Recruiter Chicks

Part 1:  Using Data to Drive Decisions
Part 2: Data vs. Knowledge

As promised, for the final part of this series on elevating or Supersizing your recruiting function, I will step through a past hiring project as a case study on how data and knowledge were used to fund and drive a successful recruiting project.

Let me set the stage.  In consulting, people are your product – so your target headcount number is extremely important to achieve your revenue numbers.  As such, we knew from a recruiting perspective what we needed to hire above our current headcount number to achieve our planned book of business.  However, we also had a group of third party consultants that were being subbed on projects to cover increased demand for services – which offered us an opportunity save $2M YOY in costs that affected our margins – direct $’s to the bottom line — if we replaced them with full time employees.  And of course we still had to cover attrition that had occurred or would likely occur during this process.  Lastly, we didn’t have a lot of time to do it.  Shocker, I know.

Our Exec came fully prepared, and even expecting, to have to pay costly third party fees to achieve this goal – especially a very hard to find skill set — in a very tight time frame.  My job at this point is to tell them if this “project” was doable, what it would take, and what it would cost.  Guessing should not be an option – and it doesn’t need to be.  The data doesn’t lie – and I needed it to not only give me these answers, but to help me tell the story.  This is business – I can’t rely on guesses, my credibility, my charm, or even my good looks (*smile*).

Armed with my “story”, I demonstrated what we needed to invest and where – and where/how our recruiters time should be spent.  I also looked at all types of data, metrics, and measures and derived knowledge around how to make the process better and faster, more effective and efficient, and provide on target, higher quality candidates.  Things like:

• Job profiling workshops with hiring teams to create an agreed upon profile (by all involved) for recruiting as well as the assessment criteria, for which all parties would be held accountable.  No finding out at interview debriefs what they were really seeking (and increasing time to fill)…
• Baseline interview training for all interviewers  (understanding assessment criteria and how to use interview process to make informed decisions)
• Pre-screening questions (knockout, rankings)
• Behavioral assessment testing to gain predictive data and insights into candidates behavioral tendencies and motivations to be used with our profile
• Pre-scheduled and staffed interview dates and debriefs
• Predefined offer approval and delivery process (if certain candidate process scores and salary ranges were met – boom)
• I looked at source data for “quality” candidates (Tech-screened – meaning a manager reviewed/selected –to hired; Performance)

And not just how the “Sources” (Boards, Referrals, Direct Sourcing, Agencies, internals, candidate pools, pipelines, etc.) performed, but what their capabilities were — and what opportunities there were to make them perform better too.

This is business intelligence 101 – its not just a history lesson – it is decision support.  This is how the plan was formulated and sold.  I admit, they were skeptical – our leadership, and frankly, I think even the recruiters — but I had the data to help me tell my story.  I am not going to show you the data as it is lengthy — and proprietary — but the story it told me was:

1. Search our database and push a personalized email out to selected candidates telling them a little bit about our opportunity and why it might be of interest to them – inviting them to read more via a link to the job on our website.
2. Purchase a “national” job posting on our highest performing job board.  We used carefully crafted verbiage based on messaging geared to the profile of people we were seeking and utilizing high performing keywords we extracted from job board vendor data – also based on the “ideal candidate profile”.  The national scope of the posting – while very costly – allowed for our job to appear where appropriate — regardless of location searched by prospective candidates.  It was still about the same, maybe even a touch less, as one agency fee.
3. Hold a special “hot skill” referral contest for this profile/role only

These three things were geared to drive candidates from our top sources for this role – Employee Referrals and yes, Job Boards (or really just one particular job board in this case).  But most importantly, our own database — which represented no one particular source, but was obviously a huge pool of previously identified talent that already had knowledge of or interest in our organization.

To cover ourselves with any particular doubters, we did also open the search with two of our valued vendor partners.  I was fully comfortable that in this case, based on the data we had (historical, market, capabilities, etc.), that it would not make much of an impact on our recruiters, for redundant efforts or candidate duplication.  We had a vendor portal that they could submit their candidates through, which did a dupe check of our database immediately.  If a candidate was already in there, it would not allow the candidate to be submitted – and we would be none the wiser – eliminating any potential conflict over how a candidate was surfaced.  As it turned out, they were not even a factor.

