Dear Hiring Manager:
The economy and job market are starting to bounce back. So, if you thought you were receiving a lot of applications for your open positions during the Great Recession, prepare yourself because it’s about to get a whole lot worse. Not only will the unemployed be looking for work, but so too will the currently employed – trying to escape companies that gave them the “you should be glad you have a job” treatment the last several years.
But don’t worry, there’s a way out. First, stop posting to job boards. You know they’re ineffective, yet you keep using them.
Second, stop posting to your Careers page. Yes, even that portal receives way too many unqualified applications.
In fact, stop posting your openings altogether.
The future of hiring is in relationships. Sure, it’s going to take some upfront work, but aren’t you working really hard now to comb through the hundreds of résumés you receive for every open position?
Here’s what I’m suggesting:
- Meet people – online and offline – and create a searchable database. Build relationships with candidates before you need them. Keep track of their knowledge, skills and accomplishments.
- Reach out to a handful of candidates for your open positions. You already have a database of qualified applicants. Why not go to them first about their interest in your openings? Select between five and ten (if possible) for phone interviews. Then, invite the top three in for in-person interviews.
That’s it. It could be that easy to hire top talent.
If you’re looking for interns or entry-level professionals, I’ve (with the help of some great people) already done some of the work for you by building a (free) platform that will help you do exactly what I described above.
Worried that your job will be downsized if the process is made this easy? Don’t be. Building relationships takes a lot of work, just not the same kind of work that combing through résumés does.
Plus, relationships are built on the personal level, not the company level. These relationships will be a commodity you own and can carry with you from company to company should you chose to move on at some point.
I encourage you to try this method with a few of your open positions and compare how the results stack up to the methods you usually use. I feel pretty confident you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results. Let me know if I can be of any assistance during the transition.
Best,
