My mom is a retired math teacher so the fact I have an equation in something will make her pretty happy. I wasn't the greatest math student, but I do have the ability to add 3 things together and come up with a great answer!
Hiring isn't fun or easy for a lot of people, and thinking about adding recruiting into the mix is probably a bit frightening. But, I am here to tell you that not only can hiring be a lot easier, but recruiting is also simple math and nothing to sweat.
I can most easily describe recruiting as a simple equation:
Everything Has To Align
If you have the right person but not the right opportunity you don't have a hire. If you have the right opportunity but it isn't the right timing, you don't have a hire. See where I am going with this? You need all 3 essentials to make it to the right hire. It always (always!) takes 100% of each of these factors to close the deal.
So, what does that matter? Well, once you know this equation, you can make sure you always focus on all three components. And you can see where your process is breaking down if you aren't hiring well.
Also, you can share it with all your friends and sound really cool!
The Right Person
No company goes out of their way to hire the wrong person, so this is pretty simple. You must find the exact right person to hits these marks in order to hire them and make them stay:
– The right background and experiences
– The right personality to fit with the culture of the company
– The right attitude to do the job
The Right Opportunity
If you find the right person, they are going to be evaluating you as much as you are them. Top producers and performers aren't focused on just today, they are thinking of the future. To get and keep the right people, they need to see opportunity.
– Can they hit the ground running and be successful quickly?
– Does this role fit into their long-term career plans?
– Is this a long-awaited upward move?
– Is the money on point?
– Are all their needs met by this role and company?
The Right Time
Timing is everything, right? It certainly is in recruiting and hiring – time kills deals. And if it isn't the right time on either side of the equation, where is the urgency?
– Is the position crucial to the company's current needs?
– Is filling the role urgent or a future desire?
– Is the candidate really ready to make a move?
– Will family needs or outside influences make the candidate think twice?
– Is everyone involved ready to move quickly and decisively?
What Goes Wrong
If everything just always lined up perfectly, life would be a dream. But, as you might have heard before – hiring is simple but it isn't easy.
In reality, any number of things can cause it to fall apart. It can be simple and small or it can be a major issue. That is part of hiring. So, aim to hire the amazing game changers in your field and just be prepared for it to not work out every time. And then celebrate like crazy when it does!
Here is one example of how everything has to align.
I was working a search for a branch manager for a construction services company. The hiring process for this company was rigorous – several interviews, pre-selection tests and an interview with their psychologist for starters. My candidate was full steam ahead and crushing it with 10 (!) reference checks and one final interview left.
I called to schedule the final on-site visit and my candidate told me he just found out his pregnant wife had to be on complete bed-rest. While he 100% loved everything about this company, the stress and moving wouldn't be good for his wife or baby. I totally agreed! But, of course, this meant that the equation came undone.
It was the right company, the right candidate, the right opportunity and life threw a wrench in the works.
Business is full of surprises just like life. Things will come at you from out of the left field and derail an entirely perfect hiring process. So, be prepared the best you can, know exactly what you need to find and deal with the curves as they come.
Do you find the Right people for you?
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