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

Average Best

Most Best

Least Best +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

Improving Quality of Hire Mix

Average Best

Most Best

Least Best +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

Improving Quality of Hire Mix

Average Best

Most Best

Least Best +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  Le;overs 

Prospect Talent Pool 

Key Points Target Early-birds – plan rather than react

Focus on careers – not jobs Ask: “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!

Formalize the Candidate Decision

SelecAon Factor New Opportunity

Other OpportuniAes

Current PosiAon

The job itself Learning opportunity Growth opportunity Poten8al impact  Job stretch The hiring manager The team Compensa8on and benefits Work/life balance Loca8on Company Culture Environment Security Long‐term compensa8on Other

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 Description Skills

Experience Academics

Industry Responsibilities Competencies

Performance Profile

Reduce costs Grow sales

Build the team Plan w/Marketing Improve process

Design circuit

The Difference Maker: It’s what

you DO with what you HAVE, not what you HAVE

that counts!

Eliminate Traditional Job Descriptions

The Difference Maker: It’s what

you DO with what you HAVE, not what you HAVE

that counts!

Performance Profile

Reduce costs Grow sales

Build the team Plan w/Marketing Improve process

Design circuit

Eliminate Traditional Job Descriptions

The Difference Maker: It’s what

you DO with what you HAVE, not what you HAVE

that counts!

Performance Profile

Reduce costs Grow sales

Build the team Plan w/Marketing Improve process

Design circuit

Taking the Assignment: Taming Gorillas

Engaging with Managers •  What does the person need

to do to ace the performance review?

•  What (and when) 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?

Performance Profile

Reduce costs Grow sales

Build the team Plan w/Marketing Improve process

Design circuit

Hiring Manager

Recruiter

Top Prospect

Hiring Team

Attracting – Assessing – Closing Onboarding – Performance Management

Why Performance Profiles?

Focus on the

DOING not the HAVING

Hiring Manager

Recruiter

Top Prospect

Hiring Team

Headhunter’s Favorite Weapon

•  Dig into accomplishments •  See combo of behaviors,

skills & competencies •  Develop trend lines •  Assess consistency •  Create opportunity gap •  Get candidate to sell you

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 & defend Most Significant Accomplishment Question

Repeat the Question!

TIME

IMPACT

Team

Individual

Observe the Trend of Growth over Time

Have candidate prepare a 360° work 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

Target the 48mm people on LinkedIn who aren’t

looking – the Cherry Picker Networking

Technique Use for ERP and Close

Connections

Maslow’s Headhunter Tips

Social Needs

Security and Safety Needs

Physiological Needs

•  Stay the buyer! •  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

Achievement Needs

Intellectual Needs

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

Becoming a Corporate Headhunter

•  Audit Recruiter Boot Camp Online - April 2nd – we’ll walk you through the performance profile process. –  info@adlerconcepts.com

•  Go to our table to obtain: –  Hire With Your Head raffle –  Audit pass to Mod 1 of Recruiter Boot

Camp Online –  Hot tip cards –  Opportunity to attend full Recruiter

Boot Camp Online raffle Maximize Quality of Hire