I Can't Take It Anymore!

"The subject is simple"

At the risk of getting some folks a little perturbed, I'm writing this so I get a response from someone whose been through the hiring process lately and read some of my blogs!  I would love to hear from anyone responsible for recently recruiting an executive for their company.  So far, I've received agreement, if not applause from fellow search firms, candidates looking for jobs and other types of disgruntled "Job Board Users"!  The subject is simple:  How many of you out there have found that using JOB BOARDS is the BEST way to find the BEST PERSON?  The statistics that I've seen would indicate that there aren't as many of you as the average candidate ( who shells out a nice piece of change to be on the Board) thinks!

The basic truism.

Its nuts most things in life have become more difficult and if not more difficult certainly more expensive.  Despite this basic truism, there are so many people who are really smart who think that finding a qualified executive has now become magically easier and cheaper by just plugging in a few KEYWORDS and watching all those candidates just fall into your lap!  There's only one explanation for this exception its really not true!

Today's upside down world.

Everything seems to be upside down these days, in almost every facet of our lives.  Seems to me that a little bit of serious attention to things could go a long way to put some things right side up again.  The most simplistic example is probably what we pay for a good cup of coffee if a little time and conscious thought were applied, I would think that anyone could have a cup of coffee for something less than what we are handing over to our local "barista".  You might need to walk an extra block, you might need to brew your own, you might need to buy it in a place where they just sell no frills coffee! But if you just don't plunk down a couple of bucks like a robot every morning, the habit can be changed!  David Bach touches on many of these things in his wonderful little book!  Well, the art and skill of hiring is no different the overall objective should always be, "How do I hire the best person for the job someone who can contribute and grow within the organization"?

In today's upside down world the objective seems more closely allied to cost, speed and volume!  These are all important but they seem to be overshadowing the more important qualities of competency and quality of candidate. The robotic behavior of going right to the job boards and by passing the more important questions/solutions is upside down recruiting.  The first and most important question is "How do I recruit the best talent"?

Retaining a Search Firm.

When I think of using Job Boards vs. retaining a Search Firm, I am reminded of the old Grouch Marx joke!  "Signing up with a Job Board requires signing THE SANITY CLAUSE (based on all one thinks they are going to get) When signing up with a SEARCH FIRM they immediately tell you.  THERE IS NO SANITY CLAUSE".

Let's do some networking.

If Robinson Crusoe came back from a long respite on a desert island and he were to return as the Human Resource Person responsible for recruiting executives, I think his first day would go something like this!  "Well folks since we have 3 important positions to fill, let's do some networking, look internally and call our best executive search firms and let's get going.  And by the way NO NEWSPAPER advertising...at the executive level it rarely works, takes a lot of time and it’s an endless use of time to go through all those off-spec resumes!  His entire staff responded in unison!  "Oh you've been gone to long!  We don't use newspapers anymore Job Boards do exactly the same thing as newspapers and you get even more resumes"

"Shady"

Job Boards have an intrinsic conflict of interest.  Many if not most, charge the candidate to post the resume and then they charge the recruiter (in house or otherwise) to view the resume or post the job!  As a recruiter, if I charged the candidate to show their resume to my client I would show up every time someone searched on the Keyword. "Shady"!

 

Job Boards are like White Bread.

I've often wondered what the world would be like if we could eliminate the things in our lives that were really useless:  If White Bread were eliminated people would be forced to use a more nutritious alternative for their sandwich.  If cars that gave 10 miles to the gallon were eliminated people would be forced to use autos that were more fuel efficient.  If "Cliff Notes" were eliminated my kid in college would have no option but to actually read the book that was assigned.  If Job Boards were eliminated people might have to really concentrate on how to look for a job, get a job and fill a job!  Job boards are like White Bread...you think its filling something but the ingredients are no damn good!

Recognizing the Job Board.

A client of mine was recently tempted to try to fill a job on a very reputable and recognizable Job Board....the Board advertises itself based on price, quality of candidates, speed and variety of disciplines and management levels of the candidates.  My client found out that the Board's claims were all true!  A posting was put up on Monday morning for a Vice President of Finance requiring the following MUSTS: 

Must live in the Chicago land area.

Must work in the Food Industry

Must be at a Vice President level in their last position

Must be willing to travel.

WITHIN 3 DAYS THE CLIENT HAD 1,730 responses!!!Here's a sample of some of the better ones.

1) I don't really know what you consider Chicago land but I live in Philadelphia and will move

2) I am your perfect candidate having spent 17 years in the automotive industry, the only industry, I've ever worked in!

3) I am very happy and secure in my job but I've been a Director for 4 years and I'm ready to become a VP

4) I work in Marketing but your company sounds so right a fit for me that I thought I should respond to this Finance job and maybe you will pass it on to the marketing department, I am a wonderful employee and can only think of one personal negative, I have a fear of flying!

On Friday of the same week my client sent me the other 1,726 resumes, gave me the search and added a little note, "I don't think these resumes will have our candidate but maybe you can use them for another search"!

The Job Board delivered on their advertised promise they just didn't deliver the candidate!

Before you buy the Broadway Show ticket.

If you've never been to NYC to buy tickets for a hit Broadway Show you may not get this.  But if you have had the experience you'll know what I mean.

So here goes:  It doesn't get much better than splurging for good tickets to see a great show especially if you're surprising someone special!  The experience is so great that you want to duplicate it, so the next time you go get TKTS (that famous place in NY where you can buy tickets cheap) with the objective of doing it at half the price invariably. You stand on line for hours, can't get into your top 3 choices, can't get the date you want, you wind up with mediocre seats and you still spend a chunk of money even with the savings.  Reread this little story but change some words.  Substitute buying tickets with hiring an employee. Substitute hit show with A+ Executive Substitute surprising a special person with impressing your boss Substitute buying from TKTS with spending for a Job Board and Substitute the concept of paying full price with Use a Retained Recruiter.

 

Funny....the process AND results match up pretty well!

Next time you go to a Job Board to fill an important position think of the last horrid experience you had on Broadway.  Stop. "Fiddling on the Roof"

The "right" keywords.

Can you imagine opening up the Yellow Pages and scrolling down until you got to all the "right" keywords:  Park Ave Schwartz or Riley or Bongiorno Mr. Mrs. Miss. or Ms.  And now you are ready to call and ask the person to make a date with you and maybe even dinner!  Ridiculous...Right? Why is that any different from going to a Job Board and looking for the right Keywords:  A specific job title, company, salary level and calling that person to see if they want a job?  Whatever happened to dating and a cup of coffee before an entire evening and maybe even a "check-out" thru a mutual acquaintance?   Whatever happened to checking someone out, making sure they are a good fit, going beyond the credential of the resume, looking the candidate straight in the eye and seeing if they were the right person WITH the right skill.  Job Boards are yellow pages!  Use them all you want for step #1 but watch your back if you use them and don't have a recruiter to cover you on step #2, 3 and 4!