Attracting Winners
It does not have to be that way, but in order to change the outcome, they have to change their beliefs, and they have to recapture the vision, the enthusiasm, and the excitement. For some managers, that may be impossible. For others it may be difficult. For all managers, it is essential.
First and foremost, a good manager must develop the personal ability to attract good people.
Another important factor in attracting winners to your firm is the manner in which you present the employment opportunity. Once again, there are stark comparisons. A contrast of actual examples will illustrate the point. Incidentally, the first example is not an isolated case.
Example 1
A candidate comes into an office for an interview. The staff person (or manager) who conducts the interview believes the candidate may be good in this business. The manager makes a presentation of the opportunity, highlighting the income potential and little else. The candidate is pushed for a quick decision on an opportunity he or she knows little about with an employment service they know nothing about.
One of the two results will follow. The candidate panics, leaves the office, never to be heard from again. Or, the ill-informed candidate accepts the offer and begins work with little or no commitment to the job. A high risk for turnover is built into this
Example 2
A candidate comes into an office for an interview. The staff person (or manager) who conducts the interview believes the candidate may be good in this business. The manager approaches the candidate, indicates that he may have an opportunity that would be of interest.
The manager then asks a series of qualifying questions to determine the candidate’s initial interest. If interest is present, the manager makes a preliminary presentation on the opportunity, stressing the firm’s selectivity, comprehensive hiring process, the position’s career potential and the rewards of the job in terms of challenge, job satisfaction, and personal growth.
If the candidate is interested in learning more, the manager explains the multiple steps in the hiring process and sets up the first interview.
In the first example, everyone is forced into making a premature decision.
Remember: It’s not realistic to expect a new employee to give the position a level of commitment that is greater than the manager gave the hiring process.
In the second example, the manager and candidate go through a carefully constructed, mutual selection process (see “High Turnover Is NOT Just Part of the Business“). The emphasis is placed on the uniqueness of the opportunity in terms of what it offers in job satisfaction, challenge, career growth and personal reward. Additionally, the nature of the selection process itself underscores the need to ensure that both parties are making the right decision.
One of the consistent qualities present in most winners is their ability to make good decisions. In order to make good decisions, they need information.
Understanding this, successful managers ensure their hiring processes are designed to provide the candidates with the information they require to make good decisions. How the information is presented, to a large extent, determines how the opportunity will be perceived. How the opportunity is perceived may determine whether or not the manager can effectively attract the right person.
Your Strategic Vision
A third key element present in the hiring process of successful firms is a presentation of the company’s strategic plan for the future.
Remember: There’s no such thing as a good job with a bad company.
A company without a plan for the future is a company that is destined for trouble. Good candidates know this and refuse to become involved in such a venture. Therefore, you should consider sharing appropriate information about your strategic plan with them during the hiring process.
The areas of greatest interest to the astute candidate include operations, finance, training, marketing, resource allocation, technology and timetables. Nevertheless, your plan can still be as simple as maintaining a boutique operation servicing a specific market niche or as grandiose as becoming the dominant full-service employment firm in your market.
However, trying to hire good people without a strategic plan in place is tantamount to asking them to blindly place their trust in you. For the good candidate — the potential “winner” — the risk is too high. They will pursue alternative employment options.
Therefore, in order to attract the winners, you must be sold on what you are selling, i.e.; a career opportunity in one of the most exciting fields in business today. Additionally, you must be believable in your presentation of the employment opportunity, and you must demonstrate to the candidates, through your strategic plan, that your firm has a solid foundation and a bright future.