Tag Archives: hire


 

 

Recruiting: Using a Third-Party Search Consultant

 

When you consider your options to hire new staff or find a candidate for a hard-to-fill position, it is wise to consider a third-party search consultant. What is a search consultant? At Leap Solutions Group, our search team is made up of experienced, career-long search consultants and recruiter professionals that help your company fill critical staffing needs. As an Executive Search Consultant, our team is an extension of your organization to find the best-fit candidates for your critical management positions. What is the value and benefit of working with a search consultant to find your next leaders and specialty employees? Let us take a look.

An internal hiring manager may be able to devote a portion of their days to search for the ideal candidates; however, with the many positions to fill, there may not be enough time or resources for a comprehensive, complex search for a key management position. To ensure finding the right person, third-party firms spend their time engaging with candidates, building their network of talent, actively sourcing, and researching the industry hiring trends. This building of the talent pipeline is core to what the Leap team does each day. On the other hand, a company hiring manager generally does not have the time to build a pipeline or cast a large net in the industry to find viable candidates. They can passively recruit and hope strong candidates come to them via the company careers page or from a posting on a job board. Their time is focused on the current role they are trying to fill. Building a pipeline can be difficult to do if you do not have a current opening. And most top candidates do not want to talk to hiring managers unless they have a current opening.

 

At the heart of the third-party search consulting firm is the database we continually build with a pipeline of qualified candidates. We foster relationships to build a strong network for use when the next opportunity strikes. A candidate’s profile will show up in our database search, and they may also come to mind based on previous interactions and the client’s current needs. We market the candidates to our client and test for cultural fit and relevance to the open position. With a solid understanding of both the client and the candidates’ offerings, we are able to make a timely introduction to the client and a potential candidate match.

Rather than posting a position and praying for applicants, successful third-party search consultants, in addition to their talent pipelines, have a cadre of passive candidates to explore for the client’s needs. Successful recruiters reach out to passive candidates, who often make the best candidate as they are currently in a position. These established relationships yield potential candidates and provide referral sources to colleagues and professional connections. The passive network brings active candidates to share with the client and allows third-party search consultants to be ready to find the right candidate for the role and move the candidates into the recruiting process. Statistically, a passive candidate is more likely to be highly qualified and does not need to seek a new position to improve their skill set or competencies. Recruiting passive candidates at Leap Solutions is a way of life. Since they are employed and not actively seeking a change, they seem to be more open about their career goals and typically, we move them to become more engaged in the process.

 

As your search partner, we inform and help candidates learn about why your company is a great opportunity. Key data points that you provide to us are shared with candidates, and this helps build enthusiasm for the position. As your representative, we consult with you as to why this candidate is the right one for you in this market.

We help you reality-check your requirements, timelines, compensation, and decision process by leveraging our strong understanding of both the recruitment process and the recruitment market. When competing for candidates, we make sense of what is going on in the market and realize how quickly candidates are snapped up as well as how fast other companies are making hire decisions. We dig deeper with candidates to know why they want a new role and when they are ready to make a move.

In both the short-term and long run, utilizing a third-party search consultant saves you time and money. Companies often receive hundreds of applications, and a search consultant is ready to sift through, sort, connect with, contact, and screen the right candidates for you. We conduct background and reference checks to ensure the candidate representations are accurate. We reconcile the candidates that not only look good on paper but are the right fit for you. The bottom line, we efficiently and effectively seek the right candidates to ensure your investment in a search consultant yields the ideal employee.

 

 

 

 

Are You Ready to Leap?

 

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Leap Solutions is a diverse group of highly skilled management, organizational development, and human resources, and executive search and recruitment professionals who have spent decades doing what we feel passionate about helping you feel passionate about what you do. Our HR specialists can help you get a handle on the ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines, programs, and legislation that may impact you and your employees. We are available to work with you to develop practical solutions and smart planning decisions for your organization’s immediate, near, and long-term needs.

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What are the actions in your plan when no one seems to be applying? All successful recruiting strategies have one critical element among them – they all have a plan.

 

Introduction

All successful recruiting strategies have one critical element among them – they all have a plan. At Leap Solutions, we customize a plan for every recruitment.  It would be simple to post an opportunity and then sit back and wait for all the applicants to flow in…. but we all know in this job market that will not lead to success.

What are the actions in your plan when no one seems to be applying, applicants are non-responsive, candidates are reevaluating work/life balance, and others are voicing concerns about returning to an unknown future?

Recruiting Strategies

Here are a few basic steps to structure the components of your plan:

  1. Treat candidates like customers by nurturing them.
  2. Improve the candidate experience through proactive communication from start to finish.
  3. Take time to brand your company. This is an excellent passive recruitment sourcing strategy. Use social media – Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter – to post positions and engage with candidates. Passive recruitment targets potential candidates who aren’t necessarily looking for a new role, but become enticed to apply based on your company website and social media branding.
  4. Implement an employee referral program. Employee referrals can reduce your time to hire, improve your quality of hire and increase your retention rate.
  5. Engage passive candidates. These are candidates who aren’t necessarily looking but can be found without posting traditional ads.
  6. Include past applicants and past employees as potential candidates. Use the talent pipeline you worked hard to build the first time around.

    Create compelling job postings.

    a. Showcase dynamic summaries that get candidates excited about the role.

    b. Ask and answer – “How does the position fit into the organization?”

    c. Highlight your values and culture, which can be your most important asset.

    d. Design jobs with realistic requirements

    e. Touch on succession and/or career development opportunities – topics at the top of a candidate’s list when looking
    for a new role.

