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Posted By Gez Smith, Lead Agile Coach at HSBC,
Friday, October 21, 2016
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It’s been an interesting 15 years since the Agile Alliance met in Snowbird, Utah to write the Agile Manifesto. Agile, and its frameworks like Scrum, have gone from being the niche interest of a few software development teams to the highly sought tool of the business mainstream.
All over the world, companies use Agile to respond to change, build collaboration, drive up quality, and create happier employees. Many more companies are beginning to realize that their market environment is changing so rapidly that they need to find a new Agile way of working in order to keep up.
However, one element of the working world hasn’t kept pace — the realm of hiring and recruitment. When it comes to Agile, recruiters often just don’t know what’s involved in the roles they’re hiring for. That’s a shame, as the more they know about the roles they’re hiring for, the better they can find the right candidates for those roles. It’s not unusual, though, as it’s hard to be a specialist in every department or type of work.
There is another aspect of Agile recruitment that is more troubling. Agile is a whole new way of working, a whole new way of seeing the world of work. What if you just can’t recruit into Agile roles the same way you would for more traditional working environments?
Earlier this year, I noticed that recruitment consultants in the UK really didn’t understand Agile and its frameworks. They’d write “AGILE” instead of Agile, or “SCRUM” instead of Scrum, as if these words were acronyms like that other project delivery stalwart, PRINCE2. Moreover, they didn’t know what the different Agile certifications meant, or didn’t bat an eyelid at hiring a Scrum Master for a Scrum team of 15+ people.
I thought I’d see if anyone else was noticing these problems, and set up a simple website with two online surveys: one for recruiters, and one for Agile practitioners. The surveys asked the following questions:
- Whether people thought there was a problem in this area;
- Whether Agile practitioners were happy with the current state of Agile recruitment; and
- What recruiters needed to learn to make things better.
The results were emphatic, as 90 percent of Agile practitioners said a lack of understanding of Agile and its frameworks amongst recruiters and HR professionals was a problem. On top of this, nearly two-thirds of the practitioners said they had been dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their experience of using a recruiter to find a job in Agile.
Interestingly, 29 percent of recruiters said their Agile knowledge was good or excellent, while only 3 percent of practitioners rated their recruiters’ knowledge as good, and none of the practitioners who responded rated it as excellent. At the other end of the scale, only 10 percent of recruiters said they had no Agile knowledge, while 41 percent of practitioners said their recruiter had no knowledge. Perhaps recruiters just don’t know what they don’t know?
On the other hand, perhaps this problem has its roots in the fact that recruiters don’t specialize in Agile hiring alone, making them generalists rather than specialists? Only 12 percent of recruiters who responded said they only hire into Agile roles, and 83 percent said they hire for both Agile and non-Agile roles. How can they be expected to understand Agile in depth when it’s only a part of their daily hiring work?
However, these are just statistics. What problems do these stats actually cause? Practitioners were free to write openly in response to the survey about the problems and knowledge gaps amongst recruiters, and they didn’t hold back. Some felt that the roles being advertised would never work if someone was hired into them. One practitioner noted that “[t]here are a lot of Agile project manager roles I see advertised. [S]ome of these are Scrum Master roles, some are Project Manager roles, some are weird hybrids which make no sense at all.”
More fundamentally, practitioners felt that a lack of Agile knowledge amongst recruiters made it difficult for them to assess the different candidates’ skills and experience. As one practitioner put it, “They don't understand the skills required in a good Agile coach. They look for years of experience regardless of Agile knowledge.” Another practitioner observed: “Just because someone has a ScrumMaster certification, it doesn’t make them a coach.”
It also doesn’t help that it is hard to show certain aspects of Agile on a resume. For example, Agile needs servant leadership, but how do you demonstrate servant leadership when resumes are about what you have delivered, not what you have helped others to deliver by acting as their servant.
Some acknowledge that these problems happen further up the line with the person who has the vacancy to fill, but as one practitioner explained, “Their clients often don't understand, so recruiters compound the problem instead of fixing it.”
Context and environment is hugely important in Agile, and one practitioner felt this was often missing from the recruitment process: “Agile is seen as a thing people do rather than a cultural mindset...so many ScrumMaster job descriptions are cut-and-paste jobs, where the nuances of what is required in that specific context are not mentioned.”