In each of these cases the candidates were directed to our website to apply – which also had brief screening questions – to help aid the recruiters prioritize the candidates to be reviewed and ultimately screened as appropriate…

As active or “motivated” candidates came in from these marketing efforts, our recruiters could focus on screening them.  Then use the searches they set up initially for the ATS  marketing effort, to focus on direct calls to the hottest candidates surfaced.  This process can also be repeated within Linkedin, referrals, and other sourced candidates.  Using the process we outlined above to get the candidates through the process, we knocked this project out of the park — on time and under budget.  We were able to do what we set out to do, achieving the results we predicted the way we predicted being able to do it.  We met our book of business and saved the company $2M YOY direct to the bottom line.

The success of that project, along with many others, demonstrated our ability to go beyond being order-takers, facilitating butts in seats — such as

Hiring projects and programs
Workforce planning
Succession planning and executive hiring
Talent management/career development
Due diligence during M&A projects and merger integration projects
Scouting new office locations – domestic and global (talent market conditions, availability, trends)

…even determining product lines to offshore.  How can Recruiting know what product could be done in a particular location(s)?  By knowing how many we could realistically hire based on our bandwidth, budget — and the availability of talent, at what we were willing to pay, and other outside factors such as brand awareness in the marketplace.  If you want to elevate –  collect the dots, connect the dots — tell stories with your data, your knowledge — and help drive the business forward.

There’s data and there is knowledge.  Data is what it is…facts, numbers, or text, not necessarily yet useful on its own, it’s just data.  But data can be collected and put together such that it provides answers and meaning — this is knowledge.  This is Part 2 of a 3 part series on Supersizing your Recruiting function — it’s a bit lengthy, but I hope it illustrates why and how we can elevate our profession beyond being order-takers, facilitating butts in seats…

Part 1:  Using Data to Drive Decisions
Part 2: Data vs. Knowledge
Part 3: A Case Study

DATA

Before we can have Knowledge we must take the time to identify and collect the Data first — that is before we can connect the dots, we must collect the dots.  Half the battle will be identifying the data we need — and knowing where to find it in our world of disparate systems and data sources.  Ask yourself the following questions to help with this identification process :

What do you need?
What is important to you, your team, and your organization?
What will help you, your team, and your organization make decisions?
What do you need to provide?

There is data we could collect within our own organizations, such as:

* Experience, Expertise
* Education (where, degree, gpa, test scores,… – who knows what can be important)
* Performance & Development
* Engagement
* Time
* Costs
* Retention/Attrition
* Productivity
* Demographics
* Social

Even data that exists outside of organization could be useful, such as

* Job market data/trends
* Job reports
* Social

I remember  last year, Eric Winegardner, from Monster, absolutely astounding an audience at a Recruiting SIG meeting of TAG (Technology Association of Georgia, a large technology based professional association….) with job market data and trends.  Not just data and statistics, but what it meant and how they could help their organizations prepare – and drive better decisions.  I know it probably set some sort of download record that rest of that week at Monster’s site — and if they were smart they got on the email list for the monthly Monster Employment Index reports – or at least some source of regular job market data.

There really could be sources of very valuable data within your vendor partners as described above, where you least expect it.  I was completely blown away at a briefing I did at SHRM National, back in June in Atlanta, as part of the Press team with a company called TALX (now Equifax Workforce Solutions)…a provider of HR, Payroll, and Tax Management Solutions.  What struck me as fascinating when speaking with their President, Dann Adams, is that outside of the valuable services they provide to their customers, the data they are sitting on is off the chain and they get it.  They are actively looking for ways their data can help arm their HR customers with knowledge to drive better business decisions for their organizations.  For instance, we can tell our leaders we need different or better benefits…but what if you could actually show them that if they offer X, the results would be Y.

KNOWLEDGE

Exercise:  First understand your corporate objectives — then outline by each objective, how does what you or your team do match up?  Now you have focus…

Searching the data

You have your collection of data now – hopefully.  How will you search or extract it?  Make sure you understand how your search tool works – all the ins & outs.  If it doesn’t work well – or you don’t know it, get it in a tool that is better or you know better.

Telling Stories

Interpret – What happened?

I love this line from a post done by Jean Paul Isson:  “Business intelligence (BI) has exactly the same objective as the employment selection process: interpreting past data to forecast results and drive business decisions”.  BI is the heart of what we should be providing to elevate our value to the organization — Tell what happened.

Analysis – Why?

