Quotes from Dr. John Sullivan
Start with using a mix of recruiting tools: you will need to benchmark the recruiting approaches used by your industry competitors. Next, you must commit to differentiating your approach by using a mix of recruiting tools that are significantly different and better than the ones used by your competitors.
- Direct poaching – The best candidates are almost always working at one of your competitors. So it’s a mistake not to use this tool. Unfortunately, many recruiting leaders don’t have the courage. But if you can, develop a plan to approach and recruit any employed prospects directly. Especially those that you know are currently reconsidering their career. Also, target those that are working in a district or company that is presently undergoing some turmoil.
- Proactive referrals – Rather than simply wait for employee referrals to come in instead, proactively approach each of your well-connected top-performing employees. Directly ask them to give you the names of the five best prospects that they know. Also, ask them to help with the recruiting of the five individuals that they recommend. Next, encourage college hires and interns to make referrals of other graduating students. And allow nonemployees to make referrals (i.e., parents and vendors).
- Boomerang rehires – Revisit top former employees that have recently left your organization and try to convince them to return gradually.
- Silver medalists – Revisit employees that came in a close second during a recent job opening. Because some time has passed since they came in second, they are now likely to be much more qualified.
- Qualified candidate dropouts – Many top prospects drop out of any hiring process for a variety of reasons. However, dropping out doesn’t make them less desirable. So revisit the highly qualified candidates that previously dropped out because those previous reasons for dropping out may no longer be valid.
- Ask the top references for additional great names (reference referral tool) – The reference givers that accurately described one of your effective new hires could likely be counted on for some additional names. So during your standard reference call with them, ask them for a few additional names.
- Ask your new hires to refer names during their onboarding process (onboarding referral tool) – Make it a standard practice to ask all top new hires during their onboarding process, “Who else is really good at their previous organization?” Also, consider asking the new hires to help you recruit the people that they recommend.
- Use videos to reveal the excitement – Let potential applicants see and “feel” the excitement at your organization through the use of videos. These videos might include individual testimonials, a day in the life videos, or “how-to instructional videos” that demonstrate the superior knowledge of your employees.
- Spread your employer brand on social media – Today’s social media is extremely impactful. So encourage every employee to spread positive stories about what it’s like to work at your organization through their social media.
- Recruit at certification and learning events – The best professionals are always trying to improve themselves. So encourage your employees that are attending advanced training or certification events to take the time to identify and then begin recruiting the best performing attendees and speakers. Also, offer advanced learning events on your campus and then try to recruit the best attendees.
- When possible, offer remote work – If you have jobs that can be done from anywhere, you can overcome any local talent shortage or reluctance to relocate. Advertise these remote jobs in other regions where there is a more abundant supply of talent for this job.
- Hire them both (buddy hiring tool) – Hire two at once approach is effective simply because most of us have at least one close colleague, relative, or friend that “we’ve always wanted to work with.”
- Select a hiring team to become experts in recruiting (hiring team tool) – Peers are likely to be better at assessing and selling candidates. Instead of letting individual managers conduct the hiring, put together a hiring team made up exclusively of members that excel at recruiting.