Other practitioners backed up my original hypothesis: that hiring for Agile roles may need to be very different from the way hiring has traditionally been run, writing that “Recruiters think Agile is a process like any other SDLC process, which [it] is not, and that is the problem,” and that “[Agile] is more cultural and human than a functional process. Finding cultural fit and empathetic individuals is important. You can't recruit for these roles in the same way as you would (for example) in traditional project management.”
So what are the problems with all of this? Practitioners noted many, but the most worrying issue concerned recruiters putting the wrong people into roles. This role mismatch leads to the failure of Agile transformations and alienates the best candidates. One practitioner even admitted that they like it when some recruiters write “SCRUM” and “AGILE,” as it’s a clear sign they don't know what they’re talking about, warning the practitioner to avoid applying for that role. Fundamentally, a recruiter’s lack of Agile knowledge will harm the company’s bottom line.
"Gez Smith is the Lead Agile Coach at HSBC. He periodically writes for AgileCareers. For more information on training to be a better Agile Recruiter and additional recruiting resources, including the AgileCareers Virtual Career Fair, please visit AgileCareers.com. or www.agileforrecruiters.com
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Posted By Agile Careers,
Monday, October 17, 2016
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In 2016, you would be hard-pressed to walk into a local coffee shop or library and not find every person within the confines of the space in possession of a smartphone, laptop, or tablet (and in some cases, all three). As mobile devices become increasingly commonplace, growing numbers of professionals are turning online for everything from research to record-keeping, to seeking out new career opportunities.
One of the fastest growing segments of the online recruiting world are Virtual Career Fairs. Much like an Onsite Career Fair, these events attract exhibiting employers and jobseekers in an environment where they can connect and engage in conversations, although in an online event this all occurs without the need for travel.
The absence of travel costs is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the many reasons why Online Career Fair’s have gained such immense popularity in the past several years. Along with the ease of use of online platforms, there is an incredible efficiency in recruiting at a Virtual Fair that just can’t be duplicated elsewhere.
Jobseekers are provided the opportunity to have “face-to-face”, one-on-one text based chats with recruiters from the exhibiting companies of their choosing. They can wait in multiple lines at once, and they can potentially speak with 10 or more recruiters in the course of three short hours. This type of high quality interaction can not be duplicated in any other forum to date.
Recruiters are provided the same benefits. They have the ability to ‘interview’ highly qualified candidates in their niche without having to leave their desks. They can pre-qualify candidates in their virtual line, view resumes while chatting with jobseekers, hold multiple one-on-one chats simultaneously, conduct follow-ups both during and after the event, and rate and take personal notes of each candidate they speak with. They have access to a history page where all of their conversations, ratings, and notes are saved, and in the course of three hours can have several dozen first touch interviews!
AgileCareers is hosting a Virtual Career Fair on November 3, 2016 from 12 – 3pm EDT. Job-seekers register for FREE, whether or not they are Scrum Alliance members and will be able to connect with hiring organizations in a live, one on one online chat setting.
More information about AgileCareer can be found at http://www.agilecareers.com/ including information for employers who would like to participate.
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Lean Agile
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Posted By Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D.; The Ethics Guy,
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
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Accountable employees keep their promises, consider the consequences of their actions, take responsibility for their mistakes, and make amends for those mistakes.
The following questions may help you discern a job candidate’s level of accountability.
Describe a situation in which you took responsibility for a mistake you made. What were the consequences to you for doing so?
Brad, a mailroom worker at a large pharmaceutical company, threatened a coworker. He initially denied what he had done but eventually admitted it and added that he hadn’t intended to follow through with the threat. Geri was the HR director at the company. She believed in Brad and rebuffed efforts to have him fired.
Brad agreed to take an anger management course and went on to become Employee of the Month. In Geri’s telling of the story, Brad’s hardscrabble background made owning up to his mistake especially challenging. But he did it, and that’s why Brad is one of the Good Ones—high-character employees who consistently deliver superior results.
For doing right by an employee, Geri is a Good One too!
Have you ever taken responsibility for a mistake that a member of your team made?
One of the people I interviewed for The Good Ones: Ten Crucial Qualities of High-Character Employees, told me that his boss Harvey took the heat for a mistake that a direct report had made that cost the company a lot of money and aggravation. The magnitude of the problem was so severe that Harvey submitted his resignation to his own boss, Suresh, but Suresh wouldn’t accept it. In fact, he promoted Harvey for doing something that not enough managers do: accept responsibility for something that occurred on their watch.