Now that you know what happened — you must look for why.   That is where analysis comes in – so you can then figure out what needs to happen to make it better.  This is where you can start to bring in your historical or performance data as well as information such as market trends, job reports, and any other data that will help…

Forecast/Predict — Like…

* Find/target more and better quality candidates
* Improve candidate assessment and recruiting processes
* Make better hiring decisions

More and more organizations are using assessment tools to help gain insights into a person’s personality, behaviors, work style, motivations, energy, etc – all in an effort to predict performance, fit, even the ability to retain.  And no discussion of this nature would be complete without the implications of Big Data and what impact it will have as time moves forward.  That is for another post, but I will leave you with one recent article to reference, courtesy of the
WSJ online called “Meet the New Boss: Big Data” about companies replacing hunch-based hiring with computer modeling — just to whet your appetite.

Making Decisions

To illustrate this point, I will use a story…

Let’s look at Starbucks – is it the best coffee?  I don’t know… it’s pretty darn good… But have I had better?  Sure.  Have I had worse?  Oh hell yes.  The point is there will always be someone who can take what you have done — product or service — and do as good, maybe better.  But what makes them different?

Their people — you usually have a consistent experience by knowledgeable, well-trained baristas.   I know there are always exceptions, but for the most part their people seem happy, my order never gets screwed up, they have never been out of what I wanted, etc.  Why is that?  Their ability to manage information.  They don’t hold their data and analytics up in their IT depts — or in their C-suites, making unilateral, top down decisions.  No — they push that information down into their cafes, so that their managers can make informed decisions on hiring, staffing, ordering/stocking, etc. based on their unique locations and needs.

Making Improvements

Another example to illustrate this point — Talent shortages are kind of a hot button for me.  But to address, first we have to improve on how we define and target talent.  We can’t make more people magically appear where there are few to be found — especially for most of us who may not have the biggest name, salaries, benefits, etc to compete for that talent against those that do.  To address those shortages or shortfalls — we need to open ourselves to what talent we should be seeking.  This new type of talent may be from a tier 2 or tier 3 school, and they may not have any experience in your industry, or in some cases, any experience at all. If you are trying to grow your  team, use the knowledge you have amassed to create your own definition of talent, identify the traits that they need, and hire and maybe even develop people who fit the bill.

Next Tuesday in Part 3, in the final part of the series, I will actually step through a past hiring project as a case study on how these concepts were used to fund and drive a successful recruiting project.  See you then…

When our firm’s clients ask us to take on a search, they usually lay out the key qualifications as well as some traits and qualities that fit well within their company culture or the job.  Some of those things are easy to assess and others more difficult.  I have filled several executive searches recently where clients have asked for someone with a mix of strategic and tactical experience and the ability to manage up and down well.

The one quality that many of our firm’s clients are seeking and targeting is someone with “executive presence.”  Executive presence is a vital component to being an effective leader.

How do we create or transform to possess “Executive Presence?”

Let me just start by saying that when I think of executive presence it has nothing to do with a suit and tie or skirt and stockings.  Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s really think about the essential qualities that make up executive presence.

Since this became a recurring theme with our clients, it prompted me to purchase a few e-books that focus on Executive Presence.  Of the books I read, I really liked how one in particular laid out the theory of executive presence, entitled Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO.

In this book, they highlighted many traits and skills that come along with “commanding respect like a CEO.”  Of those, there were five that stood out and were reoccurring themes.

5 Traits of Executive Presence:

1. Listening Skills

2. Relational

3. Introspective

4. Commands Attention

5. Ability to Leverage Resources

Executive Presence is not something that shows up overnight, it is something that has to be molded, shaped and practiced.  We all need coaching in some area or another and working on executive presence is sure to pay hefty returns whether you’re an entrepreneur or work for a company.  Executive Presence is not just based on looks and appearance, it is based on the way your interact and how well you manage up, down and laterally.  Most of all, it’s about impeccable listening skills and treating people like people!

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the 21st Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference — and it was quite an event!  Attendees were welcomed to opening remarks by SHRM President and CEO Hank Jackson, who also talked about 2012 focus areas– and of course, next year’s national conference being held in our fince city of Atlanta.  There was also the moving and  inspiring key note from Kat Cole, President of Cinnabon — don’t miss Alex Putnam’s post on what Kat’s address meant to him!  There were also a host of sessions across several tracks that made it very hard to choose what to select!

The very first session I attended was on Leadership and Conflict by Sylvia Lafair, PhD, President of CEO – Creative Energy Options, Inc., and author of “Don’t Bring It to Work”.  Sylvia made a simple, yet very profound statement that we have to begin to see separating who we are at work and who we are at home is really just an illusion.  Boom!!  She is so right – who we are and the things we experience at home, does affect us at work.  As such, we really do have to take this into account when dealing with conflict in the work place.  My friend, Dr. Daniel Crosby of Incblot, wrote a very moving and personal post recently that touches on this concept – check it out here.

