Hire Where Others Aren’t

Many of us fish from the same pier for job candidates. We know we should fish elsewhere, but we don’t.?

In?Build an A-Team , I share the story of a friend who began browsing job descriptions when she felt stagnant in her current role. She was discouraged when she found most job descriptions to be tedious and uncreative.?

In her search, she came across a job post for a role in her company, one she knew to be an excellent opportunity. But the job posting was just as bad as the rest. It struck her that if a great company like hers could post such a bland job description, maybe the others weren’t as bad as they seemed. Imagine how a creative and well-explained job description would stand out among all the rest!?

As we discussed last week, you’re committed to hiring someone for their potential instead of their qualifications. Now what??

We tend to approach job descriptions all wrong. Not only do we write them as wish lists for all we hope the applicant will do, but we also write them as if they are a to-do list of things to be checked off, rather than a description designed to attract someone to their dream job. This mindset results in uninspiring and misleading job descriptions.

To catch the eye of applicants,?rethink what you prioritize in a job posting. We tend to overemphasize concrete qualifications – advanced degrees and previous titles – regardless of their necessity for the role. Do you require a post-secondary degree when in reality, the right skills and professional experience would suffice? Overblown ambitions and inflated qualifications may cause you to overlook the high-potential candidate with room to grow. Write job postings in a way that encourages a wide range of people to apply.?

Use gender-neutral language?in job postings. This is often to ensure women apply, but studies have shown that if a language is perceived as too feminine in fields traditionally occupied by women, it deters men from applying.

Make the purpose of the job clear.?People want to make a difference in their jobs. A nationwide survey by Net Impact and Rutgers University found that two-thirds of graduating university students say making a difference through their next job is a priority; 45% would even take a pay cut to do so. People want to feel energized and passionate about what they do. They want to be inspired and to solve problems. In the job description, make the case that the S Curve for which you’re hiring matters.?

Once you have a job description, it’s time to recruit.?

We talk about the value of taking a market risk over a competitive risk in the context of disruption. The same principle can be applied to hiring.?Hire where others aren’t. When I hear someone say they can’t fill a role, I often wonder if they’ve looked at less traditional candidates. Is there really?no one?to fill the job? Of course, there’s risk in hiring a nontraditional candidate, but it’s a market risk because you’re playing against few competitors. When you hire a Harvard MBA with the exact experience you’re looking for might feel safe, but you’ll be competing against many rival companies for the same candidate. Play where other companies aren’t even looking.?

Don’t forget to look inward first.?Do you have an opportunity to promote someone internally? They may be at the top of their current S Curve, looking to do something new without leaving the company.?

Another group of nontraditional candidates to consider is?on-rampers, individuals who have been out of the full-time workforce but are ready to return. On-rampers often possess the skills that the workplace needs - such as time management and customer service skills - based on their life experience, often as caregivers for children or elders.?

When you hire where others aren’t, the options aren’t picked over, and candidates are often hungry and have something to prove. If we are willing to be unconventional in recruiting and hiring, we can discover valuable human resources. Seeking out what has been overlooked is foundational to innovation and disruption.?

How can you change the way you write job descriptions to attract and inspire the candidates you want to find?

Next time you post a job, what can you do to ensure you’re hiring where no one else is??