Recruiting Small is the Way to Go Big in 2015

By Jessica Miller-Merrell 

I’ve always said to think big when it comes to recruiting, to set your sights high and push yourself to be the best recruiter you can be. Sometimes, however, big isn’t literal. Sometimes big means successful and simply gives us a way to frame our efforts. That’s certainly true this year, because small is the new big in 2015. Forget about casting your nets wide and instead focus on the small.

The most important thing about going small this year is putting aside egos. It sounds silly because everyone says they just want what’s best for the company, but all too often egos lead to recruiting teams putting more emphasis on quantity than quality. Small is targeted, focused and driven by the needs of the organization. It’s about playing on your strengths, determining what your recruiting team is great at and using that to build, grow and evolve. Embracing small starts with making small changes. So before you go and completely re-haul your existing recruiting strategies or programs, know that it starts with recognizing your strengths, building specific, targeted goals and incorporating changes that don’t require you to realign the entire talent department. They can be simple and small but lead to big things.

This year, I’m focused on making these three changes that emphasize the value of going small:

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is taking time to understand the goals, desires, emotions and needs of people. Start with those around you, such as your boss, team members, spouse and candidates. This helps you to see what others’ priorities and concerns are and how people who are directly and indirectly related to the hiring process are affected. For instance, your spouse’s concerns are likely the same concerns that spouses of your candidates have. Knowing what they are allows you to address them early on. Simply asking the small question, “What can I do to make the hiring process better for you?” is a great way to have a conversation that will lead to better processes and more communication without being overwhelming.

Quality over quantity

As you focus in on fewer candidates, a nice byproduct of that will be fewer phone screenings, interviews, background research and reference checks. The goal is to bring in better and more qualified job seekers rather than a large number that you have to sift through. For me, quality over quantity means traveling less and enjoying my work more. As you focus on the important things, you’ll feel more free and able to think creatively.

More hugs

This year I’m committed to showing more hugs and appreciation in ways that are meaningful but not complex. You’d be surprised how much a simple phone call to a candidate or a thank you to a member of your team can mean. To you, this could mean focusing on personal happiness and finding ways to create small joys more simply. In recruiting, this can look like spending more time with the smaller pool of candidates you’ve identified and feeling really good about a candidate placement because you gave it the time and attention it deserved.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She's the Chief Blogger and Founder of Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter at @jmillermerell.

The Great Candidate Quality vs. Quantity Debate Part Two

 

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

In Part One of this series we outlined the specifics behind the right times to pick quality over quantity and vice versa. If you’re a company that has had bad experiences with mass hiring and not necessarily picking the right candidates for the job, you’ll find these benefits to be very true. Hiring for quality has its perks and they’re good perks too!

Before we get into some of the top perks of hiring quality over quantity, here are some quick pointers on hiring quality employees.

Use Validation Testing. There’s nothing worse than a candidate coming in for an interview and saying their amazing at this and that, then not having a clue once they’re hired. Prevent this with using specific testing software that’ll see if the candidate really knows what they’re talking about. People lie on their resumes all the time. Prevent yourself from being lied to.

Use Referrals. The average time it takes to fill a job position using a referral is 29 days opposed to hiring someone off the street at 39 days. Use your employees to recruit their friends. We all know someone who knows someone who is good at whatever job position you need to be filled. Use your inter-office connections! Give incentives!  

Now that you know a couple ways to hire quality candidates, here are the benefits that you’ll reap from taking the extra step. The right employee can have an amazing impact on the success of your business. A quality person can do more with less. He can bring fresh ideas to the table. She can self-motivate and go above and beyond the job description.

Increased Productivity. This one seems to be a no-brainer. If you hire quality candidates and you treat them as such, they will be brand advocates and want to work hard for your company. Your success will be their success. According to the most recent Gallup calculations actively disengaged employees – those that are least productive – cost the American economy up to $350 billion per year in lost productivity. 

Decreased Turnover. Hiring a candidate that is not only right for the job, but fits into your company culture will result in decreased turnover.  If you’re hiring awful candidates not only will the high cost of training cripple your company, but also the loyalty within your office will suffer.

High Morale. You might wonder how this is derived as a benefit from hiring quality over quantity. Office dynamics play a huge role in the success of a company. If everyone is able to do their job right and even throw out game-changing ideas, your company will be on a metaphorical high all the way to the top of the Fortune 200/500.  After all, who doesn’t want to work for the leader in a particular industry? Put the proper people in place and they will take you there.

The pros and cons to hiring for quality over quantity could be listed out for decades and the debate over which to hire could span a lifetime. Based on what was learned from Part One, the coin could be tossed both ways. No matter, which way you go, know the benefits of hiring for quality.  What do you think? Quality or Quantity?

Photo Credit.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media.  She’s an author who writes at Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @blogging4jobs.