Last week we gave you some strategies for Attracting and Hiring your Dream Team. This week we are going to share some specific insights from your candidates because, let’s face it, technology has turned the tables in their favor. Information, real or fake, is easy to find and your critics won’t hesitate to share their opinions. That is why you must actively influence public perception AND provide candidates with a great experience – or risk losing them. In the gig economy, they have more choices than ever before so you might choose them, but they may not choose you. At The Hire, we get to know our candidates so that we can match them to the right role, in the right organization for them. Along the way, we learn a lot about what attracts them and repels them. Here are some lessons you can learn from someone else’s mistakes.
Attract me.
- Be “that” employer. “I was looking for my first job. I posted for help on LinkedIn. One response stood out, a Healthcare executive offered to connect me with some professionals in her organization who had just started their careers. They were happy to discuss their experience and the company. In fact, they did such an excellent job I wound up applying for and landing a position in their patient service center.”
- Promote your Company. “When I see a job posted on LinkedIn and employees are commenting, promoting and sharing it, I’m impressed. It makes me want to work with them.”
- Paint a picture. “When I’m in an interview with a potential manager, I appreciate when they start by telling me how the role fits in with the goals of the team and the organization.”
- Acknowledge my time. “I send thank you emails to each interviewer who takes the time to speak with me. I am always impressed when I receive an acknowledgment, especially from a hiring manager, even if I don’t ultimately get the job.”
- Give Feedback. “Once a hiring manager reached out after I learned from a recruiter I did not get a job with his team. He offered me valuable feedback about my development. Three years later he is still an important mentor and coach. I have referred many talented colleagues to that organization, one that now works directly on his team.”
Repel me.
- Put your worst foot forward. “On my first live interview, the HR person was more than 35 minutes late. No acknowledgment of the delay and not even an apology. But they did disclose that they had a meeting that ran over and then they went to lunch – while I was waiting! I decided to suspend judgment – until my second live interview. This time the plans were meticulous, but the interviewers were still, well, grouchy and unprepared. Two red flags were enough for me when I got the offer I decided to pass.”
- Be a jerk. “When I research a job, I look for as much information about the company leaders as possible. While doing research on a tech company I was interviewing for, I found a LinkedIn thread where a senior leader was commenting inappropriately on a woman’s appearance. I was offended by the comment and disgusted by what was either complete ignorance of the comment being widely seen or blatant sexism.”
- Oversell your team of superheroes. “One leader spent most of the interview praising his team members. This was more than valuing his team. He gave them almost mythical superhuman qualities. I felt like there was no way I would fit in and I’m sure it showed.”
- Belittle your team members or the organization. “I’m in the interview and the leader is going on and on about how she doesn’t have the skills she needs on the team. She said, ‘I expect anyone in this position to raise the game, I’m looking for a bulldozer.”
- Ghost me. “There is nothing worse than being left hanging in the interview process.” Whether you are an external recruiter, an internal recruiter, or hiring manager – this means you. When someone drops contact without so much as a “thank you for your time” it hurts. When people are hurt they lash out… like on Glassdoor or the Recruitinghell group on Reddit.
We hope you found this article on how to attract your dream team helpful, visit us next week when we discuss how your company’s community service activities can help you attract and keep high performers.
