Why It Works
It’s no secret… When possible, I prefer to personally meet with my clients — particularly in the early stages. Also, later on. And certainly during pivotal occasions. OK, kind of a lot.
The reasons are simple. My Searches become more accurate. My placements are more successful. And my instincts get crazy good.
It’s fair to ask if all this extra effort makes any difference.
Is it really necessary?
I say, Yes, it makes a huge difference. And it’s increasingly important.
More than two years into the COVID disruptions, the world is saturated in Tweets, Masks, and Social Distancing. The value of personal relationships has been degraded. Trust is a memory.
For many, a Candidate Search means matching words on a computer.
I believe the complete recruiting process re-establishes trust and then builds a bridge — a temporary relationship — that allows the Candidate and the Employer to explore ways to work together.
It’s hard to explain what used to be obvious.
So, what follows is a high-level sense of why I do what I do.
It doesn’t replace your process. It supplements it.
Discovery
One of the first documents that kicks off a search is the Job Description.
Once you strip out the legalese and the disclaimers, this can sometimes get a little generic.
It’s totally understandable why.
If I were asked to describe my own face, I wouldn’t be able to do it.
I know it’s a wonderful face. The best face I’ve ever had.
But to be honest, I can’t tell you how to recognize me, apart from all the other faces in the world.
I can make a list: mouth, nose, two eyes, two ears.
In the same way, after all the verbiage is gone, that’s sometimes about as detailed as some Job Descriptions get.
We want to learn enough about the organization to fill in the blanks.
Camera Awareness
If you’ve ever had a Zoom call with someone sitting under palm trees on a beach, you might want to be aware that there’s a camera involved.
What you see isn’t real.
What’s real might not be seen.
When I truly want to understand the people and the work environment, it usually helps to show up.
Group Dynamics
Most websites have pictures of smiling people.
Unfortunately, the smiling people don’t actually work for the company that owns the website.
And the smiles are bought and paid for.
It’s easy to pick up on the internal vibe of an organization, just by walking around.
But you do have to be there.
From the lobby, down the halls, at the break room, and back at the loading dock.
Reality speaks louder than websites.
Communication
It takes a short while to learn what a team means by the words they use.
Or what they’re communicating by the words they don’t use.
Some people are imprecise.
Other communications are totally non-verbal.
Important as it might be, none of this will show up in a job spec.
Casual conversations can clarify a lot, pretty quickly.
Improving The Odds Of Success
Some groups have no interest in adding a new Team Member. They know it’s coming, but they are against the whole idea.
A Hiring Authority may not mention — or even know — what nearly anyone in the group will say out loud.
I think it’s worth showing up for a message like that.
Other groups may want help, but interviews are rare or ineffective.
There are lots of possible reasons. It doesn’t take long to figure out why.
In some cases, managers are terrified of the process (and say so.)
The decision making process can become its own bottleneck, for reasons too grim to review.
At a time when every employer is competing for the same candidates, it’s best if Hiring Authorities can move quickly and effectively.
It’s a simple thing to agree on process and participation to do that.
Expectations
Search results improve — not because new candidates suddenly appear — but because strong options are processed more effectively.
When that positive attitude radiates out, then you’ll also begin attracting new and superior candidates.
And that’s why I do what I do.
-TD