepared to pay a fair wage for talent. If a company assigns a low salary to a given job, they will only be able to retain professionals with little experience, with low self-worth, or who place their job low on their list of priorities. Why would you want to hire those people?

Dare to say yes... Sometimes, if you want to bring great people on board in your organization, you have to get creative and adapt. For one client, we found a perfect fit for a role -- the right temperament, personality, skills, experience, etc. The salary that the candidate requested was reasonable and well within the midrange of the salary of the job grade. The problem was that the client had been recently promoted to a leadership position and her current salary was LESS than the salary demanded by the candidate. The deal fell through because the client could not imagine supervising someone who made more than she did!

Has THIS article given you food for thought on hiring contractors and employees? We always enjoy feedback! Contact me at john.sweney(a)brookwoods.com.