Walk me through a typical working day.
Asking a job applicant to provide details of a working day is an attempt to discover the person’s work/life balance. The point is to get the applicant’s assessment of how work fits in with his or her life. People with a strong work ethic are accountable people, because they keep their promises to their employers to do their jobs well. They’re neither lazy people nor workaholics.
“But this question is too personal to ask, even if it’s legal to do so,” one might object. Yes, it’s personal, but in an entirely appropriate way. The interviewer is trying to get a fuller sense of the person before him or her. What role does work play in the job candidate’s life? How much does he or she value having a rich and varied personal life? Asking about the candidate’s sex life or religious views are out of bounds; inquiring about work/life balance is not.
This is the second of a ten-part series called How to Hire High-Character Employees. The first part was How to Hire Honest People. Next time we'll look at how to hire caring people. See you then!
Through his keynotes,webinars, in-house training programs, FORTUNE contributor Bruce Weinstein, The Ethics Guy, works with organizations that want to do the right thing every time and that know the key to their success is the high character of their employees. More information about Bruce and his services can be found at www.theethicsguy.com or he can be reached at 646.649.4501.
Bruce lives in Manhattan with his wife Kristen Bancroft, who was recently a contestant on Jeopardy!
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Accountability
Ethics
Hiring
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Posted By Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D.; The Ethics Guy,
Monday, September 26, 2016
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My father once bought a life insurance policy from an agent who was warm, friendly, and had impeccable credentials.
He also embezzled thousands of dollars from my dad.
It can be difficult to evaluate a job candidate’s honesty, but it’s crucial to try, and the following questions may help.
Tell me about a time when you had to tell a direct report an unpleasant truth.
Ross, a senior vice president, needed to tell Hazel, his direct report, that she wasn’t going to get the promotion she was expecting.
“I was afraid she would quit,” Ross told me. “She has been with the company for seven years and has always done a good job. She was angry when I told her, but she appreciated that I had let her know what was going on,” Ross explained. “She knows she can trust me to be straight with her. That may be one of the reasons she still works here.” And Ross eventually secured both a promotion and a raise for Hazel.
Ross is one of the Good Ones, because his commitment to honesty ultimately benefitted his company and a valuable relationship with a direct report.
Have you ever cheated, and if so, what did you learn from it?
From time to time I interview high school students who are applying to the college I attended, Swarthmore. A few years ago, I mentioned to Rob, the young man I was interviewing, that I’d written a book called Is It Still Cheating If I Don’t Get Caught? I told him how dismayed I was by the stories of cheating in high schools and colleges and asked him point-blank if he had ever misrepresented himself.
“Yes,” he said. “My friends and I have done it more than once. School is so competitive now you have to cheat to get good grades.”
Rob got a “Do not admit” recommendation from me on the college evaluation form.
There are two downsides to asking a job candidate a direct question about dishonesty. First, it immediately strikes fear in the candidate’s heart, even if the candidate is an honest person. I don’t like the idea of making people squirm.
The second downside is that the question seems to present a no-win situation. The candidate may reason that if the she admits to having cheated, she won’t get the job, but if she lies, she’ll be caught in a fib.
But the savvy interviewer will not reject candidates simply because they have admitted to cheating. What bothered me about Rob wasn’t so much his academic dishonesty but the fact that he exhibited no remorse for having cheated and even attempted to justify it.
The honest person has a strong emotional commitment to the truth, and HR managers who evaluate for character as well as competence serve their employers—and themselves--well.
This is the first of a ten-part series called "How to Hire High-Character Employees." Next week we'll look at how to hire accountable people. See you then!
Through his keynotes,webinars, in-house training programs, FORTUNE contributor Bruce Weinstein, The Ethics Guy, works with organizations that want to do the right thing every time and that know the key to their success is the high character of their employees. More information about Bruce and his services can be found at www.theethicsguy.com or he can be reached at 646.649.4501.
Bruce lives in Manhattan with his wife Kristen Bancroft, who was recently a contestant on Jeopardy!
