Searching for "The One"

This Valentine’s Day we’re thinking about finding your match. Sure, dating is hard, but is it as hard as finding a perfect match for that crucial open position? There isn’t a special day to celebrate the joy of filling a role, so in the spirit of "Galentine’s Day" and other made-up-but-great holidays, we’re declaring February 15th to be "Talentfinds Day."?

Talent Acquisition is a key component of a strong Talent Strategy, and can be the most challenging. Even in a “buyer’s market,” finding the right fit can feel overwhelming when there’s a massive talent pool but it’s not so simple as swiping right (or left). Because hiring can actually be like dating, in a way, we’re thinking about how to sort through the noise to find the best candidates to join your team.

Online job boards brought the miracle of the internet to our searches, but it also flooded our systems with unqualified applicants and created more work for everyone. We’ve come a long way since the days of Monster and Careerbuilder, and both companies and candidates have become more savvy at navigating the murky waters of seeing and being seen in an ocean of applications. Dating apps now have filters before you even begin your search, and the combination of great job descriptions, powerful applicant tracking systems and sophisticated search tools have improved the matching process for jobs, as well.?

50 First Interviews

In the classic romcom 50 First Dates, Drew Barrymore’s Lucy has a condition that causes her memory to reset every day, leaving Adam Sandler’s Henry in the position of attempting to woo her over and over (and over) again. First round interviews can feel like this, or even worse, like Groundhog Day. Both interviewers and candidates can feel frustrated at doing the same “get to know you” dance every time, and the stakes are much higher for the candidates at this stage. Dating apps have both eliminated and enshrined the “blind date,” by giving daters the opportunity to introduce themselves extensively before they ever meet in person.

Candidates have usually put quite a bit of energy into their resumes (and cover letters, if you require them), so to create a more engaging and less awkward environment, have interviewers prepare well for first round interviews (the candidates certainly have!). Additionally, you can consider adding assessments before the first live interview, such as including “knock-out” questions in the application or a few short-answer questions that give the candidate a chance to represent themselves outside of the standard checkboxes. Entering the interview on more solid ground will create a better shot for both sides making a great impression or at least a clear idea of whether or not to move forward.?

Know What You're Looking For (and Look Around First!)

Many hiring managers start a search by writing or updating a job description - a list of what the candidate will do and what qualifications they should have. Instead, consider creating a “Job Scorecard,” a more comprehensive picture of what the role is both responsible and accountable for, what success looks like in the role, what competencies are required to achieve that success. Think less about tasks and more about outcomes. Often Job Descriptions/Postings are a snapshot of what’s required in the job right now, but a good scorecard can look forward and represent the role in the larger context of the team or organization.?

Create a strong job scorecard and then think about how you will assess candidates’ readiness to step into the role. Once you start meeting people, it’s easy to be dazzled by impressive experiences or charismatic candidates, but these things rarely line up with actual success in the role.

It can be tempting to skip this step and go straight to filling up the pool, but a full funnel doesn’t mean the candidates are actually who you’re looking for. Don’t let urgency win the day - building a diverse pool of qualified candidates, who in turn understand the role and its expectations, saves much more time down the road. Address urgency with short-term solutions, such as interim or fractional support, and don’t shortcut your long term needs.

This process might also facilitate an internal search before posting the role - are there current team members who are ready to step into this position? How would promotion or a lateral move benefit the overall team and organization? And bonus - the Job Scorecard creation process leads to better role clarity - check out our January article about role clarity being the best foundation for success in a new year.

Love is a Verb (and Unicorns Don't Exist)

A good job scorecard should give you plenty of “wiggle room” for what a good candidate can be. Keep in mind that you aren’t hiring a robot into a computer simulation - you’re hiring a person into a company made of people. Looking for that “unicorn,” or the “perfect candidate,” who can do it all, is a fruitless (and frustrating) endeavor. Not only do unicorns not exist, but neither does their fantasy land where they frolic and roam! The landscape that is your company and team is made up of flawed folks, and whatever strengths & challenges your new hire brings to the table will be a part of that mosaic.?

Love is a verb - meaning, what you actually do in your relationship is what matters. Same for finding and hiring great candidates - once they arrive, their success is highly dependent on what’s happening around them, not just what’s on their resume.?

Keep the Pilot Light On

We all know those daters who “play the field,” or keep people “on the back burner.” We may snub our noses at them for being “players,” but when it comes to hiring, they may have a point! Candidate Cultivation, or the act of building a pool of potential candidates for potential future roles, is a great way to keep your hiring practice fresh. As a leader you meet great folks all the time. Keeping the pilot light on - keeping in touch with great folks you’ve met - is a great way to ensure you have strong talent to consider for roles no matter when you open them.?

Cultivation is as easy as creating a list and adding to it whenever you meet a potential future team member. People you meet at networking events, a thought-provoking speaker on a panel, even colleagues who “move on and move up” to another organization - these are all folks worth keeping in touch with. Try putting their names on your calendar with “repeat every 6 months,” email them when you see an interesting article, or just send a note to say hello and see what’s new.?

Cultivate great relationships, not just for potential future hires, but because having a strong network is always valuable. Maybe they aren’t right for a new role you’re opening, but perhaps they know someone who is??

References, References, References!

Can you imagine what dating would be like, if after the third date, they had to give you the names and numbers of your last three relationships? Gosh! Game changer. We do this in hiring, so we should recognize the value of this opportunity (and how nerve-wracking it must be for candidates!). We know candidates give us the information for references they believe will speak highly of them, and that’s great! It’s important to know what folks are good at and where they can shine. What’s important, however, is creating an environment where references can give useful, accurate information, even if it isn’t just their most outstanding traits.?

The future manager of the role should do the reference calls - that way it’s manager-to-manager. Let references know that you’re excited about the candidate and you want to know how to best support them. Give the references the opportunity to speak highly of their former colleague but also give you inside info into what challenges they might face in the role.?

There’s a popular concept of “backchanneling,” or doing informal reference checks with people the candidate didn’t provide. Sure, it can provide you with information that the curated list might not give you, but without context, it may introduce a different kind of bias into the process. We’d suggest avoiding this practice, and instead make best use of the candidate’s references. Additionally, why not level the playing field and offer the candidate the opportunity to speak with current or past members of your team??

Hiring and dating have a lot in common, but you can turn your Talent Acquisition practice into a better experience than its romantic counterpart:

• Get more candidate information up front and have interviewers prepare well for first conversations.
• Create a "Job Scorecard" in addition to a Job Description so you can get role clarity before you start your search. Don't rush; consider interim solutions to avoid giving in to urgency.
• Remember that no one will be a "perfect fit," because unicorns don't exist and neither does a perfect company.
• "Always Be Recruiting:" Create, add to, and nurture your Candidate Cultivation list so you have access to a great network when it's hiring time.
• References are great tools to get a clear picture of what your new hire will need, but don't go rogue and backchannel for "inside info" that might be more biased than you realize.

Lora Cover is the founder & CEO of coLeague, and she met her husband in a pre-swiping world.

Sarah Braver is the COO, and enjoys writing image captions and hopes you like them.

coLeague embeds fractional Chief People Officers in the right way at the right time for your organization. Interested in learning more? Let us know!