Melissa Meredith’s Post

Beyond the Pigeon Hole: Embracing Multidimensional Talent in Recruiting Why do we continue to limit people by judging talent solely through the narrow lens of a job title? In our dynamic world, sticking to rigid labels hinders our ability to see candidates' full potential. There is so much more to explore beyond the pigeon hole. I challenge us all to adopt a learning mindset. Approach each resume with curiosity about the person behind it. Go beyond bullet points to uncover transferable skills and latent talents. Draw out their multifaceted experiences through thoughtful questions. Uncover their capacity for growth by assessing their self-awareness and desire to continuously improve. We must find ways to remove unconscious bias from the hiring process. Rather than making snap judgments about people based on limited information, let's make an effort to see candidates as whole individuals with unique experiences. We need to look beyond the words on a page to the human potential waiting to be tapped. Together, let's reshape antiquated hiring practices that fail to capture the complexity of human ability. People cannot be reduced to a standard checklist of qualifications. By fixating on job titles, we overlook diamonds in the rough—talented individuals who can thrive in unexpected roles. The time is now to embrace a talent strategy that celebrates cross-functional knowledge. Seek candidates who bring diverse viewpoints and adaptability. Prioritize skills over pedigree, progress over perfection. Support people's growth by matching them with opportunities to stretch and develop new competencies. With openness and vision, we can build richly talented teams primed for innovation. Let's foster workplaces where everyone is empowered to succeed by matching their multidimensional talents with meaningful challenges. The future belongs to those who look beyond labels to cultivate human potential.

I do believe that these are red flags to look for when hiring with the exception of #7…. I think this one is nuanced and needs to be explored deeper. Why because people can be disorganized but brilliant, curious, creative, determined, tenacious and the list goes on. Think of all the billionaires and millionaires interviewed where they showcase a “disorganized/scattered” mind but strategic. They have a method to their madness that someone from outside may deem as “disorganized.” Their “disorganization” can be one of the greatest asset for the organization. By thinking so linear on this topic (unless it’s bc hiring manager is disorganized and needs the organization help) is leaving off so many neurodivergent highly skilled employees from consideration. I would revise this to ask deeper questions such as Do they have structured chaos? A strategy? Is there a method to their disorganization? What results have they delivered on, do they align with what I am looking for? Even better- What true qualities do they possess that I am truly hiring for? Let’s start expanding on our hiring process, requirements or views and understand that neurotypical skills are not the only skills that are worthy in the hiring process or hint that you are hiring A-Players. Codie A. Sanchez

Increasing your Recruiting IQ: 🌟 Unlocking Intelligence in Hiring: The Viktor Frankl Perspective 🧠 #Hiringmanagers and #Recruiters read on as I delve into the profound wisdom of Viktor Frankl, world renowned for his insightful thoughts in psychology and resilience. His timeless adage, "The true definition of intelligence is the gap between stimulus and response," resonates deeply in the realm of hiring and recruitment. Beyond the confines of traditional qualifications and skill sets, this quote challenges hiring managers and recruiters to seek individuals who possess not only knowledge but also the invaluable ability to pause, reflect, and respond thoughtfully in any situation. 🚀 In today's dynamic and fast-paced work environments, the significance of this perspective cannot be overstated. By understanding intelligence as more than just academic or technical proficiency, hiring managers can identify candidates who exhibit adaptability, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking skills – qualities essential for success in a rapidly evolving world. Moreover, embracing Frankl's insight allows recruiters to build teams that are not only capable but also empathetic, resilient, and capable of navigating challenges with grace and poise. 💼 Join me in embracing the transformative power of Frankl's adage to enhance the hiring process. Let's prioritize character and mindset alongside qualifications, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth within our organizations. By cultivating teams composed of individuals who embody Frankl's essence of intelligence, we can elevate organizational performance, drive innovation, and create workplaces that thrive in the face of adversity. 🌱 As we navigate the complexities of talent acquisition, let Viktor Frankl's timeless wisdom serve as our guiding principle. Let's redefine intelligence in hiring, shaping the future of our organizations and empowering individuals to reach their fullest potential. Also, remember this provoking thought from Epictetus which resonates with Frankl's adage, "It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." #viktorfrankl #recruitmentinsights #intelligentsolutions #recruitment #recruiting #linkedin 🌟🤝

