HireBetter Blog

How to Attract (and Engage) Digital Talent

March 13th, 2012 | by | employee relations, hirebetter, job descriptions, management, technology

Mar
13

As I interact with top digital professionals and forward-thinking individuals at SXSW Interactive 2012, I keep hearing one thing, over and over again: “It’s all about telling a story.”

The art of storytelling

Yes, “storytelling” is clearly the buzzword of this year’s conference.  Though many buzzwords are fluffy, overused, and destined to get on our nerves, they often come with a little bit of truth attached to them.  Indeed, as I think about what hiring managers and executives need to embrace to be competitive in the talent game, this idea of storytelling just fits all too well.

 

Innovators don’t want to stand still

If you want to attract the best, most innovative minds, you have to show them how their work at your company will enrich their careers and their lives.  Also, they need to know that their role at your company will be intellectually and professionally stimulating and allow them to grow.  If a prospective (or current) high-performer doesn’t understand their career trajectory and have a good idea of what their time with you will be like, don’t be surprised with you see them take a job with someone else.

 

Questions that job-seekers want answered:

  • How will this position help me grow?
  • Where will I be a year or two from now if I work for this company?
  • How will this job change my life, both short and long-term?
  • Will I be surrounded with other people who will challenge and inspire me to succeed?
  • (And this last one is less related to storytelling, but it’s just something I’ve heard over and over and over again this week and would be remiss to leave out.)  Will I be expected to move into a management position?

 

On that last point… 

In regard to that last point above…I’ve come across quite a few very smart people who have left jobs because they were promoted into management and therefore taken off of “the front lines.”  For some, this is a career goal and a great honor.  For others, this is an obligation that they will accept (because “it’s the right thing to do”) and be miserable doing.  Make sure you are upfront with management expectations and trajectories from the very beginning, or you may promote someone right to their level of incompetence.

Be sure that you paint an enticing career story if you hope to attract and engage top digital talent, because if you don’t, someone else will.

 

Image used under Creative Commons license via brody4.

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HireBetter at SXSW 2012!

March 8th, 2012 | by | communication, hirebetter, networking, social media, technology

Mar
08

Each year, thousands of the brightest minds in business and technology converge on our home city of Austin, Texas for the SXSW Interactive conference.  This year, HireBetter is proud to be attending and looking for insights into how to attract, manage, and motivate today’s top innovative talent.

I’ll be blogging and tweeting throughout the week with ideas and questions about all sorts of talent issues and opportunities.  I hope to paint a picture of how to think about this special kind of talent.

If you’re attending SXSW this year, please let me know!  I’d love to meet in person.  If not, is there anything in particular that you’d like to know about high-tech, marketing, or media talent?  Let me know in the comment section below or Twitter, and I’ll see if I can figure out for you.

I’m looking forward to sharing what I learn with you, so keep an eye out for my coverage of SXSW 2012.

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Behavioral Interviewing vs. Traditional Interviewing

February 13th, 2012 | by | hirebetter, hiring, interviewing, talent, topgrading

Feb
13

When you interview job candidates, how often do you trust them to truly tell you about themselves?  Do you really expect them to tell you their actual strengths and weaknesses, or do you often foresee a canned, well-rehearsed speech?  (“My greatest weakness is that I work too hard?”)

Behavioral interviews make it much harder for candidates to put their spin on their responses because they employ a totally different mindset from traditional interviews.  Behavioral interview questions demand facts rather than opinions.  And this allows you, as the hirer, to make your own opinions of your candidate’s work, which is where the power should be.

Traditional interviews are easy to distort

A traditional interview might involve a query such as: “How do you deal with conflicts in the workplace?”  It’s designed to answer a very reasonable concern that any interviewer might have, but that question doesn’t solicit as valuable of a response as a behavioral one because it relies on an implied hypothetical situation.

The interviewee has the opportunity to answer a question like that from the perspective of their ideal self.  They can (without lying) say how they think that they would handle such a situation in the future.  Or they might respond with how they generally think they’ve dealt with such a situation in the past.  But the very fact that they’re sitting in a job interview will prime them for giving an answer that is based on what they think they are capable of, rather than what experience has shown to be true.

 

Behavioral interviews let you be the judge

Think about the response that you would get from that candidate if you asked the same basic question in a different way.  If you said, “Give an example of a time in the past that you had a conflict with a coworker.  What, specifically, did you do to settle the conflict, and what was the result?”  Won’t this give you an entirely different answer from the one we mentioned before?

Your interviewee is forced to deal in reality from the get-go.  By making your questions fact-based, you now have to opportunity to learn about a real person, not a hypothetical one.  What they actually do in a given situation is far more valuable to learn in an interview than what they think they can or should do.

