The 15 most valuable strategies for retaining your key people! By Darren Saul..

The recruitment industry is changing again (surprise, surprise!) and we must change with it. Quality candidates are more savvy, they are not as easily tempted and they are harder and harder to find using traditional methods. A whole new strategy for the acquisition of quality talent based on broad candidate reach is necessary but that is for another day..

RELEVANCE TO YOU: Make sure your people are inspired, proud and excited (not just content) - otherwise your competitors will..

The recruitment process doesn't stop when the candidate is hired. Retaining your key people is just as important (step 2) - otherwise you are back to step 1! More time, energy and money.

Here are in my view the 15 most valuable strategies for retaining your key people!

1. Treat your people better than you treat your customers!! Sounds simple but I interview people all day complaining about exactly the opposite..
2. Delegate wherever possible and empower them to build confidence, develop pride, take ownership and exceed expectations
3. Acknowledge all the great stuff as much as possible - in a genuine way
4. Implement a buddy system to help settle new staff into the new culture
5. Conduct frequent two-way reviews (not too formal) to build rapport and manage expectations 
6. Create a friendly/collaborative/fun atmosphere where people are proud to work - it's called creating a "community"  
7. Invest in training and development - internal and external
8. Understand that everyone's drivers are different and that all can be used favourably with a little creativity
9. Be approachable! Spend some quality time down in the trenches with your troops..
10. EARN respect - don't expect it 
11. Reward them with small treats along the way
12. Choose your battles wisely
13. Pay them well!
14. Keep in regular contact with your chosen recruitment partner to ensure you are across what currently drives quality talent
15. Never think that there isn't any more to learn in this area - the economic and business environment is constantly changing and so are the people within..

Easier said than done to do all this all the time - however if you're not doing it you may risk losing your greatest asset!     

   

Those "stand-out" candidates are becoming harder and harder to find. What you can do to find them and then make sure they say "yes"..By Darren Saul.

Interviews: not suitable. More interviews: they don't accept. Even more interviews: counter-offers..why is this taking so long?

Yes it is very frustrating. Time wasted, energy wasted, money wasted. You have better things to do - like maybe have lunch!

Here are some simple insights to help you find what you need faster and then conduct a recruitment process that optimises your chances of the candidate saying "yes I do!".

• Build a relationship with a recruitment specialist! One cannot be all things to all people. Find an agency that lives and breathes the area you are recruiting in. They understand exactly what you need and better still they are constantly meeting with (and may have already met with) the candidates you need.

• Spend the time to brief your recruiter properly. Before, during and after the process. Details make all the difference. Recruitment is all about the subtleties.

• Conduct at least 2 interviews as part of your recruitment process. 1 meeting is not enough to generate the emotional buy-in you need on the part of the candidate. How they feel is the single most important ingredient to ensure they accept the role. Everything else is secondary!

• Let them meet with a couple of the other team members. The more the better. They need to know who they will be working with and feel that the "fit" is right.

• Give candidates as much insight into the role and your expectations as possible. Give them feedback. Again, details make all the difference.

• Sell the role, team, management style, culture, career progression and the company! The tables have turned -"stand-out" candidates are very much in demand and if you don't make the effort someone else will and you will be back to square one before you know it.

• Keep the momentum flowing! One of the most common reasons for losing great people is a lack of momentum. I see it every day. Interviews weeks apart, taking too long to make decisions, thinking that great candidates grow on trees. They will either lose interest (emotional buy-in) or simply secure another job.

• If you find that star - hire them! Sure take the time to conduct your due diligence process but don't wait to have a few to compare. You will lose them all. Sometimes it's all about timing and you only get one shot.

• Start building a strong relationship based on honesty, trust and integrity during the process - not just at the end. This will go a long long way! You may need to leverage this relationship at the latter stages of the process.

• Go the extra mile to add that special touch. Make them feel needed and wanted. Give them a call to let them know that you want them to accept the offer. If they have accepted, do the same and let them know how excited you are for them to start.

The world of the transactional and sterile recruitment process is over! To recruit in the new world you need to build strong relationships, trust and go that extra mile!       

Recognising special talent when you see it!!..By Darren Saul

Much easier said than done.

I have been interviewing for over 10 years and I am absolutely fascinated by people. In particular I am fascinated by the fact that many people are good while there is a small percentage that are simply extraordinary. You can meet 4 great people in a row and then as soon as that special number 5 walks in your energy level jumps up 10 notches, you build rapport super-fast and you automatically find yourself selling an opportunity instead of waiting for the candidate to sell him/herself to you. You smile, you laugh and you enjoy the interaction entirely. You come out of that meeting feeling like you are ready to just take off and run around the block (if only I actually did this more often but somehow the Thai lunch special down the road always seems to have a stronger lure). 

