What is the best advice you received when you became a recruiter?

Although it was many years ago, I remember it well.  As a new recruiter I was afraid – what can I say? What can I ask?  My boss back then had been in HR for a few years, she understood where I was coming from; why I was feeling the way that I was.  One day she sat me down, she told me , “don’t be afraid, be yourself, get to know the applicant; you’re always not going to make the “right hire”; you’ll learn from your mistakes”.  She said, always go with your “gut feeling”.  Well she was right - years later, I have learned from my mistakes – we all make them; but when I hire that “right” person; it’s such a thrill.  And the “gut thing”……..  yes, I always listen to it!    It’s always right. 

What about you, what is the best advice you received when you became a recruiter?

Claudia Cotarelo
Atlantic Health
NAHCR Social Media Task Force Member

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Fit Happens

This post is the sixth installment in a six-part series by guest blogger, Jay Forte, Humanetrics LLC.  Jay is scheduled to kick off the 2011 Image Conference with "The Greatness Zone" general session on Wednesday, July 13. Later in the day, Jay will present two additional sessions: “Will You Fit Here? The Talent Based Approach to Find and Hire the Right Employee” and “Intellectual Age Recruiter - Becoming a Strategic Business Partner”. Register for the Image Conference today to hear Jay!

Fit Happnes

Jay Forte, Humanetrics LLC. 
www.FireUpYourEmployees.comwww.TheGreatnessZone.com
Marie was hired into a customer service role for a large international distributor. Her responsibility, in addition to doing the daily service tasks, was to provide “consistently exceptional service.” Based on her robust resume of previous work experience, the company expected great results.  Marie failed.

Marie consistently lost her temper with customers who did not know how to order, had questions or required a second explanation of a product solution. She did not accommodate any changes to how she provided service – no personal touch – all customers were dealt with in the same efficient, but impersonal, manner. As Marie openly said, “I don’t really like people – but I’ll deal with them to get the job done.” Quite a first impression for a customer.

Marie may have been a great person (I’m sure her parents love her), but she is a misfit for this role; the role needed certain consistent behaviors that were not part of her core abilities. Fit didn’t happen.

Time after time I see organizations relying on candidates’ past skills or experience as the exclusive method for hiring. And though there may be mandatory role skill requirements, it is critical to also assess a candidate’s “fit” for the role – what the talents, strengths and passions are to be successful in the role.

Regardless of what our parents may have told us, we are not great at everything. But we are great at some things. When we discover these personal areas of greatness, we then can assess our world – what roles need what we do best – and can find our fit. Fit happens.

I find there are two primary problems in today’s recruiting effort:

1.      The organization does not clearly define the core abilities needed to be successful in the role,

2.      Job seekers do not know themselves well enough to know their unique talents, strengths and passions.

Today’s recruiters must help organizations better define the required attributes in each role, and state them in their sourcing process. They must also require job seekers to spend time discovering and articulating their unique abilities. Only then can the two sides meet in the middle for a meaningful process committed to finding the right person for the right job. Then, fit happens.

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3 Things Great Companies Do to Attract The Best Employees

This post is the fifth installment in a six-part series by guest blogger, Jay Forte, Humanetrics LLC. 
Jay is scheduled to kick off the 2011 Image Conference with "The Greatness Zone" general session on Wednesday, July 13. Later in the day, Jay will present two additional sessions: “Will You Fit Here? The Talent Based Approach to Find and Hire the Right Employee” and “Intellectual Age Recruiter - Becoming a Strategic Business Partner”. Register for the Image Conference today to hear Jay! 

 

3 Things Great Companies Do to Attract The Best Employees

Jay Forte, Humanetrics LLC.
www.FireUpYourEmployees.com www.TheGreatnessZone.com

What you send out, you receive. Well, not to get to “New Age-ish” on you, but there is a lot of truth to this when it comes to sourcing and hiring great employees.

Organizations constantly send messages to the outside world about who they are and their beliefs about how they value and develop their people. In my career, I have seen that the three things great companies do to send out a message that they are the best to work for are: they create and support a strong employee-focused culture, they have exceptional clarity in role definitions and performance expectations, and they are compassionate – they openly value, respect and care about employees as people.

1.      They create and support a strong employee-focused culture.  Word gets out quickly about which companies have thriving and employee-focused cultures. These organizations hire based on aptitude and ability, have meaningful incentive and reward programs, provide recurring employee feedback, offer skills education, have sound on-boarding, and are overtly inclusive. They build a culture that attends to the needs of the employees so employees stay motivated and focused on the needs of the customers.

2.      They have exceptional performance clarity. Core responsibilities and performance expectations are clearly defined. Employees (always) know what is expected and how what they do makes a difference to customers, other employees and the organization.

3.      They are compassionate and value employees as people. Organizations that attract the best openly value and celebrate their employees as people. They respect and encourage their diversity, passions and individuality. They encourage strong professional and personal development and respect the lives of the employees outside of the workplace.

There is always a difference between hiring employees and hiring great employees – and I only want great employees in my company. As much as we want to “test drive” a candidate before we hire him by asking talent and behavioral-based questions, great employees want to know what life will be like for them in the company before they get there. Share your beliefs and attitudes about your employees in your social media, your marketing materials and on your website. Share your company’s powerful culture, clarity and compassion and you will attract back the great employees. What you send out, you receive.

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National Health Care Recruiter's Day

On Tuesday, June 6. 1991, Congress declared the first Tuesday in June each year to be National Health Care Recruiter Recognition Day.  Healthcare recruiters play an essential part of the day to day operations of healthcare facilities nationwide!  Congratulations Health Care Recruiters!  I am meeting one of my favorite Health Care Recruiter’s and we are having lunch.  What are you doing today? 

Stephanie Parker, CHCR
NAHCR Social Media Task Force Chair

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To post a comment, click below on the link that says # COMMENTS. Then log-in with your Google or other listed account, OR you can also select Name/URL. Depending on your settings you may or may not have to enter a URL. If you are required to enter a URL, you may use your company's webaddress or simply enter www.nahcr.com. Thank you for reading our blog and sharing your comments.