Diligent Recruiting in a Growing Job Market

Maryland recently released job creation statistics from 2011 to 2016. Every area studied displayed job growth, with significant gains in many regions. While that is great news for the job market, it’s a narrative that seems to be poisoning the way that many companies are searching for talent. Low unemployment and consistent job growth has led companies to mistakenly adopt a scarcity mindset that good talent is limited and great talent is unavailable.

There are just as many solid candidates now as there was when the job market was struggling. Increased competition for those candidates is no excuse to rush into a hire or lower your recruiting standards. With more opportunities in the marketplace, it’s more important than ever to be diligent in recruiting and hiring so that you accurately identify ideal candidates.

There are two critical steps in to define before starting your recruiting process.

1. Job Profile – Clearly define the job.
   As an example, we often consult with clients on what a job profile looks like for their sales role. Some important questions for that role are:
• Is the job more focused on generating new business or managing current accounts?
• What type of buyer does the sales person interact with?
• How long is the selling cycle?
• Are sales done face-to-face or via phone/internet?
• Have they sold into this market before?
• What is a typical purchase price for the product or service they sold in the past?
2. Candidate Profile – Clearly define the ideal candidate.
   Even if someone’s experience is a good fit for the job profile does not necessarily mean they are well suited to the job. Envisioning your ideal candidate gives you the opportunity to ask laser guided questions to make sure that the person in front of you has the skills, experiences, and results to succeed at your job.
• What skills would this person need to be 100% successful on the job profile?
• What experience should they have in order to be great in my job?
• What's their mindset and attitude?
• What are the results they should have achieved in the past?
• What are their cognitive skills and habits?

Great candidates are available for your job roles even in a booming job market but it will take a bit more diligence to uncover them. It’s more efficient to spend time up-front being diligent on the job search rather than settling on a lackluster candidate that runs a higher risk of being a costly mis-hire.