PEOPLE PUZZLE
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BY : KATHLEEN QUINN VOTAW , CEO OF TALENTRUST
Solve Your People Puzzle
Treat Recruitment Like An Ongoing , Strategic Sales Process
U
. S . unemployment is below 5 percent . And three in four employed workers are actively seeking or open to new job opportunities . This “ churn ” in the labor market is a great indicator of sustained economic recovery and overall consumer confidence , however it ’ s not a great indicator for executives who are growing their companies !
TALENT SHORTAGES AND EMPLOYEE TURNOVER ARE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
As a business leader , you must focus on both recruiting the most talented people for your open positions and on retaining the top players who are already on your team . If you don ’ t , your company ’ s growth will be limited . If you continue with the status quo and don ’ t innovate your talent strategy — likely treating your people as an afterthought and taking a tactical approach — you ’ ll struggle to get ahead and meet your revenue goals .
IT ’ S AS SIMPLE AS ABC
If you can forecast your revenues for the next few years and plan for them , you can also forecast your people needs for the same time period and plan for them . Think of recruitment as an ongoing , strategic sales process . Sales pipelines and candidate pipelines are very similar . It ’ s as simple as ABC - “ always be cultivating ” for the right people . You ’ re always cultivating for new customers , right ? ( See Figure 1 & 2 )
You must spend time and energy on employee attraction , just as you do on customer attraction . Establishing and maintaining a strategic and ongoing recruitment process ensures you ’ ll find and keep talented individuals to fit your unique culture and help drive your company ’ s growth . You ’ ll address immediate hiring needs and have a pipeline of candidates available when you need them . This process will force you to be proactive , vs . reactive . It will allow you to uncover the most talented people , likely passive candidates who are too busy helping another company succeed to actively seek new opportunities .
ASSESS , ENHANCE AND LEVERAGE YOUR EMPLOYMENT BRAND
It ’ s an employee ’ s market , and employees want much more than a job . They want an experience , in order to work for you and stay engaged . Evaluate your company culture and understand how employees view you as an employer . Use strength in these areas to differentiate from other employers and offer current and prospective employees the most compelling value proposition .
THE BENEFITS OF AN ONGOING RECRUITMENT PROCESS
1 . Attract more qualified candidates that fit your culture
2 . Engage with passive candidates who are succeeding elsewhere and likely unaware of your company
3 . Experience candidate choice , to address both short-term and long-term needs
4 . Compare multiple candidates for each open position , instead of evaluating one candidate in isolation
5 . Look beyond your immediate needs and consider opportunistic hiring of game changers and A-players
6 . Address turnover with a “ bench ” of available candidates
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