A Recruiter may not always be hiring for his / her Clients or for the Organisation working with, but he/ she should never stop Recruiting for top players. Keeping the supply of talent filled with the highest quality of professionals, requires continuous talent acquisition and a focus on identifying, hiring, promoting and retaining high level performers.
If an organization receives a resignation before it starts Recruiting, then the organization is putting itself in a bind. But if the talent pool is already filled with “A” players, hiring in a hurry can be avoided and the organization will not end up hiring candidates who are not up to the mark.
However, there are challenges associated with recruiting “A” players including how to afford this top talent and how to persuade them to join the organization when they have other choices.
To start, even if there is not enough budget for topmost talents now, at least they may be contacted in order to get a feel for their talent and ambitions. A good Recruiter will find out what makes them tick. He or she will stay in touch so that when he/ she is ready to make and the budget is in place, a list of hireable “A” players is already there.
However, since there is a high demand for this select group, they will have choices. The Recruiter will need to develop a capture strategy that revolves around a winning value proposition. Selling a job to a “class one” player is exactly like selling to a discerning consumer. The candidates will be asking themselves: “Why should I join your company?” or “Why should I make a move at all?” Therefore, the Recruiter will require compelling and persuasive answers and actions to these questions. Here are 5 to consider:
1) The Recruiter should the best employees to serve as ambassadors for his /her company or for the Client working for.
He / She will train and equip his best employees to be the faces of the company. He/ She will allow them to engage with highly eligible candidates and talk about why they should consider working at the firm. This is an effective and efficient way to recruit top talent due to the fact that people trust an expert within a company more than they trust the CEO.
2) A successful Recruiter always helps “A” players continue to succeed promotes responsible and successful business practices, lets top talent know that the Recruiter is open to new ideas and business initiatives that will yield positive results. Also, a good Recruiter will definitely convey and/or demonstrate how a well done job is acknowledged and appreciated.
3) A successful Recruiter takes time to develop a relationship. “A” level candidates are usually passive candidates and are not actively seeking employment. Therefore, they aren’t in a hurry to make a move and expect want to be courted. The Recruiter has to spend the time and effort required to help them build familiarity and trust in the organization. The Recruiter should be accessible and encourage open and regular communication.
4) A good Recruiter remains aware of talented candidates’ challenges or pain points.
When the Recruiter is engaging with star performers, it’s important to zero in on what they need but aren’t getting from their current employer. In other words, their pain has to be identified and addressed by the Recruiter. The Recruiter should leave no stone unturned to make the best talent know how his / her company is different. Also, it is important to learn what concerns they might have about accepting the position offered and directly speak to any hesitations.
5) A successful Recruiter will offer the talent a Work/Life Balance. Since “A” players stay at jobs longer than the average worker, they are looking for more than a Pay check; they seek a work/life balance. It may be of interest to note that money alone rarely entices them. More likely, it’s a balance between family, work, and fun.
To summarize: If you are a Recruiter and aspire to be a successful one, never stop Recruiting for top talent. If you are not dedicating a large chunk of time to Recruiting, you may not succeed in landing the talent you want. Selling your organization to the “A” player is core to your success.