 

“Who are you?” vs. “Who do you think you can be?”

Behavioral interviewing gives you, the employer, a chance to paint a picture of your candidate, and then you get to make your own assessment of how attractive they are.  It’s your job to determine what their strengths and weaknesses are, based on what their past experiences tell you.

At HireBetter, we rely on behavioral interviews because our experience has shown us that they provide a superior snapshot of a candidate.  In our post next week, we’ll explain the specific behavioral interviewing methodology that we use: Topgrading®.

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Why You Need To Hire A COO

February 2nd, 2012 | by | hiring, human resources, management, talent

Feb
02

You’re a high-growth, middle market CEO…trying to “make hay while the sun shines” and grow your company.  You probably see your days getting bogged down in your business’s day-to-day activities.  You’re likely spending your time keeping plates spinning instead of growing your business.  And I bet you get so bogged down in daily minutiae that sometimes you just feel like you’re drowning.

Your solution, more likely than not, is that you need to hire a head of operations.  Depending on your size and stage, it could be a VP of Ops, Director of Operations, or Chief Operations Officer (COO).  [For purposes of this blog, we’ll simply refer to this position as the “COO.”]

I can’t tell you how many times through the years I’ve counseled emerging market CEOs on this (while at Ernst & Young, Tatum, or through my experience as a YPO’er).  So often, it simply comes down to hiring an A-Player as your number two.

 

“But we’re too small for a COO…”

…you might say, and you may be right, but maybe not.  You’d be surprised how a COO can add significant value to small and medium sized, middle-market businesses, just like they do for large ones.  Indeed, a COO might just be the piece that you’re missing.

 

Is it time for you to hire your number two?

Like any business decision, you should hire a chief operation officer if they will add more value to your company than they will cost you (obviously).  But how can you predict how much value they can add?

You need to consider how your new COO will free up your time and allow you to make your company more profitable.  What will you do instead of managing operational issues?  What can your COO do better than you?

  • Will you drive new sales or make new partnerships that will grow your top line?
  • Will your COO save you money by making your operations more efficient?
  • Will you use your time to explore new strategies and/or markets to expand your business?

If you can come up with a forecast of how your financial situation will improve through ways like those I outlined above…and that’s more than you expect to pay a COO, then it’s time to hire up!  Keep your company moving up to the next level!

 

Trust is your most important asset

Your chief operating officer will likely be the most important (and most difficult) hire that you will ever make.  That’s because, in order for them to be successful, you will have to trust them with a job that, until now, you’ve chosen to do yourself.  Not only will you have to make sure that they have the skills and experience to be ready for the role, you have to trust their judgment and character.

 

How to find your COO

Please, don’t hire the first pretty face or impressive resume that walks through the door.  And don’t just go for the big name.  Just because they’ve been at GE for 10 years doesn’t mean that they are the right fit for your $15 million business.  In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

If you’re looking at someone who successfully transitioned a company from $15M to $50M and that’s also your goal…then you might just have a solid candidate: someone who has successfully accomplished the main 3 or 4 goals you have for your company and this position.

I’ve found that a behavior-based interview processes, like the Topgrading methodology, is a great way to build confidence in such an important hire.  That’s why we use Topgrading for our clients and our team at HireBetter.

 

A COO can be your new secret weapon

You, as a CEO, are uniquely positioned to make big changes to your company.  But if you get bogged down in daily activities, your hands are tied.  If it looks like you can create real value by breaking free of your daily obligations, consider hiring a COO.  It might be the most liberating decision that you can make for your company, and yourself.

If you think it might be time for you to hire a COO, please contact HireBetter.  We can work with you to help you determine exactly what the COO needs to accomplish, and then we deliver A-Players to you.

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Workforce Planning: Forging a Path or Flying Blind?

January 4th, 2012 | by | hirebetter, human resources, management, talent, technology

Jan
04

Have you noticed that you seem to get much more done when you actually write out what you plan to do?  Whether you’re shopping for groceries, packing for a trip, or doing your job, a written plan helps you visualize what needs to be done.

Have you applied that same principal to planning your workforce?  Purposeful workforce planning provides an assessment and a decisive action plan.  And considering how the right team is the most critical attribute of a successful company, don’t you think you should do it right?

 

A HireBetter shortcut

We can help, and we’ve developed a simple tool to assist you.  This download will make it easier for you to visualize your goals and plan the steps you need to take to achieve them.

Our complimentary Workforce Planning Tool will help you:

  • Keep track of high performers inside of your company
  • Make note of who needs additional coaching
  • Be sure that your Team lives up to your Core Values
  • Pinpoint who you need to hire each quarter
  • And much more!

Click here to download your very own Workforce Planning Tool, compliments of HireBetter.

