The cost of hiring the wrong person can be astronomical. But at the same time, perfect candidates are difficult, if not impossible, to find.
Recruiters often use the term “purple squirrel” to describe the rare candidate who offers the perfect mix of skills, education, experience, salary requirements and overall fit to meet your requirements. For every such purple squirrel, there are hundreds of open, unfilled jobs. And too often, the perfect candidate never materializes.
So, what’s an HR manager to do??
Think Strategically
With a better understanding of the job market and what’s available, along with recruiters who are enabled to find talent in a timely manner, you can honestly assess your priorities and meet your ongoing hiring needs. You can’t float an opening indefinitely. You need to get a realistic picture of your team’s capacities, as well as pinpointing the highest impact positions you are seeking to fill.
- Analyze the market. Understand the competitive landscape, so you can better decide on the right hiring strategy.
- Focus on training and retention. Keep your existing high performers happy and on board. Retention is a key tactic as you avoid having to re-hire. Seek out candidates who can be trained and molded into team members who will succeed in their roles for the long run.
- Make sure your expectations are realistic. Instead of looking for the elusive perfect candidate, focus on finding someone who realistically meets your needs. Enter into a hiring relationship with your eyes wide open and a vision towards future development.
- Look for candidates with the right values. While you can train for on-the-job skills, cultural alignment can neither be taught nor bought. As you go through your hiring process, keep an eye on soft skills such as honesty, integrity, reliability and sincere passion.
- Partner with a specialized recruitment firm. Invest in a company that specializes in your industry and will dedicate their resources to finding the best talent on your behalf.
We all strive for perfection. As we should. And if the perfect candidate doesn’t happen to show up on your doorstep, the PrideStaff Fresno team can help you hone your strategy so that you ultimately build a dream team for today – and for tomorrow. Contact us today to learn more.