The Hiring Process 101: The Legwork of Recruiting: Job Details, Selection Team and Planning
PART 2 of a three-part series
Want to find out how and where to begin your hiring and recruitment process to achieve better results?
We’ve summarized some key points on planning here. Watch for additional tactics to come in Part 3.
At Centennial, Inc., we align ourselves with good business partners to round out our expertise. Here, Centennial’s Mike Sipple, Jr. and Stratum U.S.A.’sJerry Howard have co-authored a three-part series on the ins and outs of hiring, from the planning stage to the start date.
The Legwork of Recruiting: Job Details, Selection Team and Planning
Following the right process is essential to helping you make the best hiring decisions possible.
First comes a little legwork. This crucial planning phase involves preparing the necessary background information pertaining to the job and how it fits into your organization.
At the outset, you will need to:
1. Create a clear and compelling job description.
Make the job description attractive and give it some personality — one that aligns with your company’s culture.
Define the reporting relationships and the nature of the business, as well as how the job fits into achieving your organization’s mission and vision.
Describe the challenges and opportunities of the position — and make sure it meets your business needs (especially if you feel missteps have been made before).
Ask yourself “What are the must-haves?” and “What are the nice-to-haves?” for the ideal candidate’s experience and skill sets.
Know you’ll need to give and take on the must-haves due to market conditions. Be prepared and stay realistic. You are seeking real talent with real experiences.
Set out to find someone who has most, if not all of the key attributes to be successful. Find a mix of the right skill set, behaviors and abilities. Look for the unique behaviors that can drive the success.
Bear in mind that behaviors can be staged to match what the clever recruit thinks you are looking for at that time.
Talent, passion and energy should never be underestimated.
Remember, hiring is not always perfect. It’s not an exact science.
2. Assemble an experienced and informed selection team.
We recommend limiting the selection team to as few people as possible to streamline the process. Include only the key decision makers for the hiring process, and those who will influence the hiring — call it the “true selection team.”
When working with a recruiting firm, make sure they have direct access to the entire selection team including the chief decision maker. Include them early and often.
3. Define and align on clear goals for determining the ideal hire.
The selection team should think through and agree upon ahead of time what is acceptable for the desired skill set and ability areas.
For example, is 7 out of 10, or 8 out of 10 skills enough to hire? In many cases, the answer is “absolutely.” But all too often, these conversations or debates take place late in the game, while the best candidate sits and awaits your feedback.
A candidate’s talent, experience, leadership and culture fit might align so well that you might decide that you can teach the technical. However, for technical, project-specific or industry-specific functional positions, you may also have to identify two or three key focus areas where you have to bring that key person up to speed.
What’s most critical in a candidate is to find a track record of successful behaviors and skills that can accomplish your goals and objectives.
4. Planning and timing
The more upfront planning you can do, the better.
When it comes to identifying people, timing for your business is critical — but know that the timetable for identifying the right person might not align with your business timing. Selecting and hiring the best candidate is not as simple as purchasing a new piece of software or hiring a new service provider, for instance.
Consider hiring a recruitment firm to act as an expert resource and “buffer” to follow up and report back across the team. We understand that everyone is always busy with other priorities, so having an expert on board can bring alignment and keep your process moving.
Key points on timing:
Think through when you need the person to start — and always start the process and communications several months before you need the talent on-board.
Work with your team to set the timetable and determine availability — because everyone has professional and personal agendas to manage.
Give yourself an extra two to four weeks to compensate for the unexpected, if at all possible.
Keep in mind that the more adjustments or changes you make along the way, the more time the process could take. However, using the process to help you align and make adjustments is critical to getting the right hire.
Try not to get frustrated during the first few weeks of the process. Trust that your clarity and upfront planning will pay off.
Make timely decisions so the “A” candidate is still available.
In short, the more clearly defined planning and priorities you establish up front, the more streamlined the process is likely to be. Clarity counts!
