Are You Standing in Your Own Way to Finding Top Candidates?
Are You Standing in Your Own Way to Finding Top Candidates?
As a recruiting manager, it may be difficult to see that you may be the reason that you cannot seem to find top candidates to fill the open positions within your organization. The truth is that the pressure on you to find the right person for the right price at the right time is a stressful task indeed.
Even though there may not be an exact science to finding the best person for the job, there are a number of steps to follow that will help improve both the process of interviewing as well as selection.
Perfection is a Myth
The first thing you need to do is stop looking for the perfect candidate because you are not going to find it. As a recruiter, it is your job to find the best fitting individual, not someone without flaws.
Create a list of characteristic that are essential to the right fit. Then, make a second list of the things that would be nice to have in a job candidate. You may not be able to find a candidate that is an A+ across the board, but one with A’s and B’s may be a good fit. On the other hand, A skills with a D personality could spell trouble in the long run.
It is Nothing Personal
Do not let personal biases stand in your way. Make room for candidates to stand on their own merits. You can get into a great deal of trouble and miss out on great talent by stereotyping candidates.
While not all biases are illegal, they can still cloud judgement. Different people will approach a job differently and as long as the job gets done efficiently and ethically that is all that should matter.
Listen Carefully
Finally, one of the most important things to do during the hiring process is to listen to what the candidate has to say. Go beyond your scripted questions and seeking certain key words or phrases. While a structured interview is a great thing, a lot can be learned from natural conversation as well.
Even though you may not be able to find what you would consider the perfect candidate, it is still quite possible to find the person that will be perfect for the job. It is okay to make a few hiring mistakes and when a candidate does not work out, remember not to take it personally. Simply move on and learn from your mistakes.