Is Your Business Recruiting in This Down Market?

By Melton Reynolds

If you find your company in a position to hire someone quickly due to an unexpected resignation, you will find recruiting someone to be more challenging. With that in mind, recruiting should be a daily responsibility. This quick reflex to hire a candidate immediately might cause you to hire more out of desperation. The potential employee might lack the necessary skills required to fill the position.

Recruiting on an ongoing basis is the best practice. Having to perform a quick rebound to a need will only cause problems later. Recruiting only when your company is expanding should not be considered in your thought process. There is turnover in every company and you should always be prepared and one step ahead.

Take advantage of all recruiting tools and resources. Placing a Help Wanted ad occasionally in the paper used to suffice. In the current marketplace there are so many other recruiting options. Be versatile and creative with your recruiting approach. This will by far target many more prospective candidates that will be a positive addition to your work force.

In the real estate industry even Open Houses are a good tool for finding qualified real estate agents. There are vast resources on the Internet and many website advertisements are available for minimal or no fee. Job Fairs are another good resource to find good recruits. Take advantage of all these resources and be creative so you stand out in the competition.

If you think that the burden of creating a favorable impression rests completely with the candidate, think again. With lots of companies competing for the best people, your interview process must be efficient, responsive and, most important, respectful of each candidate's time and interest. That means being organized, keeping to your interview schedule, and getting back to prospective agents when you say you will. After all, if you can't make an effort to make a favorable impression during the interview process, what kind of an effort will you make when the person is on board?

Don't despair if a top candidate declines your offer in favor of another company. All opportunities are not created equal, and even that "can't refuse" offer may not look so great after a few months with another company. Stay in touch and you may just get a chance to win your top candidate back. And, even if it does work out, good candidates will be flattered by the attention and will remember you when they make their next move.

In certain sales industries such as real estate, it might behoove you to consider overstaffing when appropriate. Good people are always an asset. Having trained real estate agents or sales professionals in reserve who understand the company and its philosophy, will give you greater flexibility in expanding your team or in replacing a marginal performer.

Management's duty is to delegate responsibility. Recruiting is one area that might be better off left in the hands of management. Inexperienced recruiting tactics could be detrimental to your organization, not to mention the cost and ramifications that could be caused by hiring the wrong individual. The initial interview is of the utmost importance as is the final determination. - 31387

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