Monica is an accomplished professional coach I met through a mutual friend. Our paths crossed again this week at a presentation on artificial intelligence for job search. We had a few minutes to talk before the meeting, so she updated me on her current project. Sponsored by one of the more prestigious local universities, her assignment is to make job-search/recruiting and selection more productive. When I first talked with her about this project, earlier in the year, she was beginning to frame the analysis. Now, she has an appreciation for the magnitude of her challenge. Monica suggested that we meet again later in the week for a follow-on conversation. We scheduled a meeting Thursday afternoon.
As we were settling into our conversation she told me about a rather odd luncheon meeting she just finished. She witnessed some unprofessional behavior by the attendees which indicated either cultural issues with the employer, or behavioral problems with this team. It was an interesting way to start the conversation as her encounter may have identified a part of the problem she’s working to resolve.
After that introduction, we got down to business. Monica and her colleague, Gina, began with an open-ended question to initiate my thoughts. I reminded them that my perspective is that of an executive recruiter with 20 years of experience placing senior level executives. I began by saying that my average search takes 90 days from start to finish. For senior-level searches, it could be as much as 120 days. I explained that most of this time is managing logistics, as I typically have the ideal candidate in front of my client within 2 to 3 weeks. The rest of the time is related to the client’s internal process.
Scheduling meetings, whether by phone or in person is a monumental task. The time involved grows exponentially as more people are included in the process. Monica’s colleague asked about using electronic scheduling tools. I told her about a current situation where a prospective search client was trying to schedule a four-person conference call. It took two weeks to agree to a time, even though we were using a scheduling tool.
My take on the issue is that competitive pressure has shrunk the workforce so dramatically that people involved in the hiring process are stressed for time and resources. This inhibits efforts to reduce the recruiting and selection cycle. Reducing administrative overhead, in my opinion, has led to other negative attributes like poor communications among the employer recruiters, third-party executive recruiters, and the candidates.
I believe there’s a competency component in play as well. It’s been my experience that most hiring managers and support staff have never had formal training to conduct an interview or to make effective hiring decisions. Again, the problem is amplified as more people become involved in the process.
Even more fundamental, employers often don’t know which skills and experience are needed. Although job descriptions are prepared for prospective employees, they often don’t capture the primary objective of the position. Job Descriptions are usually created by a committee who may not understand the job function. If they do understand the job function, they are unable to effectively communicate the position requirements. “When I meet the right candidate, I will know it,” is closer to the norm. This lack of clarity adds to inefficiency.
It seems to me that employers who manage their cultures pro-actively do a better job of recruiting and selection, however, their timeframe may be longer. They know that the cost of a bad hire is greater than the benefit of a shorter time-to-hire. I joked with Monica that with few exceptions when my candidates inquire about a client’s culture the best I can say is that it is in a state of flux. The marketplace is volatile, which makes it difficult to create a healthy, supportive culture.
I applaud Monica and Gina for taking on this project. It is important and necessary. In my experience, the recruiting and selection cycle time have not changed much. My view is that the time involved to recruit a new hire is symptomatic of the challenges faced by the modern company. It was interesting that we did not discuss metrics like cost per hire, cost of turnover, or retention rates. My final thought for Monica was to think in terms of a matrix as the characteristics of the hiring decision is different for each function and level in the organization.
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Jim Weber, Managing Partner
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal
Current Assignments
1. COO- Atlanta-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – New
2. Controller – Atlanta-based Consumer Products – Digital Company – Completed
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4. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company: Complete
5. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. Complete
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