Convert Your Corporate Recruiters into Darwinian Headhunters

Converting Corporate Recruiters into Headhunters

©2010. All Rights Reserved. The Adler Group, Inc. www.adlerconcepts.com [email protected]

ERE Spring Expo 2010

The Evolution of the Corporate Headhunter

- Lou Adler

Replacement hiring

New hiring

The “Sideliners”

Getting Ready for the Hiring Tsunami

Evolution of the Corporate Headhunter



Agenda and Objectives

• Are you a corporate recruiter or corporate headhunter?

• You need to be a headhunter to maximize quality of hire: “reach out” vs. “post and pray”

• Job-hunting psychology of the top performer• Making the conversion to headhunter

– Know the job– Maintain applicant control– Tame your hiring managers

• Testing it out

The Employee Market

• Corporate recruiters focus on those now looking - farmers

• Corporate headhunters focus on those getting ready to look and those open to talk

• Requires different process

• Where are the best people?

• Hiring tsunami coming

• Key: first, fast & with best career offer



Improving Quality of Hire Mix

AverageBest

MostBest

LeastBest +5%-5%

Rock Stars!Mistakes!

Your current hiring process – these are the people you now are hiring

It’s what you do with the other 90% than counts – implementing a “raising the bar”

strategy


AverageBest

MostBest

LeastBest +5%-5%

Observations• Everyone looks good when they’re hired. What happened?

• Discerning the “most best” is difficult during interview

• Top-third uses different criteria to find positions and apply

• Top-third uses different criteria to compare and select

• Top-third will not follow traditional approaches

• Break some rules to maximize quality of hire




AverageBest

MostBest

LeastBest +5%-5%

Converting Observations into Tactics• What are the “most best” looking for – lateral transfers, better

jobs or better careers?

• What are the prime sourcing channels for the top group?

• When is the best time to source the top group?

• What criteria does top group use to compare opportunities and select one over the other?

Career Focused Early-bird Sourcing

Explorers Tiptoers Googlers Networkers Hunters

Early‐birds Leftovers

ProspectTalent Pool

Key PointsTarget Early-birds – plan rather than react

Focus on careers – not jobsAsk: “How long have you been looking?”Be called first – Be found first – Day “-1”

Allow for “just talking” – Don’t force “apply”Know the job – not the job description!



Target the 48mm people on LinkedIn who aren’t

looking – the Cherry Picker Networking

TechniqueUse for ERP and Close

Connections

Target the 48mm people on LinkedIn who aren’t

looking – the Cherry Picker Networking

TechniqueUse for ERP and Close

Connections

Formalize the Candidate Decision

Selection Factor NewOpportunity

Other Opportunities

CurrentPosition

The job itselfLearning opportunityGrowth opportunityPotential impact

Job stretchThe hiring managerThe teamCompensation and benefitsWork/life balanceLocationCompanyCultureEnvironmentSecurity

Long‐term compensationOther

What criteria do the top group of candidates use

when comparing jobs and selecting one over the

other?



A Retrospective

Eliminate Traditional Job Descriptions

Job DescriptionSkills

ExperienceAcademicsIndustry

ResponsibilitiesCompetencies

PerformanceProfile

Reduce costsGrow sales

Build the teamPlan w/MarketingImprove process

Design circuit

The Difference Maker: It’s what

you DO with what you HAVE, not what you HAVE

that counts!



Taking the Assignment: Taming Gorillas

Engaging with Managers

• What does the person need to do to ace the performance review?

• What are you going to tell the person the big projects & tasks are during interview?

• Use a timeline – what does person need to do 1st, 2nd ..?

• Ask about deal breaker• Convert HAVING to DOING

and then get agreement to “just meet” the candidate

Typical Examples

Major: Complete system design for the ____ project by March.

Major: Consistently meet quota within six months.

Team: Complete product spec w/ Marketing by March.

Do First: Analyze problem & plan.

Do Next: Upgrade the team.

Sub-task: Learn the product line.

Attracting – Assessing – Closing Onboarding – Performance Management

Why Performance Profiles?

Focus on the

DOINGnot the HAVING

HiringManager

Recruiter

TopProspect

Hiring Team



Headhunter’s Favorite Weapon

• Dig into accomplishments

• See combo of behaviors, skills & competencies

• Evaluate team, tech & job-related factors

• Develop trend lines

• Assess consistency/growth

• Recruit, respect & establish standards

Please describe a major accomplishment or tell me about something you’ve accomplished that you’re very proud of.

Use this question to assess, recruit & defendMost Significant Accomplishment Question

Repeat the Question!

TIME

IMPACT

Team

Individual

Observe the Trend of Growth over Time

Have candidate prepare a 360work chart describing work relationships

Use evidence to rank and defend your

candidate!

Ask MSA question & fact-finding for different team, individual tasks & job-related tasks

Clarify job: describe performance objective and ask about most comparable accomplishment



Maslow’s Headhunter Tips

Social Needs

Security and Safety Needs

Physiological Needs

• No “NOs”

• Don’t sell the job, sell the next step!

• $$$ vs. Satisfaction– Ask: what drives personal

satisfaction?

• “Not interested!” vs. a short career discussion– That’s why we should talk

– Long vs. short term

AchievementNeeds

IntellectualNeeds

Self-Actualization

Becoming a Corporate Headhunter

• Reach out vs. post and pray

• Convert job descriptions into performance profiles

• Convert performance profiles into career moves

• Implement early-bird “engage first” sourcing strategy

• Maintain applicant control

• Use the interview/screen to assess, recruit and defend

• Persist – No “NOs” Maximize Quality of Hire

Business

Convert Your Corporate Recruiters into Darwinian Headhunters