  7. Source via hiring events including in-person and online events; job fairs, venue rentals, and virtual events. Don’t forget to advertise these events via posting ads, newsletters, and your website.
  8. Source laid-off workers. It’s important to gain an understanding of why these workers are hesitant about the future. Today’s candidates are focused on work/life balance, offering flexible working conditions, mental wellness, and desire transparency when it comes to potential salaries.
  9. Focus on financial and physical wellness, and company culture, offer honesty and transparency throughout the hiring process. Candidates often turn down offers based on the company culture. They might initially take the offer, but continue to search for new opportunities.

 

Are You Ready to Leap?

 

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Leap Solutions is a diverse group of highly skilled management professionals serving our clients with their organizational development, human resources, and executive search and recruitment needs. We have spent decades doing what we feel passionate about helping you feel passionate about what you do. With the ever-changing COVID-19 response, our HR specialists can help you get a handle on the guidelines, programs, and legislation that may impact you and your employees. Through all of our services, we are available to work with you to develop practical solutions and smart planning decisions for your organization’s immediate, near, and long-term needs.

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When workers are in short supply and high demand, it can be tempting for employers to gratefully snatch up any willing candidate with the right background and expertise for a job. But in today’s incredibly tight labor market, that hiring approach is short-sighted; holding out for the right cultural fit can mean all the difference between a ho-hum, get-the-job-done placement and a committed, lasting employee who not only shares but actively contributes to your organization’s mission, vision and growth.

Fit Philosophy

When you hire someone, you don’t invest in a set of skills—you invest in a person. That’s why the recruiting experts at Leap Solutions believe in hiring for cultural fit first and foremost. Job skills matter, of course, but many of those can be taught. Equally as important are the intangibles: a candidate’s personality and character, values and ethics, curiosity and insight, motivation and potential and more. These are the largely un-teachable qualities that determine cultural fitness, and these are the traits that can positively and powerfully impact the success of your organization.

Every hiring opportunity is a chance to build an even more solid, collaborative and diversified team. Someone ideally suited to your organization’s culture will feel at ease with the social customs, working habits, atmosphere, energy and pace of your organization. A great cultural fit is likely to result in a seamless job transition and a longer-term, far more rewarding placement for both employee and employer.

 

Philosophy in Action

Prioritizing cultural fit means seeing positions beyond their obvious and immediate job descriptions and seeing candidates beyond the skills and experience listed on their resumes. That’s why we advise our clients to:

  • Reflect on your culture. You can’t find your best cultural fit without first knowing your culture. When you partner with Leap, we do everything possible to gauge the pulse of your organization and what it takes to thrive there. We provide invaluable outside objectivity and seasoned insight as we guide you in determining the kinds of people who will align with your organization’s core values while bringing fresh enthusiasm and unique perspectives, talents and ideas to your workplace.
  • Establish the non-negotiables. We help you sort the essential job skills, background and qualifications from the desired ones; in many (and perhaps most) cases, there’s more wiggle room than you might think. That said, no matter how much you like a candidate, you can’t settle for anything less than what you genuinely need for success in the role.
  • Be open to train. Don’t miss out on an otherwise ideal candidate by requiring an easily trainable skill or body of knowledge. As you zero in on what you’re truly looking for in an applicant, be realistic about any anticipated needs for coaching, training and/or mentoring to ready that person for the position. As a bonus, you’ll be able to arrange for customized, focused, high-impact learning that can virtually ensure success.
  • See potential. While we might suggest you consider training for certain skills, we’ll encourage you to stay true to the type of person you want. At Leap Solutions, we approach our work from a place of genuine curiosity about every person, and we’re known for our ability to see past what’s on paper—to recognize what’s overblown or undersold on a resume, for instance. We never lose sight of our ultimate goal: to steer you toward the longer-term, perfect-fit hire you deserve.
  • Look to the future. As you begin to make more strategic, thoughtful hiring decisions, you will naturally start to put those decisions into the perspective of bigger-picture issues such as succession planning. Always keeping an eye to the future, savvy employers think about which positions might be opening up down the line and provide the career development and advancement opportunities that allow employees and companies to grow together.

 

  • Interview unconventionally. Assessing skillset can be straightforward, but for a fuller indication of how a candidate might fit into your culture, you’ll want to use creative interview approaches, including behavioral-based questions (“Please share some examples of when you…” or “Tell me about a time this happened to you…”), relevant sample scenarios and role-playing. Don’t be afraid to ask about a candidate’s ideal (and less favorable) culture, communication style, management style and more. The more inquisitive you are, the more fruitful the interview will be.
  • Solidify your impressions. Make the most of reference checks to further explore candidates, speak to any potential concerns, etc. Ask the usual questions about how the candidates perform, how they get along on the team and what particular strengths they offer, and then dig deeper with scenario-based questions (e.g. “What might her approach be if she had to deliver bad news to someone?”) to reveal telling, constructive details that can confirm (or challenge) your perceptions.

Commit to Fit

At Leap Solutions, we appreciate that employers can sometimes feel desperate to fill a position, but we won’t let you settle for anything less than the very best fit for your organization. We’re not in the business of high-volume staffing for high-turnover jobs; we’re committed to intentional, well-planned, optimal-fit placements followed up with all the support they need to thrive. When we hit the mark—and we consistently do!—we can be confident that your new hire and your organization will flourish together, now and well into the future.

 

There’s good recruiting—matching the perfect candidates to their ideal jobs.

And then there’s whole-culture, forward-looking, Leap-style recruiting.

 

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