Hiring…The Search

Senior Strategic Partner, Charles Parnell, reminds us that while there are job boards and all that good technology stuff to find candidates, some of the more traditional methods can work extremely well. Every hiring assignment starts with a VERY CLEAR POSITION DESCRIPTION AND KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES for the position. Without these things, hiring is little more than a guessing game. Read on as Charles shares some very proven methods of finding the right candidates in this very competitive employment world.

Sourcing outside the organization is challenging and exciting at the same time. The challenge is to be compressive in your search. It’s exciting to search for and find the most qualified candidate for your open position. Here are some tips:

• Advertising – In advertising, to fill vacancies within the organization the audience is easy to reach. In searching outside the organization, the audience is widely dispersed requiring many different sources to communicate advertisements. One source is trade journals, which are particularly useful for technical or professional recruiting purposes. Some general managerial or administrative positions may be advertised through such sources as the Sunday New York Times, The Wall Street Journal serving a given area, the Harvard Business Review, or other such generalist managerial type publications. Frequently, there are professional societies which publish employment bulletins or act as a clearing house for their particular associations. Many professional associations have yearly conventions and offer placement services at these conventions.
• Public Agencies – There are many public agencies available, providing employment services to applicants and employers. The largest service available is the Employment and Training Administration of the United States Department of Labor created to assist employers and applicants in getting together. Other agencies also provide free services for public employment. Examples would be: the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Urban League, the National Association of Businessmen’s Jobs Program, National Organization for Women, etc.
• Private Agencies – These may be fee or non-fee agencies. The management search typically charges a fee to the employer. These agencies are commonly referred to as employment agencies. They typically place employees in lower, mid-level, managerial and professional positions.
• Search Firms– These are fee based and they charge organizations for conducting the search, usually about 30% of the employee’s annual salary. These firms typically place upper level managerial and leadership employees as well as professional employees.
• Colleges and Other Training Institutions – Some employers have created departments designed for college relations, attempting to foster a continuing relationship with mutual benefit. With such a relationship, the employing organization may provide facilities for cooperative school and work programs, equipment for research, tours of facilities, and grants or scholarship support. In turn, the educational or training institutions have provided research, specialized technical instruction, and temporary or part-time employees.
• Technical and Vocational Schools – There is merit in establishing relationships with technical and vocational schools. This is true especially in rapidly growing communities where maintenance and craft workers have been found, as well technicians.
• Other Employers – Some employers make outright overtures to individuals employed by competitors, while others recruit circuitously.
• Employee Referrals – This has been and continues to be a solid source for finding qualified candidates.
• Job Fairs – This is very common particularly for lower and mid-level positions. However, some organizations are experiencing success in these venues for upper management and leadership positions as well as for professional positions.

When the search results in a pool of candidates, organizations are: conducting behavioral and performance based interviewing, administering assessments, requiring work samples (where appropriate), performing detailed reference checks, and engaging firms to conduct comprehensive background checks.
These tips will prove profitable in your search for the most qualified candidates to fill your positions. We all believe that the search is and will continue to be challenging. Let us know if we can help. HAPPY HUNTING!

Have a Great Week!
Charles