Innovative recruitment – look not just at the role now, but how it will develop in the future
All too often, when recruiting a new employee for an existing role, recruiters often take the old job description as a starting point. The problem is, the job will have changed, often by the job holder emphasizing certain aspects of the role that show him or her in the best light which might skew the purpose of the role. What you need to do is get an accurate description of the job role as it is today, not just by asking the current employee, but also looking at the purpose of the role moving forward in time.
Exit interviews are invaluable
An exit interview is your chance to see what the person in that role really spent their time doing and how the role changed over their tenure in the job. Finding out when and why the role changed as well as what potential changes the present incumbent believes need to happen for the role to remain relevant. It would also be useful to ask them What were the best, most enjoyable aspects of the job? What did they find frustrating and how would they shape the role differently if they could? Did they find the role restrictive or challenging? What qualities would they look for in the new candidate?
The job description used during their own recruitment will more often than not be outdated now; you will need to build a new one based not only on the job leaver’s opinion but also looking at the future needs the organisation has for that role. So exit interviews also need to be made with the manager of that role, does the emphasis of the role need to change? Are there new skills that need to be brought to bear in the role looking at the future?
New changes to a role need to support and fit well in the team around it.
It will be up to senior management to actually sign off on the new description of the role, but they aren’t the only ones who understand what, or rather, who is needed. The role you are looking to fill needs to be an effective cog in the machine, so it’s worth asking the rest of the machine what shape that cog should be. Conversations with other people in that team and also within the wider department should help you more accurately formulate the job description for the person you need, not just another body to fill your headcount.
Look for internal job candidates not just external
Many recruiters start looking externally straight away, but is that always the best way to find your next hire? You can put out your job ad and get CVs from people in different industries who have all done something similar in the past and will be able to come in and run things their way. But is that what you want? An external recruit will come in with their own way of working and potentially impose it on everyone else. What sort of message does looking outside the organisation give to the rest of the team?
By only looking outside of your organisation when it comes to recruiting, not only are you potentially overlooking internal candidates who may have just the passions and talents you are looking for, but you are also sending a signal that the only way to get ahead is to look elsewhere.It may also indicate that personal development within the organisation is poor.
Look deeper than qualifications and experience
Good A-Levels and a First degree are signs of a diligent student who will no doubt go on to do well. Likewise, a successful track record in a similar role shows that that person knew what they were doing there and did it well. But are they the right person in your organisation now? They may have the right experience but perhaps they don’t have the right cultural fit, or energy expressed often as ‘oomph’.
A too rigid agenda of the person you are looking for, for example, only someone who ticks all the experience qualifications boxes might not have the right personality you really need to come in and shake things up. At the same time, choosing a maverick might not be the right thing to do if the team is working well at the moment.
A new way to recruit the right candidate
By only looking at the old job description, or what is needed at the present moment you may filter out those people who would grow into the role perfectly and develop in the way that you need.
By using the Future Resume approach you are able to get behind a normal CV to find out much more about an individual, tapping into the potential passions and values of potential employees and really see what it is that makes them tick. A future Resume doesn’t just look at the past, but at the real person today and where that person is looking to go in the future.
To see how Future Resume can reduce the time it takes to hire the right person, get in touch with us today.