So much of our workaday world is production-oriented. Work hard, then harder, then your hardest, in hope you produce as much as you can by the end of the day, or the month, or the year. Success is often measured by quantity, not quality.
Volume is indeed important. Exceeding sales goals is good for you and for your company. But at what cost? And for how long?
One of my clients is a global manufacturer of consumer retail machines. This successful company obviously wants to keep the sales of these machines booming and the lines on the charts skyrocketing. But I know, without doubt, that quality is their number one goal. I’ve seen the layers of the corporation up close and personal. Every team member is driven by making the best product of its kind. This is true of the line workers in the plant as well as the dedicated IT staff that keeps the automation of the company humming.
In the end, presenting customers with quality products will keep them coming back for more and will inspire them to refer new business to you.
The same is true in the world of professional recruiting. Sadly, a lot of firms simply shove mass quantities of resumes through the HR pipe, hoping that one of them is chosen for an interview and maybe (cross your fingers) lands the job.
From a client company point of view, they see a lot of smoke, but not much fire. Clarification is not sought on job details. Candidates are often kept uniformed, are not thoroughly vetted for a particular fit, and are usually ill-prepared for interviews by recruiters who have moved on to the next pipeline. So, when recruiters work off of a checklist without regard for the fit of the job or the needs of the candidate, frustration mounts and the process spins out of control, only to be tossed aside and begun again with another resume.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
If you care about your client (the company who will pay you if you succeed), you had better care about your candidates, each and every one of them. Your chance for success multiplies when you begin to develop a relationship with your candidate, not your candidate’s resume.
Even before your first phone call with the job applicant, prepare a list of questions that need to be answered in order to discover if this person is indeed the best fit for your client. The resume is just a starting point. Do your research to find out as much as you can about this professional and then call to dig in deeper about the details, his or her soft skills, environmental fit, and personal career goals.
The more you develop that relationship, the more you are going to know if you have the quality candidate or just another resume. And, you will now know someone in the field who may just be the next hiring manager you will work with in that company.
Work smarter. Produce quality. Enjoy the long road ahead.
Core Technology Solutions has been building relationships with business clients and candidates for more than 35 years. If you are interested to know where your next career move will take you in the IT field, give us a call at 803.849.6071.