Revolutionize Recruiting: Part 1
Remember Internal
Written by Jaclyn Kohlhepp & Diane Thielfoldt
A few months into 2021 and yet, the challenge that continues to keep managers up at night is talent. Where to find and how to attract top talent. Talent Scout is arguably the most important role a manager plays. As such, it is the manager’s responsibility to attract and select the most talented individuals. It is important to not only accurately assess the candidate’s skills but also clearly communicate why your organization is the best place to work. It’s up to the manager to help the best candidate fall in love with the company long before they ever clock in. To successfully compete for top talent throughout the rest of 2021 means revolutionizing your recruiting.
Why now?
The workforce continues to change; demographics are shifting. Baby Boomers are rewiring and retiring, Gen X is scarce and in demand. Millennials have replaced Baby Boomers as the largest generation in the workforce and together with Gen Z make up 50% of the global workforce. To attract and hire these two cohorts requires rethinking how you recruit.
And COVID-19 has created a dramatic shift in recruiting and hiring. Work moved from onsite to remote and the candidate experience went virtual.
Changes like these have created opportunities for leaders. To address these changes, requires a clear and future-oriented talent acquisition strategy. Introducing the 4 R’s of Recruiting: Remember Internal, Refine Remote, Relevant on Social and Reimagine Resumes to help you rethink your recruiting.
Remember Internal - Current job seekers and talent scouts are looking inward. Employees want to know that there are opportunities at their current company. Employers are realizing they have a ready pool of talent and placing internal candidates saves time and money.
This shift in focus appeals to Gen Z and Millennials. New to the workforce, Gen Z, often arrives through internships. They want to know that their time at your company could lead to a permanent position. Quickly bored Millennial team members want variety and opportunities for growth and development. Make it a win-win – Millennials acquire new skills and knowledge and you retain their experience and expertise. Posting positions and hiring internally increases employee engagement across emerging and experienced generations.
How to start? Leverage employees’ focus on internal opportunities, with a technology-enabled platform to find the right mix of skills and capabilities – an internal talent marketplace. Talent marketplaces can expand from job postings to include employee development -- stretch roles, gig assignments, mentors and both internal and external opportunities to develop skills. Employees are empowered and motivated to navigate these systems and ensure their skills, training and goals are up to date to secure their next role.
Not yet sourcing from a tech enabled talent marketplace? You can still benefit from a focus on internal candidates. Request Human Resources generate a biweekly email highlighting internal opportunity and explaining how to interview. Include internal projects that employees can bid on in addition to their regular work. Establish and post job rotations in a variety of functions – assignments that offer employees the opportunity to gain new skills and explore different career paths within your organization. Informally, encourage employees to job swap – switching roles for a short period of time – to expand their knowledge, skills and abilities. The result is an ever-evolving agile workforce.
Creating a successful internal hiring strategy won’t happen overnight. It requires managers, employees and human resources to collaborate to understand employee interests and organizational need. Managers are responsible for communicating job requirements, managing expectations and being transparent about the process. For example, if an internal move requires a full year on the job before applying, employees need to know that. Employees are responsible for managing their own career.
Finally, friends recommend friends. The best candidates are often employee referrals. Create a culture that rewards employee-to-employee recognition. Encourage employees to recognize their talented colleagues’ accomplishments with internal referrals.
Kohlhepp is the founder of JTK Consulting, LLC (jtkconsultingllc.com), a consulting firm committed to helping organizations solve people problems using innovative and sustainable recruitment and engagement solutions. Connect with her @ jackie@jtkconsultingllc.com.
Thielfoldt is co-founder of The Learning Café (thelearningcafe.net), a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations develop, engage and retain the talent of every generation. Reach her at DianeT@thelearningcafe.net
