Recruitment
Do you know why I am often amazed by recruitment processes? Since 1993, I have been conducting recruitment and executive search processes for hundreds of large and medium-sized companies. A former manager of mine used to say, ‘they are like a bunch of frogs in a wheelbarrow.’ I still have that image in mind when I talk to multiple candidates; how do I keep them aligned with my client?
I could write a book about successful and less successful recruitment processes. I learn from every assignment; nothing is ever taken for granted in this field. The beauty is that I not only handle recruitment myself but also guide my clients to achieve a successful recruitment process.
Use the checklist below to your advantage. Strengthen the hiring of key figures in your organization.
1. Intention
The start of a recruitment process begins with the right intention. This may sound like an open door, but I have often seen recruitment processes initiated from other intentions (self-interest, creating the impression of strong company growth, etc.).
2. Distinctive Ability
It may seem logical, but few companies truly know how they differentiate themselves in their industry. I often help companies to move away from generalities and identify and embrace their true distinctive abilities.
3. Reputation, Image, and Attractiveness
A strong company reputation and identity expedite a successful recruitment. Always pay attention to your company’s reputation. How is your company perceived? Is there confidence in the company’s reputation? And what about the reputation of the management and employees? During a recruitment process, the candidate’s trust in the company’s reputation grows if there is clarity and transparency about the company, the role, and the process.
4. Clear, Detailed Job Profile with Feeling
Writing a good job profile often seems easier than it is. A job description that keeps the reader engaged, triggers them, and perhaps even inspires them. A new role must fit like a glove on the shoulders of the potential employee. Distinctiveness starts here. Make an effort with the job profile!
5. Complementarity
How does a new MT member or employee fit into the team? We often tend to hire ‘more of the same,’ someone who resembles the manager. Just as driven and action-oriented, just as caring, just as factual, or just as inspiring. This is different from what is truly needed. Often, this causes a team to become unbalanced. Before starting a recruitment process, I always pay attention to this and often first map out the entire team. This provides insight and clarity for everyone.
6. Internal or Through a Recruitment Agency?
Nothing is better than having your employees promote the company where they feel good and have confidence. Announce the vacancy internally, and possibly attach a (referral) reward to it. Also, be clear to your employees about how the recruitment process will proceed and the steps involved. Be careful in choosing an agency as well, as they will be the company’s business card in the market. Make clear agreements about what you pay at which stage. Also, check the agency’s working methods and ethical codes:
- Do they understand what is being sought?
- How is a candidate/applicant presented to the company?
- Has a competency test/assessment already been conducted?
- How are references handled?
7. Transparency
Transparency is the key to trust and recruitment speed! Clarity about all aspects: the steps in the process, the wishes, the advantages, the doubts, etc. Saying that you don’t know something can also provide clarity. It is often dramatic how carelessly this is handled. Managers and headhunters often find it difficult to really indicate what it’s about when a candidate is rejected. Sometimes a candidate never hears anything again. Another form of transparency lies in the role of the leader, the one to whom the new employee will report. Is enough attention paid to the ‘click’ between these people? Do the candidate and the manager really show themselves to each other? They both have a right to that, right?
8. Equality
A new team member, a new manager, a new employee: an important step for the company, but just as important for the candidate. Equal openness and information exchange in the conversations are essential. I once experienced a CEO who chose not to reveal himself as part of the procedure: the candidate for the account manager position had to do their best to get through and get to know him. How different is a conversation where information is openly shared to get to know each other better before moving to collaboration?
9. References
I would always conduct a reference check on candidates. However, it is courteous to coordinate this with the candidate. The references provided already say a lot about the candidate. Recruitment is a confidential process, and candidates often want to discreetly explore their options. Also, references are often ‘not amused’ if the
