One of the Most Difficult Hires You’ll Make

Hiring

Your company is growing, and your needs are expanding. You need to create a role you have never needed before. Sometimes these new positions are nothing more than a similar role with a different title, designed to appeal to the egos of potential applicants. But other times there is a lot more involved. You are bringing in someone to take on responsibilities that no one else in your company has experience in. Where do you start?

As a recruiter who works with companies in many industries at all job levels, I can impart some wisdom from my own experiences placing professionals in growing organizations. Hiring is challenging enough, especially today, so let’s consider a few important factors in making your new role as attractive as possible:

It all starts with the title. In most cases, the job title can make an impact on your job search. For example, if you decide to use “accountant” as your title and you are looking for someone with 8-10 years of accounting experience, then your title should represent that. Having some seniority in your title will help draw in the right candidates. It is also important to factor in whether or not you are looking for someone with specific niches such as costing, financial analysis, payroll, AR/AP, etc.Using the title “accountant” might be casting too wide of a net. Pre-screening candidates can take weeks (if you’re lucky!), so having the right title can naturally weed out the wrong people.
Show me the money!! What tools are you using as a salary benchmark for this new role? An online tool such as O*Net Online is a great starting point, but do you really know what you’re up against in your industry and location? Do you know what your competition offers above and beyond a base salary? It is important that you offer an attractive enough comp package to catch a candidate’s eye. With the unemployment rate at a mere 4.3%, most of the candidates I speak to are currently employed with multiple offers on deck. Although salary is not the only factor in a career move, it makes it nearly impossible to get a candidate to accept a job from a company that offers a base with no bonus, only a week of PTO when similar companies are offering two weeks in the bank with a sign-on bonus.
Shorten your hiring process timeline. Does your company have a long, drawn out hiring process? In the candidate-driven market we are currently experiencing, it is imperative to give feedback in a timely manner as well as shortening the cycle time. Time kills deals! A candidate that is actively interviewing will be looking to join a company that mirrors their urgency and enthusiasm.
Don’t be afraid to make adjustments along the way! Nothing is set in stone. In most cases, I find that some of the “need-to-haves” move to the “nice-to-haves” bucket simply because the market might not present someone with all these boxes checked off. Obviously, yes, a cost accountant needs to have costing experience. However, there are other aspects of the role that candidates can be trained on. Do not risk losing out on a great candidate because they are lacking one part of your list of requirements.

In this current job market, it is invaluable to gather intel ahead of time so you’re not falling short in the candidate pool. Let me help you get started … I guarantee you will not end up empty-handed!

TELL ME ABOUT THE TALENT OR JOBS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR. Get in touch with me today!