Whether recruiting is part of your job description or not, you can and should help recruit talent to your organization. There are many ways everyone can help with recruiting.
Start by knowing what to say to promote your organization. What makes “a great place to work?†Some of the common answers to this question include competitive pay and benefits, culture and community, trust and fairness, engagement, growth opportunities, communication and transparency, and diversity. Pay and benefits have become more important since the pandemic, but the other items remain critically important. With these criteria in mind, what makes your organization a great place to work?
Next, do you know what your organization really wants and needs? You might assume you know or rely on the job description, but I encourage you to dig deeper. Write lists of your “must-haves,†“nice-to-haves,†and “dealbreakers.†Your organization probably has educational and, perhaps, licensing requirements. You undoubtedly have skill requirements, but you can probably break those into “must-have skills†and “nice-to-have†skills that you can train post-hiring. What behaviors, attitudes and potential do you want? These are harder to articulate and identify. Which ones are “dealbreakers?†Who do you know that might fit your organization’s wants and needs?
If screening resumes is part of your responsibility, use your lists as guidelines. If interviewing candidates is part of your responsibility, prepare by reviewing the opening, your wants and needs, and your candidate’s resume. Google the candidate. Select some questions in advance and know what you’re going to say to promote your firm. In the interview, ask questions, observe, listen, give your candidate plenty of opportunities to ask their questions, and promote your organization.
Talk about your organization. This is the most effective way you can help recruit top talent, especially if hiring isn’t part of your responsibility. Talk on social media and write reviews on employer review sites, if appropriate. Think about people who might be good fits and talk to them personally, but don’t limit yourself to those prospects. Find opportunities to tell people, individually and collectively, why your organization is a great place to work. Tell them what your organization does and, most importantly, why you enjoy working for your organization.
Recruiting is everyone’s job and it’s in everyone’s best interest to recruit top talent.