How you recruit does affect your brand – for richer or for poorer!

Some recruitment industry commentators say that recruitment is an ‘art’, others refer to the process as a ‘science’.

At the other end of the continuum, there are those who consider the whole business just a necessary evil, something that must be done and often under sufferance. After all, it does take one away from one’s normal duties and responsibilities and its difficult enough getting everything done in the course of a normal working week as it is without that interference!

These people tend to view the recruitment process as something that anyone can do – easy as!

It’s not rocket science, I agree!

But it is powerful, perhaps more powerful in relation to how it is run than many realise.

I for one, would not refer to it as an ‘art form’ nor do the machinations reflect anything like that of the academic rigour involved in the world of science.

But there is a ‘craft’ to it.

Just as a winemaker uses tools, techniques and intuition based on knowhow to craft a release of wine, a skilled recruiter uses tools, techniques including clever advert writing and intuitive candidate probing to craft a shortlist of top-quality candidates.

The skill in timely, accurate and effective recruitment sourcing the right person at the right time with them contributing to the bottom line, culture and social fibre of your organisation for at least two to three years, is definitely not ‘easy as’!

I suspect that all too often, with the mindset of ‘saving money’ many well-intended middle managers and senior executives launch into a recruitment process that is fraught with danger in relation to the reputation of their organisation and brand.

The mistakes and pitfalls can take many shapes but here are just a few;

• Deciding not to include an indicative salary range in the advertising because then we can negotiate with the best candidate – mistake!
• Not including a contact name and phone/email in the advertising because we don’t have time to be interrupted by enquiries – another mistake!
• Only responding to candidates you decide to shortlist – and even worse, adding a statement at the bottom of the job advertisement along the lines that ‘only shortlisted candidates will be contacted’ – bad, worse, and worserer if there were such a word!! If this doesn’t announce that your organisation does not value their employees, then nothing does!
• Not providing all advert ‘viewers’ with a properly formatted and clearly written Position Description that accurately outlines not only the duties but the selection criteria – bad form!

The above is only scratching the surface of what can go wrong, I see it regularly.

And I hear even more regularly the contempt that candidates have for organisations that treat them this way. And make no mistake, they don’t forget quickly, and they articulate their disgust with great gusto – not unlike ‘Sheldon’ and his incessant ‘door-knocking’ habit!

So, is it such good economic strategy to undertake your own recruitment if you don’t have expert internal recruiters?

I challenge you to think about it, and please, do think carefully!

Cheryl McCormack is the Founding Director of McCormack Employment Services, a Sydney based agency with a 21-year record of success. Now trading as Cheryl McCormack Consulting still offering recruitment, Cheryl is also available to be engaged across other business solutions services including recruitment best practice processes, team building and leadership development, brand building outplacement services and career guidance for students in schools and universities in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Cheryl can be contacted on 0417899756 or via email – cheryl@mccormackconsulting.com.au