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Ethics
Hiring
Recruiting
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Posted By Laura Mazzullo,
Monday, August 1, 2016
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In Talent Acquisition, the most rewarding Hiring Managers to partner with are those that are nimble, flexible and open to evolving their hiring techniques to match the trends in the market.These Managers will curiously say: “We want to hire the best talent available. What can we be doing better in order to secure them? Are there ways we can improve?”
The short answer for most: yes, there are ways you can improve! Becoming a stellar Hiring Manager starts with fully understanding what candidates want, gaining a greater empathy towards their point of view, and taking action that provides them with an exceptional candidate experience. The market is changing rapidly, and candidates are becoming harder and harder to secure.
The biggest disconnect I see exists between what some hiring managers do vs. what candidates want. These hiring managers are making it more difficult for themselves to secure top talent, and are creating unnecessary obstacles. Just ask: “What does this candidate want?” and then adjust actions accordingly.
A few common mistakes I see:
1) Action of the Hiring Manager: Brings a candidate in 3-4 times to the office for interviews vs. What the candidate wants: To come into the office the fewest amount of times possible.
- Think about this from the candidate’s point of view. They are potentially working a demanding full-time job and must find excuses to leave the office multiple times. For most HR candidates, this can feel like a betrayal/disloyalty to their current job and is very stressful for them. They want to have a thorough interview process with your firm, but they are seeking convenience. Potential solution: you can have a cap on how many times someone comes to your office. One of my clients has a rule (for all levels of hiring), that the candidate should not have to come into the office more than 2 times. If there are additional interviewers, they can talk via telephone or skype/video conference at times that work for the candidate. Many firms are also considering a more streamlined interview panel, as opposed to including every single person. It can be tempting to have everyone on the team involved, but is that what a candidate wants? It will likely start to feel annoying to them and as if you are doubting their candidacy. So many candidates in this situation frustratingly say “They need me to come in again? Really? Are they having doubts about me? They’re really making this process inconvenient for me” This is a way to improve your reputation as providing a strong candidate experience!
2) Action of the Hiring Manager: Overly formal and cold during the interview process vs. What the candidate wants: To feel welcome and approached in a kind, friendly way.
- Many Hiring Managers were taught that being formal, stiff and intimidating on an interview is a great way to gauge a candidate’s ‘thick skin’ and ability to ‘handle pressure’. This may have worked in past hiring markets, but this is now considered a very old-school style of interviewing that quickly turns off most candidates. Today’s candidate wants to have an authentic, genuine conversation with interviewers. They are looking for chemistry and rapport and they are strongly assessing cultural fit. A new approach is to be yourself and have a sense of humor; you can still dig into difficult questions/address concerns, but allow the approach to come from a kinder perspective. So many candidates in this situation frustratingly say “I really liked the firm, but wouldn’t go back. The interviewer was so cold and aloof. I can’t imagine working for him/her.” This is a way you can improve your employer branding efforts!
3) Action of the Hiring Manager: Present a candidate with the same job they are doing elsewhere vs. What the candidate wants: To continue learning and embrace new intellectual challenges.
- This often starts with the job-description, which too often reads as a list of ‘what the Hiring Manager wants’ (basically implying: we want a candidate doing this exact job at one of our competitors. The Hiring Managers think: the candidate will already know the industry, the role and will require less training time). During the interview process, Hiring Managers probe candidates to determine if they’ve done everything required for this role currently/previously. Here’s the challenge: today’s candidate won’t be likely to move for the same job elsewhere! They are seeking new adventures in their career. Hiring Managers must understand the candidate's point of view, and consider their own list of (potentially unrealistic) must-haves and areas that can be trained. Potential solutions: Ask candidates what they are looking for. Write job-descriptions that attract candidates to your brand/firm. A role can evolve for the right person, so ask them about their goals. So many candidates in this situation frustratingly say: “I really liked the firm, but am not interested in pursuing the role further. It’s clear it would be more of the same for me. I’m looking for some new challenges and new things to learn.” Providing candidates what they want in a role is a fantastic way to ensure strong employee retention down the line!
These are 3 areas for Hiring Managers to consider as they continue to court top talent in this market. Subtle changes in approaches can make a huge difference in securing the talent you want. When in doubt about how to take action, ask yourself: What do candidates want? Better yet, what would I want if I was a candidate? This will provide you with stronger empathy and a real opportunity to be a more successful Hiring Manager.
