Has this ever happened to you? After months of begging your boss to let you add another person to your staff he finally agrees. You know you need to get this position filled before he has a chance to change his mind. No problem. The economy is still shaky. Still more candidates than positions.
You spend the first week putting 110% of your energy into your recruitment efforts. You post your job on recruitment websites, notify some long lost recruiters of your needs and tell a few friends about this great job opportunity. By week three, the resumes are pouring in. If only you had time to examine them. Note to self–take resumes home over the weekend to review. The weekend turns out to be perfect weather. You give yourself permission to join some friends on a weekend bike excursion. You’ll get to those resumes next week.
Next week turns into two weeks. You ask yourself, “Gosh darn, why is my voice mail always full? Why won’t these recruiters stop leaving me messages? And why the heck does my boss keep piling projects on my desk? Does he really think I have the staff to do all of this?”
After weeding through the pile of resumes, you contact candidates who fit the bill. By the time you reach them, half are no longer available. You schedule the remaining applicants for interviews.
The perfect candidate has been found. You will call her references this week and extend an offer sometime next week. You finally call the candidate to offer her the job only to find out she accepted another position last week.
Back to square one. You ask yourself, “What could possibly have gone wrong?”
Lots. Here is some advice to help avoid another head on collision.
Standing still is not an option-Good candidates go fast, even in a down economy. While you are carefully maneuvering through the selection process, other hiring managers are passing you in the right lane. When it comes to recruiting, step on the accelerator, not the brake.
Stay focused-The only piece of the recruitment process you can control is yourself. Set your course and go full speed ahead.
Build relationships before you need them-Recruiting is a relationship business. Find a handful of third-party recruitment firms that you trust and build the relationship.
Return calls promptly-This will prevent your voicemail from overflowing. Not to mention, it is just good manners.
Every now and then, hiring managers need to make executive decisions. Give yourself permission to make this a priority. Put other work on the backburner and focus on the task at hand. After all, summer is right around the corner and you certainly don’t want to be stuck in the office, behind piles of work, while everyone else is on the beach.
Only 3 days left to sign up for my free teleconference on Ten Ways to Hire Top Talent in Under Forty-Five Minutes. Register Now!
