No matter if you run your own business, manage a team or just play a role in a business – you are busy. Most people would, in fact, say they are just about always too busy. And while this certainly can be true, it is detrimental in many ways to consider recruiting a task for the “when I get time” pile.
Finding, attracting and recruiting the top players in your industry should be much more important than many people give it credit for. Having a great team plays a major role in determining the success of the business. So, if you think you are too busy to recruit – you are wrong.
Why You Need To Put Recruiting Top Of Mind
It Isn't A One And Done
Recruiting done well is not just a task or series of tasks, it is a mindset. When you and your staff focus on making sure you always stand out and attract the best and brightest, you are always “kind of” hiring.
In other words, stop thinking about hiring in the narrow terms of just filling an opening when it occurs. Shift instead to always being on the lookout for developing relationships with strong players in your field. When you cultivate an air of recruitment across your company, you will have much better luck finding the best hire when the time comes.
Get your top staff out and about in your community. Have them attend networking events, develop relationships with mentoring groups and university programs and in general just be hiring ambassadors for your company. They don't need to offer jobs to anyone, just build relationships. You are looking to develop long-term talent funnels.
Recruiting and hiring well is a long-game. Lay the foundation by changing your idea of what recruiting means.
You Want Aces In Your Pocket
When one of your best employees turns in their notice, are you panicked? Do you know what route you'll take to replace them? Are you even sure you know what you want and need in their replacement?
When you need to hire well and fast, it helps if you have some tricks up your sleeve. If you have already developed good relationships with A-players, you have some people to turn to immediately. If they like you and they feel you have given them value, they will either bite on your job posting or pass it along to people they know and trust.
When you decide that recruiting is vital to your business and you maintain great connections, you'll have a leg up when someone quits.
You Will Always Have Turnover
There is no getting around it – every year you are in business, you are going to lose employees. They may retire, get terminated, get promoted or leave on their own. It doesn't matter how it happens and it doesn't matter what the position is. When you have turnover, you need to recover quickly and be able to move immediately.
Don't wait until someone leaves to realize your job description and job ads are way outdated. You want to always be ready for when the day comes. Notice, I said when…not if. If you think someone will never leave your company, you probably don't realize you've already lost them.
Scarcity Sucks
When you are looking to fill a vital role and aren't finding anyone good, it stinks! Feeling like there are no qualified candidates in your area, field or price range is a horrible feeling. Scarcity sucks and it leads to horrible hiring decisions. You want to make sure you are always approaching hiring with the right attitude and a feeling of hope…not hopelessness.
By focusing on recruiting as a company-wide mindset, you can avoid feeling the pickings are slim. You'll always have someone who is connected with someone who can turn things around. You won't be forced to post and pray and you won't have to choose the “I guess they'll have to do” candidate.
Get Ahead Of Your Competition
Look, you always want to win right? Well, in hiring you have a lot of competition. Making good connections and staying in touch with people throughout your industry gives you a leg up on your competition. Most people only think of hiring and recruiting when the resignation letter hits their desk or when they have to fire someone.
By making it a focus of your company, you'll be quicker to adapt and you'll cast a much wider net.
When your company shifts from looking at recruiting as a chore or something you don't have time for, hiring well becomes much easier.