Laura Mazzullo is founder and owner of East Side Staffing, a boutique recruitment firm specializing in the placement of Human Resource Professionals. More information can be found about Laura and East Side Staffing at www.eastsidestaffing.com.
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Posted By Laura Mazzullo,
Monday, May 2, 2016
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Yes, you’ve all seen dozens of articles on interview tips for candidates. Most are designed to assist candidates in improving their interview techniques to ultimately increase their chances in landing their ideal job. But, what about the interviewer? How are we helping them increase their chances in securing their ideal candidate? Are we to assume all hiring managers know how to interview perfectly? Or, like candidates, do we know that all interviewers can benefit from tips and pointers to help them? Just as candidates at all levels welcome new techniques/pointers to help them on a search, so should Managers. Why should Managers consider how they are interviewing? In this candidate-driven climate, candidates are being quite discerning and critical about organizations they are exploring. The interviewer and his/her disposition will strongly contribute to the candidate’s interest (or lack thereof) in pursuing the opportunity further. How an interviewer interviews is incredibly important in terms of building employer branding, candidate experience and offer acceptance! What needs to be done? Internal Talent Acquisition teams should be partnering with their Learning and Development teams to create company-wide interviewing training for managers. Interviewers must be trained! Managers must have up-to-date information on today’s market and today’s candidate. As the job-market is always changing, so must the way interviews are conducted. How can Interviewers improve? I’ve been receiving a lot of feedback recently from candidates regarding what they want during interviews. I also have been noticing ways in which Managers can be improving to match the expectations of these discerning candidates. I hope these pointers help: 1. Address concerns directly to the interviewee When interviewing, if you have a concern about what you're hearing...address it! By addressing concerns, you give the other party a chance to explain it further. Equally, you are initially creating a climate of transparent communication which is a key component to a successful hire. Deliver the concern in a kind way but tell the interviewee you need more information, clarification and you want to learn more. Where most Managers go wrong is they tell a candidate "So nice to meet you, I think you’re great for the role!” and then go back and tell their Recruiters they had XYZ concerns. Address them directly with the candidate and you’ll be amazed at how you can make communicative breakthroughs with them that can lead to a successful hire. 2. Cheer up if you’re having a bad day (or don’t go in!) So many candidates recently have shared experiences with me where they’ve interviewed with a cranky individual. I have heard the gamut from Managers yawning during interviews, answering their phones, not making eye contact, never cracking a smile, rushing them along…and I wonder, why did they even conduct the interview? If you’re having a rough day, you have two choices: 1) You can regroup and recognize that you are about to make a huge impression on someone (and ultimately your company brand) and walk in with a kind/friendly approach or 2)you can tell your colleague "Look I’m having a rough day and am super frazzled. Would you mind taking this interview for me?” I recognize option 2 doesn’t always work depending on who else is approved to be on the interview panel, but don’t be ashamed to ask for help if you need it. Your disposition during an interview greatly impacts your ability to attract/hire top talent. You want to ensure you are friendly and engaging. Everyone has bad days. Just make sure you’re not interviewing when you’re cranky! 3. Understand their motivators A candidate told me today "I think companies just hire the person that they need for the role, they don’t care what I want”. If that’s what some companies are doing, it doesn’t work. The approach should be "I want to better understand this candidate, know what motivates and drives them, and see if I can offer them a solution in our firm.” This means asking lots of questions around their ideal role, ideal environment, ideal manager, ideal career trajectory and really being honest if you are the right mentor/firm for them. Instead of interviewing them to ‘fit’ what you need, think about fitting what they need. It also may mean a role needs to be customized for the ideal candidates, or that a few things need to be tweaked on the initial candidate ‘wish-list’: these are all creative solutions that can occur when you fully understand a candidate and what they want. 4. Answer the tough questions Create a climate for the candidate where they feel comfortable asking you the tough questions (i.e. That awful review they read on Glassdoor, the enormous turnover they’ve heard about on your team, the concerning things they’ve heard about the work/life balance at your firm). You want to address those concerns and answer those tough questions for them. Many Managers want to avoid these ‘elephants in the room’ and pretend they aren’t there. That’s unrealistic. Every single firm will have a negative concern to overcome and as an interviewer- it’s your job to be trained on how to overcome those objections and answer the tough questions! Don’t shy away from the tough conversation…embrace and welcome it. It will show the interviewee that you are transparent, communicative and straight-forward. 5.Don’t play hard to get If you really like a candidate during the interview, let them know. Ask them if they have any concerns you can address, questions you can answer and ensure you know their interest level. But, by all means, share your interest level with them! In this competitive marketplace, candidates are being courted by a number of your competitors at the same time you’re contacting them. This means, you have to tell them how great you think they are! This "poker-faced” interviewing style that’s been around for a while doesn’t work in today’s market. Crack a smile, build rapport, tell them they’ve made a good point when they have, tell them you agree with them when you have…don’t hesitate to share positivity. If a candidate knows they did well, their interest level typically grows. Laura Mazzullo is founder and owner of East Side Staffing, a boutique recruitment firm specializing in the placement of Human Resource Professionals. More information can be found about Laura and East Side Staffing at www.eastsidestaffing.com.