The Hiring Process 101: How Do Recruiting and Hiring Mistakes Happen?
PART 1 of a three-part series
At Centennial, Inc., we align ourselves with great partners to round out our expertise. Here, Centennial’s Mike Sipple, Jr. and Stratum Inc.’sJerry Howard have co-authored a three-part series on the ins and outs of hiring, from the planning stage to the start date. Read on as they reveal key insights and learnings — and how to avoid missteps.
Part 1
How do recruiting and hiring mistakes happen?
…and ways to avoid them.
Here are four of the most common reasons:
1. LACK OF PLANNING
Simply stated.
2. LACK OF CLEAR VISION FOR NEW HIRE
Companies often have too many priorities and goals that are not prioritized – instead, focus on ‘fit’
3. MAKING TOO QUICK A DECISION
Resumes can be misleading. A great resume does not always indicate the “Right” candidate, and a poorly written resume just might belong to the best candidate.
How do you know?
Consider the individual candidate’s:
Culture and chemistry fit
Energy, passion, attributes and motivations
Experiences, accomplishments and expertise
Desire to learn, grow and change
In short, do not base your decisions on the paper. Although resumes can be an important tool for initial review, you should base your decisions on the experience and conversations with the candidate pool.
4. NOT HAVING A SYSTEM IN PLACE – OR NOT FOLLOWING IT
Whether or not the system is working, chances are, it could benefit from an outside expert’s perspective. In today’s talent market, relying solely on internal systems and hiring managers’ perspectives without getting an outside perspective can be costly.
Internal perspectives need to be reviewed and challenged to ensure they align with reality.
COMING UP NEXT IN PART 2:
The Legwork of Hiring: Job Details, Selection Team and Planning
“When does our organization’s executive search & recruiting process start?”
It’s an active process that is developing every moment of every day, as your employment brand perpetually communicates the value you are placing on:
The values your organization lives out – not simply what is written in the lobby
The true ‘culture fit’ of your company
The chemistry dynamics of individuals and teams within your organization
The probability of success
The scope of developing, engaging and retaining the ‘best’ talent to hit your goals and objectives
The impact an employee will experience if they accept an opportunity with your organization
The short and long-term challenges a hired candidate will have if they accept the position
Growth and succession planning
Professional and personal time
The truth – what it is really like to work at your company
Authenticity – never before has authentic leadership and authentic culture been more important to leaders
Passion – every “A” player wants to join a passionate team that has a consistent and constant desire to succeed!
If you believe the recruiting process starts when you or your HR department ‘finally’ get around to posting a position externally, it is time to have a crucial conversation with your leadership team, people managers and key stakeholders to discuss how you can best position your employment brand and proactively attract the right candidates to your organization.
What question should we ask to start this meeting?
Watch this video and ask your leadership team to be critical of your recruiting and hiring processes. If you want to recruit the best talent you must have a culture that attracts the best!
2010 has been a tremendous year for Centennial, Inc. Not only is business thriving with the upward trending of the economy, but we have been honored with two very prominent awards in the midst of our activity. We are deeply grateful for the recognition and confirmation of our efforts and relationships.
In August, Centennial was named a 2010 Tri-State Family Business of the Year (24-49 years in business) by the Goering Center for Family and Private Business. Read more here…
With October came the announcement that Centennial, Inc. was named a winner of the Better Business Bureau’s 2010 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. Read more here…
“It’s an honor to be among a class of organizations that truly have values and mission to make a positive ethical difference,” said Mike Sipple, Jr. “It’s a class of organizations who seek to do the right thing first and who can be trusted to represent true marketplace integrity with their clients, and in their relationships and community.”
“We always give our best, because we value our clients and we’re passionate about what we do,” added Mike Sipple, Sr. “It’s very exciting and humbling all at the same time to be honored by the business community with these awards. All of us at Centennial just look forward to giving back and paying it forward as we help other businesses grow, succeed and equip great leaders.”
