How To Hire The Best Talent In Your Industry
| Author: | Brad Austin |
| Published: | 25th October 2017 |
| Categories: | Leadership, Recruitment, Events, Middle East |
In short:
This year, Emerson Chase are sponsoring the golf day at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum & Energy Conference to celebrate our 20 years of headhunting in the Middle East. With the event fast approaching, we've been thinking about what the game can teach us about hiring the right talent.
In detail:
The importance of hiring top talent
Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods... The golfers that spring to mind when we think of the real elites are a perfect example of the 80/20 rule. It’s no coincidence that we see serial winners and high achievers (the 20%) consistently outperforming the rest of the field (the 80%).
You, the business leader, are the golfer. You compete with many other golfers professionally, and your ultimate goal is to make your business money. That’s your Major title. The people who work for you represent your tools and ability to achieve it.
Sometimes in business, an ineffective recruitment strategy can be similar to working with the wrong caddy. And just as choosing the right club is a critical part of making the hole, hiring the wrong employee would be like using a putter to drive your operations forward.
But time after time, employers fail to see the bigger picture when hiring, ultimately leaving their business in the rough.
The problem with recruiting active candidates
Investing in a recruitment strategy that targets the highest achieving candidates from your industry could be considered expensive. Relying on active candidates is easier and cheaper. You can throw an advert on a job board, and sit back while applications come in from people who are actively looking for employment.
But why would you only want to hire from a pool which is typically made up of the unemployed, the unhappy and the underperforming? Obviously, people can find themselves unemployed for a host of reasons. But do you think that this pool of candidates contains many of your competitors' previous top performers? These candidates might make the cut now and then but are not going to win you the tournament.
A number of employed jobseekers will apply to these adverts too. However, only 25% of the workforce are actively or casually looking into other work opportunities. Relying on this method is like taking to a golf course with access to only a quarter of the clubs. You are seriously hindering your chances of making par.
Why headhunted candidates are your best hire
It's clear that most of the real talent in an industry lies in the pool of passive candidates: that remaining 75% of the workforce who aren't on job-boards, aren't networking for new opportunities, and are currently busy getting your competitor that hole in one.
These candidates have already proven that they have the knowledge, experience and skills to provide value to your business. Passive candidates are happy, loyal and successful. You won't face as much competition from other employers either, because they are not interviewing with several companies. Headhunting your competitors' candidates also makes sense, especially when you consider that the biggest challenge for 57% of hiring teams is the competition with other companies for top talent.
Whatever recruitment strategy you tee up with, the last thing you want is a revolving door of employees, just because it is cheaper or more convenient to pursue active candidates. When you commit to approaching the best of the best, your whole organisation will reap the rewards in the long term.
We look forward to seeing you at ADIPEC to discuss your current hiring challenges. In the meantime, you can read more about our services, or contact us for a free consultation about how our headhunting services can help your organisation reach its business goals and continue to lead the field.
Related Articles:
- Headhunters vs Recruitment Agencies: What's the Difference?
- When are Headhunters Worth the Investment?
- 10 Reasons why you Should use a Specialist Headhunter
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