The Art of Attracting the Best Talent

R. Scott Hood, President
Crosswicks Consulting Group

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Few people would argue with the statement that it is increasingly critical to any organization that it attract highly talented individuals to fill key positions across the organization. Then, why do many interviewers treat candidates as a commodity during the interview process?

That may sound like a harsh assessment, but I frequently get less than positive feedback when speaking with candidates about their interview experiences. If you find yourself feeling that this is not an objective assessment, please think about some of your own interview experiences over the years when you were a candidate.

Many factors lead a prospective employee to a decision as to whether or not a particular opportunity is of interest. Additional considerations affect that person’s decision to accept or reject an offer of employment; and outside influences have an impact on his or her level of success. Throughout that process, however, hiring executives displaying the following seven characteristics of highly effective hiring executives will maximize their organization’s potential for attracting and retaining the best talent available.

I am using the term candidate for a specific reason, and would like to differentiate it from the term applicant. An applicant is someone who applies for a position based on an advertisement or posting thereby displaying an initial level of interest. Those situations are relatively straightforward for the interviewer, since the interviewer’s primary focus is to determine if that individual warrants further consideration. The applicant is already interested at some level in both the organization and the position.

When a candidate is referred to an organization because one of its employees or a third party thinks that that person would be a good fit for an open position, that candidate has yet to determine his or her level of interest. Both screening and selection interviews will be pivotal to that determination.

We are all familiar with the adage "you never get a second chance to make a first impression"; but in the world of recruitment, we generally think of it applying more to the applicant or candidate, not to the representatives of the hiring organization.

Seven Characteristics of Highly Effective Hiring Executives

1. Clarity regarding candidate specifications

As expressed by an unknown philosopher, "When you don’t know what you are looking for, you are sure to find it."

Some professionals involved in the recruitment process assume that from a job title, cryptic job posting, and/or brief job description, that there will be common understanding by all concerned of position responsibilities as well as what is going to be required for a candidate to be successful. A detailed dialog at the outset of the recruitment process regarding position responsibilities and expectations, as well as candidate requirements including licensure, will pay huge dividends as the interview process progresses.

2. Realism about the opportunity being offered

This is the foundation of a genuine win/win.

Despite enthusiasm to recruit a highly regarded individual to an organization, the opportunity must be a good fit in terms of that individual’s goals and objectives. Genuine efforts can potentially be made to restructure a position to be more compatible with a candidate’s expertise and career goals; but merely sugarcoating an opportunity, or making promises that will go unfulfilled, is a prescription for dissatisfaction.

3. Understanding of the difference between the pursuer and the pursued

Recruiting and courtship are not all that different.

This analogy goes back to the earlier differentiation between applicants and candidates. The applicant has already decided that he or she is interested in your organization, so you are the pursued. With the candidate whose level of interest is undetermined, the organization is in the role of the pursuer. Interviewers need to put their best foot forward in order to ensure that the candidate develops sufficient interest to continue discussions if the organization desires to do so. That is not to suggest that the pursuers and the pursued should not both be treated in the same respectful and enthusiastic manner, but the dynamics are entirely different.

4. Presentation is paramount

Positive and engaging.

Some may remember the stress interviews of years ago, where a person’s reaction in a stressful interview was considered to be a reflection of how that person would handle stress on the job. Today the approach to interviewing is more enlightened, but it is easy to let the events of the day cause an interview to be delayed, rushed, and/or an unpleasant experience for the candidate. The candidate sitting across the desk may have the potential to be the organization’s next superstar, but he or she has to become a motivated candidate first.

5. Credibility is everything

Author Stephen Covey suggests, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."

By utilizing curiosity and asking relevant questions, successful interviewers gather the pertinent information needed to make sound decisions. Only after that has been accomplished do they proceed with an objective, balanced description of the opportunity under consideration.

6. Compromise is the foundation of negotiation

Respond instead of react.

After the interviews and reference checks are complete, it is devastating to all concerned when the final discussions regarding compensation and related items lead to an impasse. Clearly, major considerations should have been discussed and understood earlier in the process; but there are frequently loose ends relating to such things as vacation eligibility and relocation. Compromise in these negotiations, addressing each party’s needs, can lead to successful resolution. This is a continuation of the win/win philosophy mentioned earlier in the column.

7. Respect should be showed at all times

Remember when you were a candidate on the other side of the desk.

Even if it turns out that the individual was not a viable candidate for the particular opportunity under consideration, it is certainly advantageous if he or she speaks favorably of the organization to other potential candidates, referral sources, friends, and family.

Alliance for Children & Families Magazine
Summer 2008, Vol. 8, No. 3