We've all been there and I thought this might be a great opportunity to further explore 2 areas of interest here -

1.    What are some of the traits and behaviours that extraordinary people share?

2.    What are some of the signs (during and after the interview) that confirm you have indeed recognised quality talent and have not been swept away by salesmanship and false-perception?

I certainly don't have all the answers. It is a lifelong work in progress for me but here are some of my thoughts..

Common traits of quality individuals

• They listen more than they speak - and when they speak they articulate their story with pinpoint accuracy and don't waste words (especially the big ones that nobody understands anyway..)
• They ask loads of intelligent questions - prepared and spontaneous
• You can't help but get drawn in by their enthusiasm - it's contagious
• When they smile they sparkle - and they smile a lot!
• They exude confidence and self-awareness - but they do so in a very humble way - never with arrogance
• Their body language allows you to catch a glimpse of their character - are they poised and in control or are they clumsy and anxious?
• They take pride in their appearance - it's a matter of self-respect and respect for others
• They are always punctual - in fact they usually arrive a little early
• They are open minded - always willing and able to discuss different options and welcome different schools of thought
• They are positive and easy going - never abrasive 

Checklist for confirming your hunch

• They come prepared! They have done their research into the organisation and responsibilities of the role. They may have even spoken to a few people that currently work in the organisation. They are clear about what they can offer in the role
• They don't tend to move from job to job every 6 months and tend to show a clear progression path within their work history
• They have no issues openly discussing the reasons for why they left previous roles for others - and these reasons are sound, verifiable and intelligent
• They have solid and meaningful reasons for wanting to explore other career options - money is sometimes part of the reason but it rarely the sole reason
• They usually have a strong idea of where they want to be - not necessarily in terms of exact time frame but in terms of an identified and strategic career path
• It is easy for them to talk in depth about their philosophies towards building strong rapport, providing strong customer service, managing expectations and priorities effectively
• If asked to provide further information after the meeting they do so extensively and in a very prompt manner
• They seem very willing to partner with you (the recruiter or hiring manager) to ensure a positive outcome ie. they give insightful feedback and they follow up as promised  
• Reference checks are very important - yes it may be true that most candidates provide referees that will be favourable but it is not always what the referees say about them that is the most important but HOW they say it..  

Identifying quality talent is all about subtlety - actions tend to speak louder than words and it is often what is not said that is the most interesting and informative.. 

Enough with all the noise and empty promotion - it's time for "old school" Quality, Value and Service!! By Darren Saul

Yes the title pretty much speaks for itself. I'm sure you know where this is going..

I look around me and see example after example of "lip service", empty promises and promotion. Instead of taking pride in under-promising and over-delivering there is too much of exactly the reverse. There are hidden agendas everywhere and the need to read (and understand) the "fine print" is more important than ever. And more time consuming! No-one trusts anymore - everyone is always looking for "the catch".

It's time to get back to basics and bring back the old ways of doing business and simply engaging with your fellow planet dweller in general..

Of course technology and social media are brilliant tools but that's all they are - tools.

Enough said!

So what's the answer to success in the new world??

Be authentic, be genuine, be yourself!

Choose face to face and phone over email where relevant

Return phone calls and emails promptly - a simple matter of respect

Make the time to invest in your employees, colleagues, service providers and strategic partners - build those relationships brick by brick!

Learn everything there is to learn in your field - become an invaluable resource of information - product knowledge is THE key

Listen much more - talk much less!

Less hype and noise - more quality and more strategy

Less production - more substance

Negotiate with the long term relationship in mind - now is not the time for short-term gains

"Make all decisions based on the person you would like to become" Dr. Paul Homoly (one of my favourite quotes!)

Critique everything you do - improve continuously

Give service like your life depended on it!

Take a genuine interest in other people

Be engaging and interesting

Be self-aware!

Allow others to "save face" - it builds pride, self-respect and that means results!

Keep things simple - become a pleasure to work with - make them look forward to dealing with you - create an "EXPERIENCE"!

Be friendly! Stiff, polished and professional are not only boring, they're counter-productive in most cases

"Smile - it confuses people!" I saw this the other day - love it!

Remember that you are part of the human race - treat people with respect (when they deserve it of course..)

Don't just adhere to the "industry standard" - DEFINE IT with unprecedented quality and service!

Think laterally - there is always a way..

Slow down the pace just a little

Maintain a work/life balance

Don't follow - INSPIRE!

This stuff pretty much applies to everyone regardless of what you do.

Build your name on Quality, Value and Service and you WILL shine!

That was then – this is now! How to RECRUIT, RETAIN and BE RECRUITED in this NEW year…By Darren Saul

I want to thank all my clients and candidates VERY much for your support last year – yes it was a great year and I hope you (and I) have an even better one this year!

