Depending on the survey or study, somewhere between 70% to 90% of managers’ success is determined by the processes used to hire their staff. However, as important as these processes may be, they generally tend to be less than 50% effective when measured against six critical variables.Â
However, through partnering with a skilled recruiter, a hiring manager should be able to bring the effectiveness level of this process to more than 85%.  Â
When considering the six critical variables, remember that a recruiter must be properly engaged in the process before they can mitigate, in any dramatic fashion, the potential damaging effects of these variables.
- Variable 1: Attracting qualified individuals to step forward and investigate the opportunity. This variable is difficult to measure. Nevertheless, if the manager relies only on traditional methodologies (i.e., advertising, Internet and website postings, employee referrals and walk-ins, they are not attracting more than 90% of the most qualified individuals to their process; the individuals who are employed and not currently seeking a change in positions. With the assistance of a skilled recruiter, the manager can attract to the process a greater number of these qualified individuals thereby exponentially improving the process.
- Variable 2: Early defections from the process by qualified individuals. Whether an inability to create and hold interest because of timing or presentation, many managers experience greater than a 20% fallout from the early defection of qualified individuals. Through pre-qualifying their interest and carefully orchestrating the assessment and interest building processes, competent recruiters can help insure that qualified candidates will remain with the process.
- Variable 3: Offer rejection. When a manager extends an offer that is rejected, nobody wins. Publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to Fortune and INC magazines have highlighted this variable as one of the most serious threats facing corporate hiring managers in America today. Many companies are experiencing up to a 50% rejection rate on their offers. Nevertheless, the damaging effects of this variable can be carefully controlled through the processes engaged in by an experienced recruiter.Â
- Variable 4: No-shows. Worse than an offer being rejected, a candidate who accepts an offer and then does not start as agreed upon has more than wasted everyone’s time. They have placed the hiring manager in a precipitous position as in many instances; they must begin the process all over again. Statistics indicate that without the assistance of a knowledgeable recruiter, managers experience “no shows” more than 15% of the time.
- Variable 5: Turnover. Whether an individual decision or at the request of management, when a newly hired employee turns over in the position, which happens approximately 10% of the time, it is a direct reflection on a flawed or ineffective hiring process. Many times, turnover has at its core, unrealistic and/or unfulfilled expectations. Although a recruiter does not control the on-the-job environment, they must ensure that both parties enter the employment relationship with realistic expectations. Accomplishing this is no easy task, but it is essential to the ultimate success of the entire process.
- Variable 6: Settling for mediocre performance. This may be the most insidious of the variables because it occurs over time. The manager believes they have succeeded in navigating through the variables and therefore considers the process completed. However, as with turnover, mediocre performance demonstrates that something was missed in the early stages of the process. In most instances, it reflects a lack of attention to defining “what” constitutes success on the job. This seriously compromises the establishment of clearly understood performance criteria for the position. This is where the process must begin.
Understanding the potentially damaging effects these six variables can have on a manager’s ability to effectively hire should underscore how important the recruiter can be to this process. By improving the processes, you will improve the results. In this fashion you will impact the performance capacity of your client’s organization.
As always, if you have questions or comments about this article or wish to receive my input on any other topic related to this business, just let me know. Your calls and emails are most welcome.