 

Planning is the first step, but not the last 

Our tool will help you get started, but it takes a real expert to truly know what (and who) you need.  If you really want to make a meaningful plan and start building a team that will lead your company to future success, contact HireBetter.

Image used under Creative Commons from adesigna.

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Two Ways to Avoid Bottlenecks in the Hiring Process

December 15th, 2011 | by | guest post, hiring, networking, recruiting, technology

Dec
15

From time to time, HireBetter’s blog will feature guest posts from writers with a unique insight into a particular talent issue.  Today’s post comes from Kyle Lagunas of Software Advice:

A business is a well-oiled machine, relying on the seamless execution of a number of processes to drive it forward. Disruptions and delays (bottlenecks) will occur unless you keep these processes in ship shape. In the hiring process, bottlenecks are more than just an inconvenience. They can damage company culture and tarnish your brand – making it more difficult to attract and hire top talent. Smoothing out bumps in the road before they turn into more serious issues is essential to the ongoing success of your recruiting and hiring efforts.

Kyle LagunasThat said, here are a couple leading causes of bottlenecks in the hiring process – and ways to avoid each one:

 

 

Sequential hiring style

You post the same ad you used last time, find three candidates to interview, and hope one of them has what you’re looking for. If not, you go back to square one–you post the ad, find three candidates, and the cycle repeats. But relying on the same old iterated process to meet myriad staffing needs is more than shortsighted, it’s inefficient.

The greatest value lies in having a working process. By designing a hiring process that works in tandem with talent management and supports your business strategy, your recruiting efforts will be much easier to manage. You don’t have to read every book ever written on hiring strategies, but you do need a uniform process that meets your organization’s culture, values and needs.

 

Living in the Dark Ages

Without the proper technology, the sheer volume of applications a single online job posting attracts can be nearly impossible to manage. As such, many organizations experience delays at the onset recruiting–which is frustrating for candidates and hiring managers alike. Accepting resumes and screening for experience and qualifications are a part of the process, but applicants perceive that nothing is happening until an interview takes place.

Online application and screening tools help companies maintain momentum by reducing time spent in this initial stage. If you don’t have an applicant tracking system, you need to get one. The first step toward minimizing bottlenecks in hiring is automating the most menial aspects of hiring so you can focus on engagement.

 

Best Practices are the Cure for Hiccups

Strategic staffing requires the cooperation and shared effort of multiple parties, and as with any business process, hiccups and delays in hiring will happen. With a sound process in place that keeps stakeholders informed and engaged, however, bottlenecks will be fewer and further between. By incorporating the best practices that make the most sense to your organization–and by leveraging solid technology–you’ll be better prepared to deal with any other flaws that emerge.

 

About the Author: Kyle Lagunas is the HR Analyst at Software Advice – a company that reviews human resources systems. For further reading on ways to avoid bottlenecks in the hiring process, this article can be found on Kyle’s HR blog in full: http://blog.softwareadvice.com/articles/hr/four-ways-to-avoid-bottlenecks-in-the-hiring-process-1120911/

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The Three Reasons a Hire Doesn’t Work Out

November 30th, 2011 | by | hiring, human resources, job descriptions, recruiting, retention, talent

Nov
30

In this video, HireBetter’s founder, Jonathan Davis, explains why so many hires don’t work out.  He boiled it all down to three simple reasons:

 

Reason 1:  You failed to clearly articulate what you need someone to do

Reason 2:  You failed to tell that new person what you needed them to do

Reason 3:  They failed to agree that that’s what they need to do

 

If you want to start making better hiring decisions, you’ll have to avoid these three pitfalls.  And even though there are three reasons, remember, if you don’t get the first one right, the whole process falls apart.  So make sure you always properly define the role.

For more, take a look at HireBetter’s YouTube Channel, and stay tuned to the HireBetter Blog for more information on how to attract, recruit, manage, and retain top talent. 

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The Three Huge Hiring Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Make

October 21st, 2011 | by | hirebetter, hiring, human resources, job descriptions, recruiting, talent

Oct
21

Every company can improve their hiring in some way.  And given how important successful hiring is, it’s scary to think that two-thirds of companies continue to make bad hires.  Here are three key hiring mistakes many companies make when hiring a new employee.  Are you making any of them?

 

Mistake number one: You pass off hiring duties to the wrong people       

You wouldn’t let an office manager design a factory or a chemist balance your budget.  You leave those jobs up to the experts.  But when it comes to hiring, many companies let just about anyone take charge of a hiring task. Building a great workforce is too important to leave in untrained hands, so make sure that only skilled talent experts run your search.