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Communication
Human Resources
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Posted By Laura Mazzullo,
Thursday, March 24, 2016
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Understanding the Passive Candidate: Organizations are recruiting passive candidates, more now than ever before. We need to talk about this as I believe it’s becoming an incredibly prevalent issue in recruitment. Have you noticed no one qualified applies for your open roles anymore? It appears as if active candidates have disappeared overnight. Who is left are folks who are happily employed with your competitors (enter, passive candidates). These passive candidates are not exactly interested in changing jobs. For this reason, when you contact them they may turn you down. They are not easy to entice.
Everyone wants them. But, not everyone can get them.
What should you know about Passive Candidates?
1. They don’t want the same job elsewhere
Trying to entice passive talent with a similar job at your firm is not often a successful approach. They feel if they are currently an HR Generalist at your competitor, why would they want to come do the same job for you? They may only be interested in joining your firm if you can offer them something they can’t get where they are now. In fact, I hear passive talent say all the time to me "I get tons of calls to do my current job elsewhere and am not interested. If they want me to try a new team, new department, new role…maybe I’ll hear about it”. Keep this in mind when you’re recruiting. Don’t just think about ‘who do we want for this role?’ You must also think "What candidate would want this job? Who would be interested in this and why?
2. Their boss loves them and they are heavily retained
Especially in HR, candidates are loyal to the folks they report to. With such a dynamic focus on employee retention, passive candidates know they are valued. They have been told by their boss that they are ‘on track’ for a promotion or have recently received what they’ve been asking for (flexible work hours, challenging projects, etc.). The idea of change becomes an incredibly emotional decision for Passive Candidates. They can’t envision leaving a boss who thinks they are the most spectacular employee ever! Keep this in mind when talking with them. Reassure them that your firm can also offer them encouragement, support and loyalty.
3. They don’t want to interview a million times
I’ve seen passive candidates pull out of interview processes if they feel it’s becoming too demanding, time-consuming or tedious. Yes, they need to meet with numerous people to ensure it’s a right fit for them—but recognize they are taking out loads of time from their current (and amazing!) job. So, make yourself available for them. I know, this is a huge shift in thinking for most managers. But the best firms are doing just that: they are meeting candidates for meals wherever is convenient to conduct interviews or are using Skype/Face Time to accommodate candidates. Get creative. Just know you want to let the candidate know you are willing to be flexible for them.
4. They want to speak directly with hiring managers We are really in a ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ hiring market. Everyone is meeting these candidates, sharing their opinions, and getting involved. Passive Candidates prefer to talk directly to the person who would be their direct boss. They want to build that rapport early on and it’s that relationship that will close them on your offer. Don’t put in the most important person in the process until the end. Quite contrary, that person should be involved from step one. This means, as recruiters, we have to encourage managers to have a more frequent communications with Passive Candidates so they feel valued/courted not just by us…but by the person who will manage them.
5. They need to know how your brand is unique
What makes your culture better than the one they’re in? How does the role differentiate itself from the one they’re currently doing? These passive candidates have specific questions about your brand and want to understand its unique selling points. Talk to your Marketing team about ensuring you have distinct ways to market your opportunities and corporate culture. This is where Marketing and Recruitment work in tandem. Without knowing the specifics of why your role/firm/team is better than your competitors, it will be near impossible to entice today’s discerning passive candidate.
