Recruiting: An End to End Approach

June 29th, 2009

Regardless of the economic situation, organizations continue to have a difficult time finding talented younger managers to replace the baby boom retirees. Perhaps this is not a short term problem for you, but it will sneak up on you.  Smart companies are implementing consistent end to end approaches to recruitment regardless of economic circumstances.

1.       Anticipate the need -   be proactive in analyzing future needs. Be ready for planned growth, market changes and succession planning.

2.       Specify the job - identify specific demands of the position, skills and experience required, the team the candidate will work with and culture.

3.       Develop the pool - create a large network; include insiders, recruiters and people on the periphery of your organization to identify passive “A” talent. It may seem like a “buyers” market but many candidates that are active in the job market are often “B” candidates.

4.       Assess the candidates - train hiring managers how to interview  and assess candidates; perform rigorous reference checks to verify duties, strengths, coaching areas and potential of the Candidates.  Consider a candidate’s capacity and readiness to learn and adapt.

5.       Close the deal - describe the job and challenges honestly, demonstrate your interests in their needs, involve the hiring manager (not just HR), ensure compensation is fair and bring in senior management.

6.       Integrate the new hire - ensure your new candidate feels welcome in the workplace. Provide a mentor to help them through challenges and show them the ropes.  Don’t assume your new hire is “plug and play”. Follow up often, by HR, Hiring Manager and Mentor to ensure there are no challenges.

7.       Audit & Review - don’t hang on to the bad hires, review your process and hold assessors accountable for evaluations.

Set the bar high for your recruitment process and you will build a strong team to take you through good and difficult times. By developing a practical ongoing approach “talent management” becomes a reality opposed to a mission critical necessity!

For more information on how Mercer Bradley can incorporate our customized search process into your talent management system contact your local office.

Works Cited

Fernandez-Araoz, Claudio, Boris Groysberg, and Nitin Nohria. “The Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad.” Harvard Business Review May 2009: 74-84.

Posted in Employers -