What a week.
There is just never, ever a shortage of material and for that, I’m thankful. A particularly memorable highlight of this week involves a “tactical” error from one of our clients. In our quest to ensure we have the right people on the bus, my wonderful business partner decided that the position description we’d been recruiting from for the last three weeks was (uh oh) wrong.
And oh, by the way, I am SO tired of hearing about the bus, the people on the bus, the right seats on the bus, the wheels on the bus, the bus stop, the bus ticket, being thrown under the bus, the license plate of the bus, the bus driver, and any other reference to a bus. When the hell did a bus become such a significant corporate analogy? Couldn’t we have picked a more fitting representation for corporate America than a dirty, polluting means of public transportation? On second thought, maybe that is quite accurate. Hmmm.
But, I digress.
I’ve conducted several interviews and set up several more before this change occurred. Now I understand things shift, but this is coming from someone who has reorganized the team three or four times in the last six months. In this case, shift happens too much.
So, here’s a tidbit of advice: THINK. And when you think you are done thinking, THINK some more.
THINK about what you need – strategically – before you develop a position description. The foundation of any truly successful search lies in the development of an accurate and complete position specification.
THINK about the real skills and competencies you need a person to have, not just the educational pedigree and years of experience.
Example: We all remember Sully, right? He’s the pilot who successfully crash-landed a plane in the Hudson River. Imagine if his job description stated:
Minimum Qualifications:
Must have successfully crash-landed a plane in a body of water.
About three pilots on the planet – maybe – would meet the minimum qualifications. Sounds silly, right? That’s because it is. We need to be more focused on what people are capable of under the right circumstances with the right training than what someone has either done or not done. Focus on competencies more than absolute experience.
THINK about how failing to adequately define your structure and staffing requirements can adversely impact your own career. At the end of the day Hiring Manager, you (not anyone else) are responsible for the success or failure of your staff.
THINK about the fact that poor planning on your part makes your recruiter’s job nearly impossible, which negatively impacts your performance. We are all on the same team.
Help me help you.
Let me know what you THINK.
Cheers,
Brenden
