Immutable truths of recruiting top talent

11 Jul, 2019

Ted Coss shares his key insights from 30 years of recruiting top talent in healthcare. 

1.      Finding a match between candidate and company is both art and science.  While there are best practices, criteria, assessments, and processes, at the end of the day, both parties have to feel some chemistry.  As the saying goes, when you know, you know.

2.      When push comes to shove, trust your instincts.  Kris Duggan, CEO of Betterworks, hit the nail on the head when he said, “What I’ve found from all the interviews I’ve done in the last 10 years is that whatever nagging suspicion you have during the interview process about a candidate’s behavior will be magnified 10 times after you hire them.”

3.      Paying more than your competition may not be the right solution. The right employees for your organization should be motivated by your organization’s purpose, not just money. “The right people can often attract money, but money by itself can never attract the right people. Money is a commodity; talent is not,” said Jim Collins, author of Good to Great.

4.      People with all sorts of personalities can be great at the job.  Be careful not to fall into the trap of hiring people just like you.  Seek out diversity of background, expertise, and thought.  It will make your organization better and stronger.

5.      Look for emotional intelligence.  A person with EQ is just as interested in the success of others as for him or herself. This orientation toward the needs of others builds relationships that are mutually rewarding – and feeds the culture.

6.      The power of reputation can’t be underestimated.  LinkedIn has proven that more than 75 percent of job seekers do research on a company’s reputation and brand before deciding whether or not to apply. Companies with a bad reputation not only struggle to attract candidates, but also to keep employees.

7.      Get prepared and don’t rush the process.  Hiring the right people takes time and energy, but it’s worth every bit of both. Rushing to bring someone on board can have consequences that linger long after that employee is gone.

8.      Hire candidates that are better than you are.  If you can build a team around you of individuals who surpass you in areas such as work ethic, relationship building, strategic thinking – the list goes on – your opportunities for success will be limitless.

 

What are your words of wisdom and lessons learned?   I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions.