Dare to Be Human

I have worked for a variety of companies in my career, small and large, start- ups and established, corporate cultured and even family owned. They all started off as wonderful experiences. The recruiter or Human resources person who hired me was so enthusiastic. They made me feel valued, making sure I was all set for my first day with the company, telling me how much they couldn’t wait for me to start…then after my first day, nothing. Absolutely nothing from them, no follow up, no contact, just the sound of crickets… As I have grown into more senior positions in my career, I have been thinking more and more about those interactions. Did I still feel valued after the initial hire? Is that why I ultimately left those companies? Was I engaged as an employee?

The answer is no. At no point did I feel that I was perceived as being as valuable as the recruiter made me feel. I was not engaged with those companies. The human resources department was simply now there for benefits administration and paychecks. I never heard from the recruiter or human resources again (unless there was an issue).

In recent years, I have taken on roles which have allowed me to change how recruiters and human resource managers are perceived. My first step was to recruit candidates in what I knew were not so friendly environments. I had to change the way candidates thought about recruiters. Next as human resources manager in a company going through a lot of change, I had to redefine the role, attempting to get employees more engaged, resulting in lower turnover.

This is how I did it:

STEP 1 Candidates are much more than their resume.

I actually took the time to get to know the candidates and what really motivated them. I learned what things were important to them… like being close to their family, or being able to see their children’s school play every year. What salary they would need to maintain their current lifestyle? How they got to this point in their career. I talked to them, and I don’t mean by email only. I actually picked up the phone and talked with them. I met them in person if I could.

STEP 2 Treat them like a human being.

I didn’t try to be cryptic in what I was saying about the company or the position. I didn’t think they were beneath me or not a team player because they had certain needs. I made them feel they were valued and continued to maintain that stance after their first day. I was transparent as I could be about the company, the position and any information they asked about. I didn’t just run through then job description and qualifications and go that’s it. I told them about what we thought would be the challenges in the position and what type of person we were looking for to help with these challenges. I discussed them what they would need to do to be successful in the role.

STEP 3 Follow Up

It sounds like a simple thing to do but so many recruiters don’t follow up with candidates. They don’t let the candidate know where they stand. They don’t give feedback as to why they were not chosen. Even better, they expect the candidate to still be interested in the position after a month of no contact from the recruiter. Constant contact with candidates to keep them engaged keeps the candidates warm. Even if they aren’t a fit for the job you’re currently filling they could be for another open a month or two down the line.

I was amazed when I received a letter that had been sent to my supervisors from a candidate I placed, praising me about how engaged I kept him. How because I took the time to make him feel valued he had chosen our company over others that offered higher salaries. He had loved the feedback I provided and how I let him know where he was in the process. I had always thought that was an industry standard for recruiters. This kind of feedback can make you the “go to” recruiter for your industry, resulting in higher placement rates for you.

The second part of following up is after they are hired and start with the company. Keep in contact with your candidate. Check and see if the job is everything they expected. Ask them how you could have done anything better. Keep them engaged. Engaged employees are more likely to stay with the company long term. I have done this with numerous candidates that I have placed and their jaws fell open. They had never had a recruiter or human resources manager reach out to them after they were hired to get their feedback. If you do this your companies attrition rates will drop.

STEP 4 Human Resources Listen and Learn

Human Resources departments get bogged down by the administrative part of their job. Most forget that without employees (people) they wouldn’t have a job. Sure we have a lot of things to do but we should never turn away an employee because there is something more important. Employees are the most important aspect of our job. We as human resources professionals wear many hats…confidant to executives, the bridge between employees and executives, referee, psychologists… we are the bearers of good news and bad. Sure there are times when our hands are tied and we can’t do anything about a situation but I have found sometimes just listening is good enough to help alleviate a problem. No, we can’t solve all the problems in the company but we can at least listen to them. Make sure you are perceived as being available to the employee’s. Too often have I seen employee’s afraid to approach anyone in the human resources department.

It’s also amazing how much information you can get from just listening to an employee. They may be coming to you because XYZ but during your discussion you find out about ABC which is something you really need to act on. For an example, I had an employee come to me because they wanted a raise even though they knew there was a freeze on increases. During our conversation, I found out that another employee was coming in late and leaving early (and not just a few minutes) and was expecting others to pick up the slack. It was the first I had heard of the employee being late and leaving early. After checking the time clock punches, I found out they were having someone else clock in and out for them so they appeared to be on time. I was able to take action on this even though I was unable to take action on the raise.

STEP 5 Be Human

Treat others like they are human beings who deserve the same respect as you do. Emulate a great experience you had with a recruiter or human resources employee. Be better then your counterparts. Be Human.

Big or small, foreign or domestic, you can make a difference in any company by being human and treating others like human beings.