An organization’s recruiters perform a vitally important job, especially in this environment. Consider this: with a national unemployment rate near 10 percent, with some states and metro areas even higher, recruiters are most likely fielding hundreds of resumes for one or two positions. Although recruiters’ stock and trade is determining who is the potential “right fit,” it may be easier with so many resumes if they have a highly concrete view of the best job candidates. That’s why it may be just as important for training to get involved in the recruiting process.
First, remember that training has an in-depth view of how people do after they are hired. In some organizations, new hire training may last for weeks, with trainers and facilitators becoming very involved in bringing the new employees up to speed. In this way, training has great knowledge of who succeeds, why they succeed, and how they do it. In some organizations, training departments may already be sharing this information with HR. But let’s face it: in less difficult times, training was concerned with its bottom line and getting people through the new hire process as efficiently as possible. If your training department was doing this, can you honestly say that they shared any kind of benchmarks with HR? If not, consider creating a “roadmap” or “profile” of the best candidates in each job. Sit down with your staff and simply brainstorm this topic – chances are that instructors will be able to construct an accurate profile rather quickly. Have them examine the backgrounds, attributes, and attitudes of their best performers. Alternatively, have them examine the same aspects of people who either left before training ended or shortly thereafter. Once you have created these profiles, share them with your recruiting contacts. You may find that recruiters did not know some of the things you found out, or maybe they did. But either way, your continued contribution in this area will be valuable.
Many organizations are attending job fairs or other recruiting events. As we discussed in the overview, training people are generally enthusiastic players, that is, the ones who can really help in attracting talent. If you can, offer HR the services of your star trainers or facilitators, even if it’s for one afternoon recruiting event. The group may find that the combination of HR and training creates a great balance of enthusiasm, coupled with the knowledge of which event participants will be the best candidates for the open positions.
In a related area, training personnel can set themselves up as “coaches” even before the hiring begins. For example, if an instructor or facilitator attends a job fair with a recruiter, he or she can allude to the fact that the “coach” is here now and will be there when you need them during the on-boarding process. This is not only encouraging to a potential recruit, it’s also a form of advertising. No one wants to feel like they are going to be alone after they get hired.
In the way of marketing and advertising, your efficient and well-constructed training program can serve as a walking advertisement on its own. For example, as candidates finish their chats with recruiters at hiring events, consider having the instructors or facilitators take just a few moments to discuss the training program, potential career paths, and the support they may receive as they go through their careers with your organization. This may be a novel or even unusual approach for a recruiting event, but even in the current environment the best candidates may have a few choices of employers. The fact that the “next step” after hiring is represented on the front end may go along way in attracting the best and brightest candidates. And with those candidates poised to come into the organization, the process of developing and retaining them may seem a little easier.
Recruiting tends to create a pool of candidates, many of them with the same knowledge, skills, and abilities. Once they are in the process, HR and hiring managers have to make their selections. And this is another area where training can lend a hand.
Copyright 2010-2017 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.
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Bryant Nielson – Managing Director of CapitalWave Inc.– offers 25+ years of training and talent management helping executives, business owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary. Being a big believer in Technology Enabled Learning, Bryant seeks to create awareness, motivate adoption and engage organizations and people in the changing business of education. Bryant is a entrepreneur, trainer, and strategic training adviser for many organizations. Bryant’s business career has been based on his results-oriented style of empowering the individual. Learn more about Bryant at LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bryantnielson |
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