“Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed.” – Peter Drucker
Searching for the right candidate takes time…but how much time?
The last thing you want is to waste time searching for the wrong candidate in the wrong way, only to realize that weeks have passed by and the role still remains vacant. Delayed product launches, slowed market entries, stalled operations…there’s a real business cost to a lagging recruitment process.
Yet at the same time, you’re balancing the desire to take your time so as not to make a bad hiring decision. With these 3 tips you can speed up the process AND make the right choice.
Define your ideal candidate before market mapping
While you might be tempted to dive right into mapping the market to understand how many ideal candidates are out there, you first need to have a solid grasp on what defines your ideal candidate.
You’ll never find the perfect candidate if you’re not clear on who the perfect candidate is.
You don’t want to realize during the interview process that you’ve actually invited the wrong type of candidates to be interviewed. If you’re replacing a previous employee who has left, perhaps you don’t need to find a replacement who is a carbon copy. A vacancy is a perfect time to reassess what is the missing piece of the puzzle for your team.Get clear on the problems you need solved from this role. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your company? What are the goals of the position? What will be the short and long term measures of success?
Once you’re clear on this, you can begin your search for a candidate that helps you solve these problems and meets these expectations. Taking the time to complete this step in detail will speed up your process, allowing you to hone in on the right type of talent and give you clarity in the interviewing stage.
Be alert and ready – embrace kigamae
The Japanese word kigamae is used in martial arts to define a mental state of awareness, it is the attitude of being ready to do something before you do it.
This applies to recruitment – you need to be ready to hire before you are actively hiring. In other words, always be in recruiting mode. Even before a position has been created or made vacant, you need to have an eye on the market and a finger on the pulse. Stay in touch with future potential candidates, check in on their career progress, touch base with them at networking events and continue to build trust.
This means that as soon as you need to recruit a candidate, you will be ready. You’ll know who to call and which networks to turn to. You’ll have relationships in place which is exceptionally important in the Japanese context where candidates won’t risk jumping to a company they don’t trust. The aim is to not start from scratch, thus speeding up the process.
Ask for referrals
Referrals are golden and recruiters should always be asking for them. Ask current employees, clients or business partners, and professional networks who they would recommend for the position.
Your existing team members are an especially valuable source of referrals. They can recommend previous colleagues or peers, and already know the values of your company so have a better chance at referring candidates who will be a good organizational fit.
Make sure you’re providing a clear picture of the ideal candidate so that those who make a referral know exactly what you are after.
Get on the front foot with hiring when you partner with Morunda. We provide 4 qualified candidates within 4 weeks on average. Book a discovery session and find the right talent without delay.
