The Hunt of Recruitment

I was recently asked, "Don't you just love the hunt for new talent?" As I was caught up in the conversation, the flow continued as we discussed the "hunting" process of finding great candidates in a market filled with obstacles and objections.

COVID has proven to be a challenge for everyone in a time of Talent Acquisition and Recruitment. Top talent is working remote, getting additional support through unemployment, and/or working high amounts of overtime so the income is good. So I get it, we have to hunt!

For the last 4 or 5 years, I've gotten my hunting license while living in California. I got it every year and always wanted to go out and experience what hunting was like. But I never did. I knew, if I did go, and I found myself in the right situation, I knew, to hunt was to kill. I'm not making this about the right or wrong to hunt, so let's not take it there. I'm talking about, if Talent Acquisition is about hunting, what is the ultimate end game with the candidate.

It's NOT hunting. Recruiters and TA professionals should not be using the term, "hunting" for top talent. Recruitment is a people business. It's about education, offering opportunities, and giving someone the chance for a life changing event. It's about happiness and joy in learning a new line of business that maybe they have never experienced or thought to try. It's about making a choice to give someone the opportunity to live in a stretch zone and get out of their comfort zone and develop their skills to create bigger and better things in their life.

Let's drop the term and/or phrase "hunters" and start using the term(s) and/or phrase(s); Opportunity Givers, Life Changers, Educators, Partner, Mentor, Coach, and Developer. Give the candidate the hope and trust that they are not just another requisition filled, but a person that deserves the best experience no matter the level or wage of the position. Don't let your conversation differ in the process of learning about the candidate and what motivates that person to be successful because of an entry level position vs. executive.

We all have goals. I have goals and you have goals. We all have motivations. I have motivations and you have motivations. When was last time you shared your goals and motivations with your team, your family, your friends and with your candidates! Build trust through commonalities in the recruitment process. Build partners with your candidates as they will become your future client.

Stop treating the process of Talent Acquisition like a trophy hanging on the wall with your most recent filled position. The process is simple, make it about the people. Care. Be nice. Be genuine. Build relationships and the positions will be filled with great people, in great companies, with great successes to come!

Make it a great day!