I often hear CEOs and hiring managers say, “We’re looking for the perfect candidate.” But here’s the truth: The perfect candidate doesn’t exist. And that’s actually a good thing. Why? Because when you aim for perfection, you miss out on potential. Here’s why embracing imperfection can be your secret weapon: Diverse skill sets: Someone who doesn’t tick every box may bring unexpected strengths. → They might excel in areas you didn’t even consider. Growth mindset: Candidates who know they’re not perfect are often more eager to learn and grow. → This drive can lead to innovation and longterm success. Cultural fit: Sometimes, the “perfect” resume doesn’t translate to a perfect fit in your company culture. → Hiring for character and potential can create a more cohesive and motivated team. Adaptability: Imperfect candidates are often more adaptable. → They’re used to navigating challenges and can bring fresh perspectives. Retention: People who grow into their roles tend to stay longer. → They’re invested in the company that invested in them. At Terrelonge Staffing Solutions, we’ve seen firsthand how hiring for potential rather than perfection can revolutionize a workforce. Our mission is to create longlasting partnerships between clients and candidates. → This begins with focusing on delivering highquality workforces. So the next time you’re tempted to hold out for the “perfect” candidate, consider the potential you might be overlooking. Embrace imperfection. It could be the best decision you ever make. Care to share your thoughts? What’s been your experience with hiring for potential over perfection?

Today I am thinking about taking risks and failing fast…. …the full quote, from John C. Maxwell, is “Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward”, it’s about avoiding any obsession with perfection, delivering something that more-or-less works, and improving it as you go. But what is an acceptable risk when it comes to hiring? The challenge at any scaling company is a unique one: balancing the risk of rapid hiring against the risk that comes from overly cautious recruitment strategies. 🚀 The Argument for Taking Risks Simply put, the cost of not filling key positions quickly can be substantial. Delays in hiring critical talent can mean missed opportunities for both business growth but also product innovation. Particularly in tech and executive leadership, these roles are crucial for maintaining competitive momentum and cannot easily be left vacant for long periods without impacting business performance. Taking risks by hiring candidates who may not have traditional backgrounds but show great potential and adaptability can lead to innovative thinking and diversity of thought within an organization. This is critical in an environment where unconventional solutions are often the key to success. 💸 The Costs of Mistakes Conversely, the costs of making poor hiring decisions are not trivial. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the employee's first-year earnings. Beyond financial implications, a poor hire can damage a company culture, and even harm a company’s reputation externally. In scaling companies where every role counts, the ripple effects of a poor hire will be amplified, leading to significant setbacks. ⚖ Balancing Risk and Caution, because while the ethos of "failing fast" may drive innovation in product development, its application in hiring requires a more calculated approach. 1️⃣ Planned Risk-Taking: Implementing a structured approach to risk-taking in hiring could include setting clear criteria for "stretch" candidates who may lack certain qualifications but possess high potential for growth. 2️⃣ It's not all about the hiring process: Critical to a new hires success is a comprehensive onboarding processes and ongoing support, helping new hires integrate successfully into their roles and the company culture. 3️⃣ Learn every lesson: Just as products are iteratively developed and refined, so too should hiring processes be continually assessed and improved based on previous outcomes. Learn every lesson from every hiring experience. 4️⃣ Data is your friend: Using data-driven hiring tools and technologies will help in better predicting candidate success.

The Cost of "Good Enough" Ever wonder why some teams soar while others struggle? It's not about strategy. Or market conditions. Or even funding. It's about who's on the bus. But here's the unspoken truth: Most leaders treat hiring like a side gig. A necessary evil. Something to squeeze in between "real" work. Big mistake. Because, "If you don't have the time, skills, or knowledge to make hiring well a priority, you need to find someone who does. Otherwise you'll be wasting your time, skills, and knowledge micromanaging your bad hires." Ouch. But true. Think about it: A bad hire isn't just a blip. It's a cancer. It spreads discontent. Kills productivity. Drains resources. And worst of all? It multiplies. Bad hires beget more bad hires. Losing sight of excellence makes mediocrity the norm. Suddenly, your dream of building a world-class team feels like herding cats. So, what's the solution? Simple: Prioritize hiring. Make it your superpower. Or better yet, find someone who already has that superpower and unleash them. Because here's the truth: The cost of a hiring expert is nothing compared to the cost of a revolving door of mediocre talent. It's not an expense. It's an investment. With compound interest. So, ask yourself: Are you treating hiring like the mission-critical function it is? Or are you still playing Russian roulette with your company's future? Remember: In business, you're only as good as your team. And your team is only as good as your hiring. Time to level up. Who's ready to make hiring their competitive advantage? Talenthunt helps businesses make exceptional hires in a way that is fast, cost flexible, and aligned with your success. Talk to us today @ talenthuntinc.com #Hiring #Recruting #Talent

