(By Laurie Kahn) There is an art and a science to successful recruiting. You need to have a strategy for attracting and retaining those you want and need to hire. It is not a quick or easy fix, but one that needs to be put in place, with accountability, or you are going to be lost in the dust when it comes to hiring and turnover.
It all starts with building a culture where people want to come to work, where they can learn and grow, while having fun doing it. They will work hard, but they want to do so in an environment that gives back as much as it takes. Doing small things like recognizing outstanding performance, investing in appropriate training, organizing fun teambuilding events, and being involved with your community are all important steps to take.
Ensuring that all details and expectations on a job profile are up to date and accurate will help prevent hiring mistakes. Sharing what tools you invest in, what your day-to-day and weekly expectations include, and what skills you really need in the person you hire will keep you from hiring the wrong person. Turnover is deadly, not only to internal morale; it can also hurt recruitment. Your goal should be to try to get turnover to around 10-15% annually.
Monitoring social media to confirm there are no nasty comments about your workplace is an important task. It is important to have a positive and friendly view of your company out in the world, as anyone you will want to speak with about a job WILL do their homework and research your hiring managers and your company. Make sure you have detailed social media pages on LinkedIn, Facebook, and most importantly, have an updated and informative website with a career page that sells your company as a place where people want to work.
Encourage your employees to refer friends, peers, and others they run across who could be a good addition to your team and reward them for thinking outside the box for the name. Don’t wait until the person is hired and stays a year, after all, it isn’t their job to train and monitor them, just to refer them.
Have an established plan on getting that new hire ramped up as quickly as possible; so have a written plan that can be shared with the potential hires during the interviewing process. Check in with them often to be sure they are progressing according to the game plan.
Last but not least, the most important thing you need to do for success in recruiting is to establish an accountability plan. Make sure that managers who are in charge of hiring are putting in the time needed to recruit and interview. This is often the part of their job that gets lost in the craziness of everyday life.
Laurie Kahn is the creator and founder of Media Staffing Network. She has worked with media companies since 1993 helping them hire top managers and sellers.
