Recently I had a couple of Blog Posts that were strategically focused in regard to recruiting. A question came from some readers because of that. They asked, “what about recruiting for today’s needs, I need people now.” Recruiting, for now, isn’t much different than establishing a strategic approach but, methods that are used may be different than the methods you currently use.
Let’s look at those methods and further, let’s keep it simple…
Both strategic and tactical recruiting start in the same place; you have a need for an employee. You have to fully define that need based upon Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Experience, and Behaviors. I called these KSAEB’s in my previous writings in Hiring experience of Giving Opportunity and What Labor Shortage. You must know what these are in order to recruit effectively. These items will create a description with which you can recruit from, what is commonly called a Job Description. While the old expression about the devil being in the details is true, these do not have to be overly detailed or formal. A good handwritten list of the KSAEB’s you want is sufficient.
The next step is to let people know you have a job opening. These can be done effectively in many ways, many without cost. Just remember, sometimes we get what we pay for so not every low-cost or free job site is going to work for you. Social Media is good, either on your business page on Social Media or through your personal account. Asking your employees that do the type of work you are recruiting for is also a good idea; sweeten their involvement with some kind of referral bonus, after the person is hired and sticks around for a while. Your states Workforce Development site usually is a free job posting site as are many Colleges and Technical Schools. You do not have to pay hundreds of dollars, or more, to post a job. One of the Local Chambers of Commerce also has a free Job Board for posting jobs. Ask around, do some basic research. The possibilities are great.
Then comes the interview. This is not a gab session or general conversation. Your interview should be structured and formal for the type of work you are seeking this person to do. Generally, this means planning the types of questions you will ask. If you did the work for the KSAEB’s then a good type of interview question is the behavioral question. You are looking for their experience with behaviors in different workplace situations. For example, you have tough customers, so ask them to, “Tell me about a time when you had to manage a tough customer.” There is an acronym to help you make sure you get a complete answer; SAR.
Situation – tell me the situation or circumstances
Action – What did you do?
Results – What was the outcome.
The outcome is less important than the action. Just remember to get a complete answer (SAR) and to ask questions based upon the KSAEB’s you identified. Generally, your questions will start with the words “Tell me about a time when…” or similar.
You may want them to demonstrate how well they use a certain set of tools, operate a certain type of equipment or be able to type at a certain speed and accuracy level. Some of that you can do yourself, some may cost you a few dollars to do it right. The key is that the test should match the job.
The next step is the reference or background checks. In some places, you are prohibited by local law from doing these until after you make an offer of employment. Regardless, these should be thorough. You want more than did they work there and when. Unless it is a sales role their former rate of pay is irrelevant. You also want to talk to more than co-workers and friends. Ask about job performance. A trick I use is to ask the person if they know of anyone else you can talk to about your candidate. Good references are important.
Finally, there is the decision and an offer to hire. If the person accepts you may choose to do a post-offer pre-employment drug test. Remember, these cannot be done until an offer is accepted.
When the person starts work there is still work to be done. As the Business Leader, you have a responsibility to help them be successful. The simple steps I shared are a brief overview of what must be done to hire someone. How that person is brought into your business, treated on the job, rewarded, trained, and so forth are all critical things that must be done to retain them and make your company successful.