The world keeps changing. Industries keep evolving. And so do best practices. Including best practices governing how to recruit, how to retain and how to be recruited. What worked in the past won’t necessarily work in the future and those who are willing to keep an open mind and embrace new ideas will be those who ultimately will embrace the rewards as well!

I’m definitely no Nostradamus but I predict that recruitment activity will continue to steadily rise and good quality talent will be even harder to find AND keep!

So what do you do about it? Here are some of my thoughts…

Hiring managers –

• Treat your people better than you treat your customers!
• Delegate wherever possible and thus empower your employees to take ownership, build confidence and develop pride in what they do. RESULT: employee loyalty!
• Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise (Dale Carnegie - How to win friends and influence people)
• Conduct frequent two-way reviews to build the lines of communication and confirm expectations (including career path management) – once/twice a year is just not enough!
• Create a friendly, approachable and fun atmosphere where people are happy (better: proud) to work – this will passively attract other quality people to you and your organisation. RESULT: reduced recruitment spend for you…and more bus. dev. for me…
• Invest in staff training and development
• Pay employees well!
• Offer referral fees for talent
• Really partner with your niche recruitment specialists – this means carefully prepared job descriptions, prompt feedback and time invested in order to build a trusting, consultative relationship
• Always be willing to receive resumes/and or meet with valuable talent – ie. a more proactive recruitment approach
• Be open to candidates that may not have all the technical skills but more than make up for it in attitude
• Realise that speed (without compromising quality) is going to be ever more important when recruiting!
• Embrace new technologies as useful tools when recruiting ie. Skype video conferencing and social media
• Understand generational differences – Gen X vs. Gen Y

Candidates looking for opportunities -

• Strive to become a quality professional and build a reputation as a first class individual! (First Class or Economy – the choice is yours!)
• Remember that your current place of employment may just well be able to offer you what you are looking for if you prove yourself to be worthy of it!!
• Volunteer to take on those responsibilities that no one else wants
• Work smarter AND harder which may mean longer hours
• Differentiate yourself as a valuable leader/mentor to your peers - not just a participant
• Establish yourself as a positive, enthusiastic and “can do” team member than can always be counted on in times of pressure
• Take personal and professional development more seriously – if your organisation can’t fund it right now, fund it yourself – it’s an investment in YOUR future! There are plenty of low-cost/no-cost resources available – books, cds, the web, my blog…
• Strive to “thrive” and not just “exist”!
• Be healthy! Exercise. Eat well. A healthy body breeds a healthy mind and a valuable employee.
• Last but definitely not least - BE DIFFERENT when it comes to job hunting. For a FREE 17 page doc. entitled “Being Different” – A job seeker’s guide to success in the NEW world! http://www.box.net/shared/8j79mu4j4h

"Let the water boil..." By Darren Saul

OK I borrowed that phrase from Chin-Ning Chu who is another one of my favourite writers. Why? Because I love her very unique blend (or "balance") of busines savvy and spirituality.

Cost of living is rising, competition is more aggressive, patience is thinning (as is my hair) and it's real easy to lose sight of perspective in our lives. We come to work each day with more to achieve in less time and that can be a very dangerous carrot to chase - from a health, happiness and results point of view.

Sometimes you just have to know when to ease your grip and "let the water boil". Sometimes the more you push forward the more your customers and results push back!

What are the consequences of pushing too hard?

• You ruin the quality of relationships you have worked SO hard to build
• You don't create that all important "buying environment" so important to selling anything in this new world
• You don't recognise buying signals when they are hitting you over the head with a sledgehammer
• You don't recognise NEW opportunities
• You don't get the results you desire
• You inhibit your ability to process what's going on around you and hence you don't LEARN anything
• You suffocate all the enjoyment out of what you do!

So let's remember to take a step back every now and then, take a lesson out of Chin's philosophy and "let the water boil".

Here are some easy strategies for keeping you "in balance" -

• Read a couple of pages from your favourite self-development author/mentor (don't have one? maybe it's time to find one...)
• Take a break every now and then to put things back into perspective - coffee, lunch, take a walk/drive, laugh, sing, dance, meditate, did I already say eat?
• Keep your desks, files and brains as lean as possible - the more order you have in your world the calmer you will feel and the more efficient you will be!
• Try to really get to know your customers/colleagues - the rest will flow naturally from there
• Work smarter - there is always an improvement to be be made/bad habit to replace
• Systemise as much as you can to save you re-inventing the wheel and prevent things from falling through the cracks
• Try and focus on one thing at a time and be in that moment
• Listen with the intent to understand rather than be formulating what you want to say next
• Direct your attention to another valuable task that might not be directly related to the specific outcome you are waiting for
• Expressing creativity in any form that will bring forth inspiration is always advantageous!

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant" - Robert Louis Stevenson

Three things recruiters won't tell you - Part One