 

Mistake number two: You improperly define roles

The second big mistake is just as dangerous.  Maybe you are hiring good people, but the job just doesn’t match up with their skillset.  Or you’re settling because you can’t imagine what an ideal candidate even looks like.  If you can’t properly define a role and come up with an actionable plan to fill it, you’re doomed from the start.

 

Mistake number three:  You insufficiently assess the person you hire

When you make a hire, you’re not just bringing a collection of skills and experience onboard, you’re teaming up with a person.  Many companies get into trouble because they only look at easy to compare, conventional metrics and then hire the person who interviews the best.  You have to know how to thoroughly assess a candidate to get a good idea of who they truly are, and that’s not easy to do!  Very few know how to vet a candidate like that.

 

Bad hirers: There’s hope!

Luckily, these three mistakes are very curable.  HireBetter is committed to delivering the systems and expertise companies need to confidently make great hiring decisions.  We work with companies to define exactly what role they need to fill, determine what that ideal candidate looks like, and then deliver the very best candidates to you.  If you’re ready to start making great hires, contact us, and see how we can help you HireBetter.

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How Can Your Website Hurt Your Hiring?

October 12th, 2011 | by | communication, hiring, networking, passive recruiting, recruiting

Oct
12

How much does your company care about its online image? The blogosphere is full of tips helping job seekers craft an online persona that will aid their search, but the other side is largely ignored. Does your website attract or repel A+ talent?  What do star candidates see when they look your company up online?

Pretend that you’re the job seeker

Imagine you’re a rising star salesperson and you get a call from a real estate company that wants to consider you for a position.  The job sounds good, so before you hang up, you offer to send in a resume and have every intention of doing so.  Then, while doing your due-diligence on the company (as any savvy person like yourself would), you come across their website.  It looks like this.  How likely are you to send that resume now?  “Thanks, but no thanks.”

 

Think of top talent as customers

Your company (hopefully) always puts its best foot forward for new clients, and job candidates deserve the same consideration.  Even if your company doesn’t do much, if any, business online, if you have a website, it’d better be one that your proud of.  Your online brand is where future hires will establish most of their initial opinions about your company.  So make sure your site encourages the reaction you want.

 

“About us”

Candidates will go to your site to find out what kind of company you are, so make sure it leaves the impression that you want.  And this isn’t just about the words that you say.  Though it may seem trivial, an ugly, confusing website will make prospective employees think that your company culture is just that: ugly and confusing.

You probably won’t attract new candidates just because you have a nice website, but you definitely stand to lose some with a terrible site.  So take a look at your online presence and make sure that it’s one you’re proud of.

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LinkedIn and Recruiting: How it is (and isn’t) useful

September 29th, 2011 | by | hiring, networking, social media

Sep
29

Do you use LinkedIn in your hiring process?  If so, you’re not alone.  Over 80% of companies used social media for hiring purposes in 2010, and LinkedIn is the network du jour for most of them.  LinkedIn can be a great talent resource if used to its potential; here are a couple of things to keep in mind so you can get the most out of it.

Referrals: “Do you know someone who can…?”

As we’ve stated before, referrals are still a top source of talent.  LinkedIn is a collection of referrals waiting to happen.  Ask your LinkedIn network if they can recommend anyone for a certain position.   LinkedIn is particularly helpful for this because your contacts can dig much deeper into their rolodex to give referrals.  They don’t have to remember every detail about a good worker to recommend them.  They can easily index their contacts and then pass them along to you.

But this is also a double-edged sword.   A LinkedIn connection doesn’t necessarily represent a real, deep relationship.  You’ll likely have to spend a little more time talking with the referrer on these, but don’t let that scare you away.  If someone who you trust willing to put their faith in someone they refer, then you’re probably in pretty good shape.

 

Direct applicants and “Apply with LinkedIn”

The new “Apply with LinkedIn” button can give you lots of direct applicants in a format that is very easy to read.  The standardized pseudo-resume style that LinkedIn applications provide makes applications very easy to quickly sort through.  And even if you received a resume through some other means, you can cross reference that with their LinkedIn profile and compare candidates with one another very easily.

But in our experience, referrals and sourced candidates are much more likely to be the ones you end up hiring.  So though this feature makes direct applications easy to digest, remember that your best employees will usually come from elsewhere.

 

It’s no Google

Though there are ways to directly search for profiles on LinkedIn, unless you pay them very high fees (up to $500/month!), their search is relatively useless if you don’t know the name of the person you want to find.  Directly doing broad talent research isn’t easy for most people to do, so you might want to leave that to the pros.

 

The social media recruiting tool

Like any other piece of technology, LinkedIn is a tool.  Use it well and it can make your life much easier, but remember its limitations.  How has LinkedIn changed recruitment for you?

 

Image used under Creative Commons from shekharsahu.

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