The Most Classic Hiring Mistake

Before jumping to any conclusions on the statement about to be made, hear me out. The most common hiring mistake is to hire someone who has the right experience. Crazy, right?

(This is from the book How to Hire and Develop Your Next Top Performer, 2nd edition: The Qualities That Make Salespeople Great, @2012, McGraw-Hill Professional; reprinted with permission of the publisher. )

When you’re putting together a help-wanted ad, what’s the first thing you write?
“NEEDED, candidate with five-years experience.”

Experience always seems to out-weigh the opposite when hiring candidates. If one candidate has a seemingly less amount of experience under their belt, the more experienced candidate would likely beat them out for a position. It is expected that the more experienced candidate will surely hit the ground running and keep the flow of their work going almost ASAP.

But how many times have you come across someone who has five-years of experience that adds up to just one year’s bad experience repeated five times?

Don’t fall into the trap of relying too heavily on experience. It is an easy approach, but it can be very costly. Don't go and steal from your competitors, as they may in all actuality be given a favor in doing this. Let your competitors steal from each other. Instead of focusing on what someone has done, look, instead, to what they can do — to their potential.

Mark Dennis, vice president of sales and marketing at Veolia Environmental Services, put it succinctly: “I have finally come to the point where I could care less whether somebody has industry experience. I’ve had way too many instances of hiring people who have industry experience who just get in their own way because they are set in their ways. They believe they know it all. And they are not open, willing, or flexible enough to want to change, to look at the industry from our perspective. So training them can become an absolute nightmare.”

Experience, often can keep you where you are rather than helping you to advance and see new possibilities. Would've thought as much, right? Sounds as though someone needs to inform whomever posts positions on job boards to forgo the "experience" portion.

SOCIAL NETWORKING - What's Hot

I found this article on ere.net talking about recruiting trends as they continue to change. Recently recruiters have found ways to use social networking to their advantage. Twitter is a good example that recruiters have put into power by announcing open positions and staying connected with the unemployed. With the increased unemployment rate, it is less necessary for employers to use talent strategists to conduct their employee search. Essentially each social network is an online resume that the employer can quickly tap into and interact with the candidate. In turn, the job seeker is able to connect with your company, getting a feel for it as well as the people behind it. Creating social networking for your company is a great way to build on your employment brand by engaging and interacting with job seekers, forming a bond. Employees tend to become more loyal to companies that are true and open to employee input. It seems that they are more likely to stay longer with the company and build a stronger team when provided with quick and easily accessible training outlets. An example of this can be online videos that are posted onto YouTube, or job specific discussion boards on Facebook where they can bounce ideas off other individuals within the company they work for. There are so many ways on the internet to connect and grow your company's profile. I wonder where this will take recruiting in the next year from the more traditional means of recruitment advertising? It's interesting to see how people view this rapidly changing industry. Check out the comments below the article in this link: ere.net-What's Hot What are your thoughts?

HEALTHCARE - Healthcare Recruitment Trends for 2009

Stumbled across this article today about Healthcare Recruitment trends for 2008.

What are your thoughts on some of the stats?

How do they reflect with your current situation?

http://www.cheezhead.com/2009/01/14/ved-healthcare-recruitment-trends-for-2009/

HR - 13 Trends In Corporate Recruiting for 2009

This was posted a while back but take a look and see where your company falls. What has it taken advantage of so far? Where could it grow some? What seems out of reach? You might be surprised about how affordable or easy some of these listed items are.

http://www.ere.net/2008/08/04/trends-in-corporate-recruiting-for-2009/

COLLEGE - what's hot on campus: popups.

Finding innovative ways to catch your targets off guard can help bolster top of mind awareness and differentiate yourself from competitors.

Right now it seems the hot new thing on campuses are pop-up stores. Though right now they are just retail locations making money off the student body roaming the quads and student centers it is not too far off an idea to try doing this with a recruitment booth.

Setting up a simple booth in the engineering or science area and passing out information, promotional items, or even food (everyone loves free doughnuts!) is a great way to generate buzz about your company and what positions you are hiring. Pass out hot cocoa on the cold fall days approaching and slip a business card to the cold students as well. Let them know you are going to be at the upcoming job fair and give them warning about exactly what you want them to bring to your booth and your company. This added exposure really helps when building that initial connection between your candidates and your company.

info via: http://www.brandflakesforbreakfast.com/2008/08/whats-hot-on-campus-popups.html
http://www.adpulp.com/archives/2008/08/daddys_credit_c.php

TRENDS - How to Avoid Eco-Fatigue

Gas prices have risen forcing many people to find alternative means of transportation, more companies claim to be going green and consumers are looking to contribute to the conservation efforts of environmental groups. Although this is happening now, how long will it last before the media and general consumers get bored and start looking for the new trends that spark their interest?

Although this article is aimed towards the perceptions and actions of general consumers the points are very easily applied towards current job seekers.

http://adage.com/cmostrategy/article?article_id=130411

As for the 7 tips to avoid eco-fatigue, maybe relate them to your candidates like this:

1. Be remarkable. - Find a way to market your jobs so that positions actively participate in the "green" efforts your company is making. Make sure they are able to see or feel the difference they are making while they work.


2. Be green because it's something you value, not as a marketing gimmick. - If your company really doesn't do all that much in terms of "green" practices, don't claim to. Each company has their own unique selling point, if "green" isn't it, don't try to force it. If a candidate is searching for a "green" company and is truly dedicated towards that cause, they won't stay long if they see they were lied to.


3. Don't be bashful. - If your company actively persues "green" approaches, don't be afraid to display this to your candidates. If your company has received awards, proudly display them. They help you stand out from companies that make broad "green" statements and have nothing to show for it.


4. Make it fun and engaging. - Keep the message youthful and energized. Involve your candidates in your process and use it as a chance to develop your team's communication. Empower your potential candidates by letting them see the changes they can make.


5. Partner with an established nonprofit. - Take a look around and find groups that employees may be able to work with if they choose to. Who knows, a strong candidate may have ties to the nonprofit.


6. Invite consumers to join you. - Engage the community and allow for a chance to meet potential candidates. Invite local associations to take part in community events. Build your brand name with your involvement and caring for the community.


7. Move beyond green. - Don't bet everything on "green" campaign. Trends change and you never know how long they are going to last. You company was built around core principles, find a way to work them in with your "green" message so candidates are not just left with a fading fad but an integral message of what your company stands for.