How to get the talent you want on board - quickly!

Successful | On-Boarding | Partnership

Through our experience, it’s been proven time and time again that the lack of a clear talent attraction strategy and an inefficient hiring process can cost you the talent you want, particularly when it comes to senior and specialist recruitment.  This is important, not only in hiring specialist skills but also top performers where competition is tough.  These individuals also know their worth and are not going to waste their time on lengthy processes where companies can’t make decisions quickly.

Here are our top tips for getting the talent you really want on board – quickly!

Have a clear business strategy – with clear objectives and deliverables.  Top talent want to know that there is a clear vision and strategy in place and that it is executable.

Know the skills required to deliver on your business strategy and define key roles.  Do you need people on a permanent basis or do you need specialist skills on an interim basis or a mixture of both?

Stop chasing the "perfect person" and hire the "right person"?  The perfect candidate is a myth. Look at essential requirements versus nice-to-haves and be willing to flex on requirements for the right attitude and potential.  Gems are often lost due to lengthy searches for the "perfect candidate".  These individuals are keen to prove themselves, want to learn, have something to prove and generally give more.  The “perfect” candidate is often harder to retain, is going to want “more” sooner than later and creates all sorts of expectations that could lead to disappointment. Aim for 75% fit – this allows for growth and opportunity for both parties and know that there's got to be something in it for them.

Define your resourcing strategy to attract the talent you want by ensuring you have a strong value proposition, that you can afford the talent you want, are realistic around market conditions and have an efficient engagement process in place.  

Create a sense of urgency with all stakeholders involved in the process.  Top talent is not attracted to lengthy processes and they can lose interest quickly.  Having to salvage or constantly keep somebody interested in your business takes time and energy and you may lose them based purely on that.

Whether you’re doing permanent recruitment or needing an interim manager, work with a trusted recruitment partner – in true partnership.  In essence, your recruitment partner is representing your organization in the market place.  Be prepared to spend time with them to understand your business – business drivers, business objectives, key players, the role and culture.  Give your recruitment partner, whether internally or externally, access to decision makers.  There is nothing worse than engaging with the market and you haven’t even met the decision makers.  By doing this, it shows that your organization is serious about hiring and everybody is on the same page.

In a partnership, your recruitment partner will provide you with better service, advise you on market insights that can assist you in attracting the right talent for your business and most importantly, prioritize you as a client.   Should you work with recruiters based on fees and speed, I can almost guarantee that the quality hires you make are more luck based.  And your company will be prioritized accordingly. Taking a gun-shot approach by working with many recruiters can impact your brand, especially when it comes to senior and specialist recruitment.

Be transparent and realistic with all involved in the process – stakeholders, recruitment partners and candidates.  Be prepared to give the good, the bad and the ugly.  Business is constantly changing, and change is an opportunity for growth and learning.  The cost of losing great candidates is not worth withholding or not being straight up with people in the interview process, specifically when it comes to challenging aspects of the role.  If there’s restructuring or downscaling on the cards – share that.  If systems are having an impact on business performance, let them know.  Share how you are dealing with or plan to deal with these challenges so that they feel some level of comfort that they are not walking into a s*&^* storm, no matter how temporary.  Tell them about some of the exciting things happening in the business - it doesn't have to be all covert. Candidates don’t want to feel that they’ve taken on something that wasn’t fully disclosed in the interview process.  This will just leave a bad taste in their mouth - and mouths talk, which will have a direct impact on your brand. People want challenges and perform better when they can anticipate challenges ahead of them as well as know there are good things on the cards that they can be part of.  

Make them want to work for you.  When they have made up their minds to work for you the risk of counter offers is significantly reduced, resignations are handled more easily and they're on board before they've even started.

We are a people business and therefore connecting people and building relationships is critical to the success or our business. We strive to deliver exceptional services and make a difference in the lives of both our clients and candidates.  We would welcome the opportunity to connect with you to assess whether we’re the right recruitment partner for you.

7 REAL ways you could be messing up your own interview

Are you struggling in the interview process?  Does the thought of an interview stress you out?  Do you feel that you possess all the skills and knowledge to perform in a role, however, you bomb out in the interview process?  You never get called back for a second interview and nobody tells you why? 

Here are 7 ways you could be getting in your own way.


1.  You put yourself in a lower position to the interviewer

      Know your worth!  As much as you are looking for a new position, the company you are interviewing with is also looking for the right person. You are looking and so are they.  Equal the playing fields by presenting yourself in a confident manner that shows you know what value you bring to an organisation.  If you don’t see it, neither will they.

2.  You oversell yourself

You may not even be conscious that you do this, and often it's because you are nervous. This often comes with endless talking about yourself and how good you are.   You hardly take the time to listen to what is actually being asked of you or fail to ask relevant questions that show a genuine interest in understanding the role or the business objectives.  You can be viewed as either arrogant or desperate – neither leave a positive impression.  Here interview coaching can really pay off, as you will get constructive feedback, from an objective point of view, on how to handle yourself in the interview.

3.  You are vague in demonstrating your capabilities and achievements

The biggest mistake you can make is to assume that people know how you do what you do.  If you can’t provide context and make it relevant to the role you are being interviewed for, you are not going to be shortlisted to go to the next level.  Here your interviewing skills are critical in making sure your interviewer understands your abilities and your value.

4.  You fail to ask the right questions

The interview process swings between being interviewed and you doing the interviewing – after all, you are also looking to see if the role and organisation is a good fit for you, right?  Know your worth, know strengths, know your not-so-good skills, know where you add value and know your "deal-breakers".  Work on your own interviewing skills.  If you are not asking questions that address all of these key aspects, you are potentially setting yourself up for unpleasant surprises.  You have to take responsibility for your participation in the interview process.

5.  You lack self-awareness

You have gone for a number of interviews and are failing to get the role you want or are just not being called back after the first interview.  Consider that there may be a problem in how you are presenting yourself.  Is there alignment with your CV and your personal presentation?  If you are being called for an interview, something in your CV has caught the interviewers attention.  If you are failing in the interview, there is a misalignment in some way or form.  You either need to improve your interview skills or you are misrepresenting yourself in your CV.  You need to get honest feedback and be open to changing how you present yourself, both on paper and in person.

6.  You have difficulty answering sensitive questions

Here’s a couple of scenarios: You have a jumpy work history, you have been dismissed, you have been retrenched, or you have left an organisation on not-so-good terms.  You may have an issue with an organisation that is in direct conflict with your values and ethics.  You have to be clear in your mind about what it is and what strategy you will take in addressing these questions. These discussions cannot dominate the interview.  You need to nip it in the bud and focus on your value proposition.

7.  You focus on negative work experience or have negative reasons for your unemployment

No matter how negative a work or no-work experience is, you need to demonstrate that you gained something positive out of the experience.  Good organisations will not want any negativity in their organisation.  These people are known as blamers, shamers and complainers – it would be wise to avoid portraying any negativity in the interview.  People tend to remember the negative aspects more than the positive, so be conscious of how people may be perceiving you.

The bottom line is that it is a very competitive market out there.  If you want to get to the next level in your career and find a meaningful and fulfilling job, you have to take responsibility for yourself and how you are positioning yourself to get it.  This is where interview preparation really pays off.  If you don’t, it is guaranteed that somebody else will. 

At TDT & Associates we offer personalised interview coaching services that will help you get clarity on your value proposition and how to position yourself with confidence.  Check out our interview coaching services here. We look forward to working with you.

Get out of your own way and stand out!