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By JP Sniffen Buyer’s Market. Ever hear those words before? For today’s hiring manager that is probably how it appears. Unemployment in San Diego has risen to 9.4%. There are more job seekers on the market than in any other time since 1990. That should make it easy to find that next key team member right? All you have to do is walk down the virtual aisle and you will trip over the candidates dying to fill your opening; right? Wrong! Contrary to popular belief it actually becomes harder to find the right next person for your firm when unemployment is high. Why is that so? Well quite simply you are overwhelmed by mass. When you post a job online, you get bombarded by 300 resumes in an hour. Keywords are nice but we all have met somebody who is much more or less than what their resume says. When that next hire greatly impacts your success do you really want to leave it to chance that you missed finding the right person in that sea of resumes? The way to not drown in this pool of talent is to get back to basics. First off ask yourself; what I really want this new person to do? How will they either save or make money for my organization? That does not always equate literally to dollar and cents. It could also mean time, stress level or simply quality of life. Where did I find my last best hire? Was that luck or results I could produce again? Have I asked my other employees for referrals? And I don’t mean just asking everybody and anybody. I mean asking your best people specifically if they know anybody who is looking and may be a match for the role you have in mind. Birds of a feather flock together as the saying goes. It may also be a good time to look into retaining a professional recruiter. A skilled recruiter can be as valuable to your organization as your tax accountant, your web designer, or your company lawyer. All these people are highly trained at what they do so that you don’t have to be. You invest money into each of these people because you know there will be a return on your investment. A recruiter is no different when it comes to the field of human capitol. Invest in the right recruiter and the person they will find you will pay big dividends down the road. The key to all of this is not to drift away from what has worked in the past. Don’t be lured by the ocean of talent out there into thinking you can just pluck anybody out of the water and you will be successful. At your next key staff meeting poll your team and come up with the essential steps needed to attract, screen, and onboard the right talent. Decide what works best for your firm and your unique culture and then do not deviate from that in good times or bad! Stick to those basics and I promise you will confidently find success in your search!
JP Sniffen is a Partner with Orion International and the Recruiting Manager for their San Diego Office. He served in the United States Marine Corps as an Infantry Officer and has been in recruiting for 10 years. His focus is on helping companies hire impact players for their organizations and in helping former military job seekers find their next career in the civilian market.
If you wish to contact JP feel free to email him at jsniffen@orioninternational.com or 858-715-1501 ext 227.
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