Recruiting Employees to fit your Unique Team
Yesterday’s blog discussed how to successfully hire for culture fit. Today we offer a few ideas on how to recruit members for your unique team.
Whether your team is large or small, they are unique to your company culture. Finding someone to complement their unique skillset can be a daunting task. But whether you are searching for someone with similar values or for someone to add that creative touch, rethinking your current hiring practices could broaden the applicant pool just enough to find that someone special.
The following tweaks in your hiring process could lead to an exceptional find:
Recruit in Unlikely Places. Any company can do better than simply posting an ad online. If you are looking to add certain skills to your team, try recruiting from different sectors that require the skills you are seeking. For example, Zack Canfield, Director of Talent at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners is known for recruiting comedians, private investigators and former debate team champions. No wonder this advertising company has some of the world’s most widely-successful ad campaigns (hint: Got Milk?)
Ask about Hobbies & Interests. This is the easiest way to not only get to know a person, but to get a better sense of their values as well. If your organization values philanthropy, then volunteers would make a great fit. If you are seeking to hire more creative types to generate products or ideas, then artists could make an excellent addition to your team. This is one reason why employee referral programs work so well- spreading the word about an open position at activities such as a charitable event or gallery opening is a great way to meet potential candidates.
Invite Candidates to Ask Questions. It won’t necessarily occur to a job candidate to ask about a company’s culture, or they might be too focused on impressing the interviewer to ask many questions. Take the time to let them know it’s important you understand their ideal culture by starting a dialogue, the easiest way to determine if the prospective hire will be a successful culture fit.
Reconsider your Hiring Practices. It’s possible that the same steps taken to filter out less desirable candidates might be the very actions that are eliminating creative or innovative new hires. Consider a candidate that has been out of work for a lengthy period of time; instead of automatically overlooking the applicant, ask them what they have been doing with their time. The answer might surprise you!
While these recruiting practices are by no means standard, thinking outside the box just may lead you to a diamond in the rough, or two, or three…
Tiffany Barber is the Associate Manager of Marketing and Communications and an avid blogger for Great Place To Work®.
Great Place To Work can help your unique team reach its potential. Learn more about our Journey! Leadership Development Program for managers.