In accomplishing the next big thing, are you asking the right question? When faced with a new challenge or opportunity, instead of asking "how" to tackle it, ask "who" can you enlist to help? This is the core message of a book that has greatly inspired me, "Who Not How" by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy, PhD. Or, rather than a new opportunity, it may instead be an existing situation in which you are not making the desired headway. You may want to consider joining forces with someone with the expertise and enthusiasm to support you or even take over certain tasks or responsibilities. In Dan's and Ben's case, the "who not how" strategy resulted in collaborating on three books that never would have happened otherwise. They were each the "who" for the other, bringing unique abilities to the relationship. It's transformative to free yourself to focus more on where you excel and make the most difference, which typically represents where you also feel most fulfilled. It can be surprising to realize that work we find unenjoyable is actually satisfying and maybe even exhilarating to someone else. I was surprised to discover early in my career that others didn't absolutely love recruiting. What feels like tedious detail and a time suck to a busy executive feels like a treasure hunt to me. Yet, over the years my role has shifted as I've brought in "who's" to handle certain aspects of the recruiting process, allowing me to focus on catering to client needs, devising new solutions and building the business. Not only do I have the satisfaction of being a "who" for Founders and CEOs in recruiting and hiring, but my business's sole purpose is finding the who's that contribute to their success. Embracing the "who not how" mindset unlocks new levels of purpose, productivity and satisfaction in both our professional and personal lives and is core to creating businesses that scale. Do you need a "who" in your business? ++++++++++++++++++++ If you need to add a new team member or are building or scaling a team I may be the right "who" to make this happen!

If you're tasked with building a Recruiting function that can scale with the business, these are 6 things you should pay attention to: - Be meticulous about your early hires. Look for people who are smart, capable, flexible, have a sense of urgency, possess excellent communication skills, and care about their results performance and results. - Develop a clear vision for the function with simple priorities: for example, “We have a bias for action, we conduct high-quality interviews, we don’t settle for B+ candidates, and we strive for impeccable stakeholder communications.” - Have weekly team and 1:1 meetings. The team meetings build camaraderie, and the 1:1’s build your relationships with your teammates. Both are vital. Silence notifications in these meetings to be fully present. - Give your people the autonomy to experiment and try new things to see what works. As you develop more structure over time, still give them the autonomy to operate how they see fit within that structure. Every Recruiter has a different style. - Don’t be afraid to fail fast and iterate. When something breaks, examine it and make immediate changes. Test those changes, and if it still isn’t right, iterate again. Keep doing it until your solution works, then iterate for scale. - Set performance expectations and KPIs and monitor them. Instead of using them as a disciplinary tool (” You were supposed to have 15 recruiter screens last week and you only had 8, what happened?”), leverage them as a diagnostic tool (”I saw your Recruiter screen numbers dip last week, what challenges are you running into?”). - For your people, always try to be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. - As the team grows, give your ground-floor hires opportunities to mentor and develop. You will find future sub-function leaders. If you keep these things top of mind, you’ll build a Recruiting function on a solid foundation that will be well-positioned for growth.

When Do Your Hiring Problems Start Hurting Your Business? Here are the key signs that it's time to revamp your hiring strategy: 🤼 Mounting Turnover: High employee turnover rates lead to rising costs and productivity disruptions. Losing top talent signals a need for alignment between your hiring process and business strategy. 👎 Time-to-Hire Delays: Are key roles taking too long to fill? Delays can slow down your ability to respond to market opportunities, causing you to lose your competitive edge. 🤬 Roles Not Meeting Expectations: If new hires aren’t performing as expected, it could be due to inadequate job descriptions or a lack of structured onboarding. Misaligned goals can lead to early exits. 🤯 Burnout Among Key Players: When hiring lags behind, current team members take on additional responsibilities. Burnout can set in, affecting productivity and morale. 😱 Investor Concerns: For venture capital and private equity backers, hiring issues signal a lack of scalability and readiness for growth. Talent gaps can (and often do) undermine further investment. 🔍 What’s Next? ⚖️ Audit Processes: Identify inefficiencies and gaps in job descriptions, interview strategies, and onboarding. 🫶 Emphasize Culture Adaptability: Hire and train managers to assess candidates' ability to adapt to your evolving company culture. 🧠 Train Your Managers: Make sure managers have the skills to define hiring needs, conduct structured interviews, and assess candidate adaptability. 🧭 Prioritize Talent Development: Invest in training to nurture internal growth, adaptability, and loyalty. So how are you addressing these challenges to drive your business forward? #TalentStrategy #HiringChallenges #BusinessGrowth #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity

Your business will succeed (or fail) based on who you hire. Hiring is a skill that you as a business leader need to master to be successful. There simply is no way around it. Yet, too many leaders leave it to chance, thinking they can just “figure it out” as they go. But the truth is, you can't afford to wing it. You can't afford to gamble with hiring. The price to pay for getting it wrong is just to damn high! Hiring is a skill—a business-critical one—and if you’re not mastering it, you’re gambling with your future. Want to know more about how you can make the right hires? Check out my latest video to understand why mastering the art of hiring is essential for your long-term success. Trust me, your future self will thank you. 🔗 Watch now and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If this post resonates, please reshare ♻ it to help others.