January 14, 2022
To Recruit in This Market, Move Fast or Don’t Bother Trying
The employment market is as hot as it’s been in my lifetime. Candidates are in the driver’s seat. The best of them have many opportunities, and they go off the market quickly. Even a subpar candidate can find a new job in short order.
What’s my biggest challenge in this environment? It’s getting clients to move faster. I spend a lot of time persuading, pushing, and pleading with clients to speed things up.
To be clear, most have stepped up their game. What does that mean? It means they’re providing prompt feedback on candidates, scheduling interviews quickly, and making decisions fast. In short, they are making recruiting their top priority.
Critically, speed does not mean lowering standards. They’re following their established processes and doing everything they usually do to assess candidates. They’re just doing it faster and with a heightened sense of urgency.
Dithering and pushing things off until tomorrow is a prescription for failure. In this market, every day matters. If you are dragging your feet, you will lose most of your candidates. In the long run, you’ll end up doing twice the work and getting half the results.
Not long ago, I heard an interview with Greg Norman, who said a key to his success has been his compulsion to get things done right away. His mantra is, “Do it now and do it properly.” He can’t stand putting something off to tomorrow that can be done today.
Every hiring manager would benefit from emulating Norman’s approach. When there’s something to be done, do it now. If you’re not willing to put recruiting on the top of your to do list, don’t bother trying.