6. They will be motivated by money and title
Yes, passive candidates want to hear about your stellar benefits, company culture, career trajectory and collaborative environment. But, let’s not diminish the value of money and title. If they are leaving their (amazing) job at your competitor, you’ll have to make it worthwhile in a very tangible way. If they’re currently a Manager, you may need to title them Director. They will want a substantial salary increase to come to your firm and you may start offering sign-on bonuses and generous compensation packages. Passive Candidates don’t need your job, but you can get them to want it. In order to do that, you may have to increase budgets. Annoying for your Finance team, yes, but it may be a reality in your market.
It’s not easy courting passive candidates into your organizations. I hope these few pointers help! Let me know what else you’ve noticed about today’s passive candidates that have helped you in recruitment. I’d love to hear how you’ve overcome this current tug-of-war between retention and recruitment. I also am curious as to your recruitment market: are exceptional, active candidates still applying to your jobs? Or have you found you have to entice people out of their current roles?
I know for some, passive vs. active often seems like just semantics. But in today’s market, I think this is an important discussion to have and I look forward to your thoughts!
Laura Mazzullo is founder and owner of East Side Staffing, a boutique recruitment firm specializing in the placement of Human Resource Professionals. More information can be found about Laura and East Side Staffing at www.eastsidestaffing.com.
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Posted By Laura Mazzullo,
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
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KNOWING YOURSELF
When representing a new candidate, one of the first things we discuss is their ideal working environment and what types of industries/cultures they prefer; we uncover where they excel.
Of course, these answers are usually varied (and should be!) as we are all unique individuals with individualized tastes, preferences and personalities. It takes deep self-awareness to articulate these preferences, and they are important to know prior to searching.
Ideally, candidates are turning inward for the answers to these questions as they listen to their own instincts regarding ideal corporate environments that best match their needs. However, we live in a world with tons of external influences and opinions of what makes an ‘ideal’ culture. Candidatessometimes feel confusion between what they think they should want(based on what others may want) versus what they truly want in order to be happy…
"COOL" CULTURES
Over the years I’ve been in recruitment, I’ve noticed various trends regarding corporate cultures and some are positioned as the ‘coolest’ places to work. These companies have ranged across industries and corporate environments. The common thread is that these corporate cultures often receive great press; they are truly ideal cultures to some, but certainly do not fit the preferences of all. This is a really crucial point to recognize.
A noticeable trend I’ve seen recently is how often HR candidates say to me: “I think I want to work in a start-up Tech Firm…shouldn’t I?”Perhaps they’ve heard from the media or from their friends that these firms are the ‘coolest’ places to work, but they haven’t stopped to think about what’s ideal for them.
Here’s what’s so important to note: Of course, start-up tech firms are, in fact, cool places to work…for some people, just not all! There is no need to succumb to societal/peer pressure and assume certain cultures are meant to be ‘one size fits all’.
EVERYBODY'S DIFFERENT
There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ corporate culture. Quite the contrary! There is only the culture that works best for you! What fits YOU best?!
I can’t stress this enough. Embrace your individual preferences.
In NYC, we are lucky enough to have a huge variety of corporate cultures including Global Investment Banks, European Retail Firms, Boutique Consulting Firms, Start-up Tech Firms, Manufacturing Firms, Media/Entertainment Firms, Law Firms...the list goes on.
This variety in corporate cultures allows individuals to find what works for them. Ask questions such as: Where do I excel? What type of cultures do I prefer? What feels right for me? Where can I envision myself succeeding? What environments motivate me? What inspires me? Know what’s best for you! Don’t worry about what everyone else thinks is ‘the coolest firm ever!’ It may be for them, but not for you.
There are pros and cons to all environments. Some people thrive in structured, corporate cultures. Others need the ambiguity of a start-up culture. Some need more focused/serious environments. Others need places that are more playful and silly. Some need lateral mobility. Others prefer flat organizations with no titles. Some need ping pong tables. Others need corner offices.
NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF WHO YOU ARE.
Yes, start-up tech firms are cool places to work. But, so are many, many other firms…
What’s really ‘cool’ is when you get to know yourself really well and find a place that fits YOU perfectly!
Laura Mazzullo is the Founder and Owner of East Side Staffing, a boutique recruitment firm specializing in the placement of Human Resources professionals. For more information about Laura and East Side Staffing please visit www.EastSideStaffing.com.
Tags:
Culture
Human Resources
Recruiting
Talent
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