Where’s the Urgency?

A week ago I posted that the Unemployment rate hit a 16-year low. That means there is major opportunity for companies that can get and keep great people. So why aren’t we seeing more urgency around hiring!?... In a nutshell: There is a caution in this economy that was not in place during the last boom. Maybe it’s a ‘Great Recession’ hangover or hedging the next downturn. I don’t know, but as they say, “these ARE the good old days”, so let’s get at it!

Don’t let the “Perfect Candidate” syndrome slow down your organization's growth. Have the guts to hire by “gut feel”. It will save you a ton of time and produce some great results.  If you recall the action and reward impact: It’s not the leader who makes the fewest mistakes that gets promoted. (When was the last time you saw a “mistakes avoided” section in a resume?)

Since hiring is the only part of this economy I’m technically qualified to talk about, here are my suggestions to add some urgency to your hiring process:

Cut it in ½ – challenge yourself and your team to cut your hiring cycle in HALF. I'm talking about time, not process. If it's currently taking you 90 days, your new goal is 45. TIP: Collapse your steps so multiple interviews are taking place in a week.

Know what’s next – know the next step before you start the first. All people involved in the next steps should have time blocked off. One day is a ton of time when you’re managing in minutes.

Reward urgency – consider putting a bonus in place for your search firm or internal talent team for candidates generated in the first  three weeks of a job opening.

Ramp time instead of search time – we often look back saying we could have ramped the candidate we found 2 weeks into the search-the one who was a great fit, but did not know the product, in the 4 1/2 months it took us to find the candidate we ultimately hired. 

With the Fed just raising interest rates and strong economic indicators, the time for urgency is NOW. Careers will be made and great companies will be built. So enjoy the run and I’ll be there along with you—acting with urgency, and enjoying the resulting growth!