Happy Days Are Here Again…If we are smart about it... Robert Byrnes Account Manager at Schaper Associates, Inc. First and foremost we must not let fear of the unknown get in our way. Let’s pay attention to the facts. The United States labor statistics report from September brings more good news. Jobs recovery took a significant step forward. Jobs were up 248,000 in September and 224,000 on average over the past three months. Gains were broadly based, while the unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent. This is the lowest unemployment rate the nation has witnessed since July 2008 (5.8%). This is highly encouraging. The question that occurs to me is: How will employers respond to this information? Obviously employers are hiring at an increasingly higher rate. It seems to me that the time is appropriate for many employers to examine their hiring criteria. As demand increases and the talent pool shrinks, the organization that takes the broader look stands to thrive and grow the most. While it can be important that newly hired talent bring quick results and resolutions to current challenges, there is also tremendous value in considering a candidate’s long term potential. The analogy to financial investment would be that, while there are times when it makes sense to invest with short term gains in mind, long term goals are an important aspect of a healthy portfolio. Too often, human resource professionals and hiring authorities are relying on the ’Checklist’ method of selection. Specific criteria are established and a candidate does or does not match. While this can be a useful starting point, many, many companies are missing opportunities to hire and develop talent that would provide long term riches to their organization. It is not unrealistic to envision a scenario where there just aren’t enough people available or potentially available who would hit 10 out of 10 on the checklist. At Schaper Associates, Inc., we spend significant time interviewing candidates. We gain a candidate’s trust as we ask open ended questions and follow up questions. We discover the candidate’s strengths, weaknesses and true motivation. We learn the real reasons for their changes of employment. We discover what would motivate this candidate to excel. We make our referrals to our clients based on this information, as well as what is on the resume. By doing this, we make our referrals with confidence. We encourage our clients to consider, not just the immediate impact a candidate could have, but also the long term value of hiring this individual. Some candidates may have industry experience that appears (on a resume) to be an exact match and may not be the best person to hire. Other candidates may come from a somewhat different industry segment, but have demonstrated the skills to excel in the client’s environment. The takeaway from this is that it is well worth the while and investment to consider not only what has the candidate done and in what industry (very important) but also what could the candidate do going forward with your company! Robert Byrnes, HVAC Talent Expert Schaper Associates, Inc.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 12:50:16 +0000
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