We all deal with conflict in different ways…as Sylvia pointed out, most of us either Fight, take Flight, or just Freeze, like a deer in headlights.  The problem is we get stuck into patterns in times of conflict and fall back on repetitive reactions that “…keep us stuck in the world of ‘always’ and ‘never’…”.  Understanding common patterns in people — and what affect these patterns can have on the team — is a critical part of dealing with conflicts that can arise due to these patterns.  This is crucial to keeping the people on your team engaged in a productive and trusting work environment.  She outlined many common patterns you do see such as:

• The Super Achiever – must win at all costs.
• The Rebel – can’t accept any authority.
• The Procrastinator – won’t finish anything.
• The Clown – reduces everything to a joke.
• The Persecutor – bullies people into misery.
• The Victim – too scared to take any action.
• The Rescuer – demands to be the big hero.
• The Drama Queen/King – makes emotional scenes.
• The Martyr – does everyone else’s work.
• The Pleaser – say what folks want to hear.
• The Avoider – dodges work and responsibility.
• The Denier – won’t face problems directly.
• The Splitter – secretly sets up conflict.

She acknowledges there are others, but the most important thing is that you do deal with it and outlined some simple steps to handle.  First and foremost is you must

1) Cool down by trying some deep breathing exercises to get your mind right and focused to talk this out.

2) Slow down and identify what buttons were pushed and what ways you think could help move things forward.

3) Play down by ‘owning’ your own pattern of behavior an how this could be contributing to the conflict

4) Sit down, preferably in a quiet, private area to discuss the things identified above – sans blame, judgements, or attacks – in the spirit of open and honesty and a desire  for positive change.  It may help to practice first!

5) …and finally….Touchdown!!  It’s time to celebrate and do whatever necessary to celebrate and reinforce a solution!

Simple steps, but certainly ones we rarely take the time to do – at home or at work.  If you are looking for some advice on the “sitting down” part, Sylvia describes her O-U-T technique in this recent SHRM-Atlanta post, Conflict, Relationships, and Pollution.  Or, of course, check out Sylvia’s book,  as well as the presentation found on the SHRM-Atlanta web site!!

I am sure that got your attention – it certainly got mine when my friend Laura B. handed me the book Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni.  While the book was written with management consultants in mind, it is really applicable for any service providers – internal or external.  I remember thinking when I read the book, that this would be a great read for Recruiters, especially in dealing with their Hiring Managers/Teams.

The premise of the book is simple – it is about being vulnerable and transparent.  You do this by overcoming the fear of losing the business (or the client), the fear of being embarrassed, and the fear of being inferior.  In turn, your ability to truly serve the client’s needs increases tremendously – as does their loyalty and trust.   It is not as easy as it sounds and really does require putting your clients’ interests above your own.  It is risky and I can assure you from personal experience, it won’t always work out the way you want or intend.  However, it will likely work out the way that it should.  Personally, I believe being confident in that fact is half the battle.

These are common fears we all share.  I have worn many hats – Software Engineer, Consultant, Recruiting/HR – but in my mind I have always been a Consultant, and it is how I have approached each role.  Early in my consulting career, I struggled most with the fear of having the difficult conversations that might cost me the relationship or the trust I was building with my clients.   With the experience and confidence I have gained through the years, I probably struggle more now with the fear of being wrong or looking stupid — or as I prefer to call ‘uninformed’

But I think “getting naked” with your Hiring Managers/Teams is critical to uncovering what you need to know to successfully address the talent needs and challenges of your teams.  Ultimately their goals and objectives should also be your own.  I believe the key takeaways for Recruiters are:

• Always consult instead of sell – don’t just push candidates, let them benefit from your knowledge of the market, the candidate, competitors, etc.
• Don’t be afraid to address the elephant in the room and have the difficult conversations ( “tell the kind truth”) – you can’t solve the real problems without doing this
• It’s OK to ask dumb questions or make dumb suggestions – this is how you learn (and trust me, someone else in the room has thought the same thing, but lacked the confidence or courage to raise)
• Be able to laugh at yourself – its about learning and helping, not looking good
• Believe in your client’s work as much as they do – it is hard to “partner” with them without feeling it

I encourage you to read the book — its a fast, easy read.  I hope it empowers you to take some risks to build a new level of trust and loyalty with your clients.  Some clients may take advantage or not be ready, willing, or able to tackle the real problems, but the risks are worth it — and will reveal when the relationship was not meant to be or is no longer right.  Please share your stories – I’d love to hear when these principles have worked for you (or helped you move on when necessary)…

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