Your approach to recruitment is (probably) flawed

When the demand for A-Grade people is greater than the supply, why do so many companies still spend most of their time, effort and energy targeting the 17% of people who are actively looking – when most A-Grade people are part of the 83% who aren’t[1]?

A key reason is that companies continue to rely on a ‘surplus supply of candidates’ mentality when approaching recruitment.  They think of hiring A-Grade employees as a ‘numbers game’ – with the objective of getting as many people as possible to apply so there will be a better chance of finding a good person.  This approach is fundamentally flawed.

Because A-Grade candidates are in scarce supply, companies must consider the hiring process from the perspective of an A-Grade candidate who is currently employed, highly engaged and has multiple job opportunities to choose from.

A-Grade people don’t look for work the way average people look for work. A-Grade people won’t just fire off their resume at the first hint of a job. They want to learn about the potential upside first.  They aren’t interested in sideways/lateral moves – they are interested in career progression.  They are less interested in a stale position description outlining the day-to-day tasks – and more interested in growth, a chance to maximise their abilities and to become better at what they (want to) do.

If you want to recruit A-Grade people, you need an A-Grade approach.  We recommend your recruitment process incorporates the following:

•       Start with a Performance Profile outlining the key objectives that the successful candidate will need to achieve
•       Identify how your company (and the job opportunity) is different in a way that matters to an A-Grade candidate
•       Plan your promotion strategy. Use your networks – don’t just rely on job boards
•       Have an efficient and effective screening process in place
•       Conduct thorough competency-based selection interviews and assessments
•       Conduct thorough background and reference checking
•       Onboard and retain your new hire for success
•       Measure success based on your hiring managers’ ability to recruit A-Grade people (not their ability to hire fast and or cheap!)