Finding and keeping the right talent is not an easy task these days
Words by: Jayadev Menon Image credits: pixabay.com
Business Owners and HR Managers are on an unending quest for the Holy Grail of Recruitment – Quality Hires!
They would love to find talent that syncs with the system from Day 1 without any training and stay with the organization forever – and these hires would deliver the best results year-on-year without demanding any pay rise! Are you having a LOL moment? Me too!
What are employees seeking today?
Just this morning a WhatsApp message received from a business associate spoke about a candidate who turned down a better job offer because he was contented with the one he was doing. When the interviewer asked “Why?” the candidate said his current job gave him professional fulfillment and the time to live his personal life the way he wished to – he had time to pursue his passions and time for his family.
Now this is the ideal scenario.
How many employees at the workplace can echo such a sentiment? Almost all the time we hear that people are unhappy and are looking for more; and this search for more is also creating stress for recruiters. For them it is a constant struggle to replace employees who left in search of a better assignment and a better life.
Finding the right talent
There is the concomitant issue of finding the right person for the job. Various studies have found that most of the students being churned out from the educational institutions across the country aren’t job-ready. One study said that less than 25% (or was it 20? Yes, it isn’t a pretty picture) of the Engineers graduating each year are employable. Leading IT companies have stopped rushing to technology institutes to find the next set of software specialists; instead they are approaching high schools and recruiting 12the grade pass-outs and training them in-house to fill the boots of coders. On the one hand it is cost effective for the companies and on the other they are able to prepare the youngsters better for corporate life – these young hands come with fewer attitudes issues and pre-set notions.
The MSME sector faces a bigger challenge – the ideal candidate is beyond their reach because the best talent available in the market don’t find it attractive to work with small companies and the salaries they demand are beyond the budgets of most MSME sector employers.
Game Plan to find Talent
In spite of the vast number of candidates joining the job market each year finding the right one for a given role isn’t easy. It’s tough, but possible.
Business Owners / H R Managers need to spend time to think through this – what do they expect from each role – holder and how do they make the job meaningful and fulfilling for the individual. Even before recruitment the candidate needs to be told what is expected of them and what they would be provided by way of training, infrastructure and support.
The recruitment process shouldn’t just focus on the candidate’s personality or skills, it is more important to know whether the person is the right fit for the organisation and what their attitude towards a job and career is.
Jayadev Menon heads AKSH People Transformation, a consultancy that focuses on Talent Development and Business Transformation. He is a consultant, trainer and public speaker. Adventure Sports and Birding are his passions. He can be reached at jayadevaksh@gmail.com
A lot can be revealed by asking some of the questions listed below:
- What is the candidate’s ideal job?
- Ask them to describe a situation where they had to handle pressure or how they overcame a challenge?
- How would the person explain a mistake committed, to team – members or a superior?
- What do they do in their spare time?
- What extra-curricular activities were they involved in while at school or college?
- What socially relevant work has the person done?
- Where do they see themselves 5 years from today? Be specific!
- What are their short and long – term goals?
- How would they describe a candidate who is more suited for the job than them?
- How do you stay updated on the changes happening in your industry?
It is essential to know the person inside and what transferable skills they have – providing them the functional skills is relatively easy, the challenge is get them ready to work in a team and make them capable of facing challenges. Hence the recruitment axiom “recruit for attitude, train for skill”.
It has to be a Win – Win solution, one that benefits both sides involved – a fulfilling career for the employee and for the organisation return on investment made in new talent.
You can lead the horse to water, but can you inspire it to drink?