I recently read an article explaining Microsoft assumes that the
best candidates are not looking for new jobs. Actually, if a candidate reaches
out the them that candidate is less
desirable. I don't know about you, but I assume that Microsoft probably has
their hiring process fine tuned. If that is the assumption they make, we can
probably make a similar one. So, what does that mean for our typical job
searching? In my mind, we are spending valuable time and money on something
that is not going to provide the result we are looking to receive. But with
that said, how do we go about finding qualified employees?
When we are looking for a new employee at BCI we begin our search
by asking our current employees if they know anyone who is really talented at
whatever position we are looking for. This gives us candidates that already
have a good reference with people that we trust. We find that our employees
only give us high quality candidates because their name is on the line as well.
They won't recommend someone who they know won't show up for work on time or
have a bad work ethic. It's interesting how that works, isn't it?
I find that regardless of the industry that you are in, your employees
probably know people who are in similar roles to themselves. If you own a
dealership, your technicians know other technicians. If you manage a hospital,
your doctors know other doctors. Or, if you are a principal, your teachers know
other teachers. We have come to realize they will be your best recruiters
for your position, since they know it so soundly. There is nothing wrong with
tying an incentive program for good leads or hires that come from a referral.
This provides additional incentive for your employees to bring strong leads to
you based on what they know of your business and the culture you desire.
Another way to find employees is to think about places you go and
the great staff there. Now I'm not promoting stealing other companies’
employees However, you never know when someone is ready to make a transition
and you are giving them an opportunity. Think about the service manager at the
car dealership you visit. Are they the type of person you would like to run
your service department? What about the friendly receptionist at your doctor’s
office who makes scheduling appointments easy? These are the type of people
that you constantly need to be on the lookout for that can help take your
business to the next level. This is how we have found all of our current
employees.
For example, not long ago it became apparent that we needed a
dedicated sales person for our team. Last year as we were walking around a
trade show, we began looking at a company’s banners trying to get ideas for
other events we had coming up. While
there a sales member of that company began to strike up a conversation with us.
When I walked back by the booth the next day, he remembered my name and details
from our earlier conversation. In that moment, my thought was I want him on our
team! He wasn’t looking for a new job, but he was a great sales person.
By thinking outside of the typical hiring methods, your candidate
pool will begin to expand not just with leads but the best, qualified leads that
will fit into your business. Ultimately, this will save you time and money!
