You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Hurry up and slow down” before. It refers to acting with a sense of urgency, but not being so out of control that you cause more problems than you solve.
While the phrase can apply to all sorts of situation, it can also apply to the recruiting and staffing profession. That’s because, as professional recruiters and executive search consultants well know, “time kills all deals.” So you have to move with urgency to move the recruiting and hiring process along, but you certainly do not want to do anything that might jeopardize the placing of the candidate and the subsequent cashing of the check that accompanies the placing of said candidate.
However, we live in an “immediate gratification” society. Everybody wants everything, and they want it right NOW!
Can you blame them, though? Most people have been conditioned, subconsciously or otherwise, to have this mentality. (It’s not just for children anymore!)
Recruitment speed: a requirement for success
To help us explore this topic, we’re going to rely upon the experience and expertise of recruiting industry trainer and speaker Scott Wintrip. According to Wintrip, the Digital Age and its ever-evolving technology has paired with our “immediate gratification” mindset to condition people to expect things immediately . . . if not sooner.
“More of what we need or want can be acquired right now or just minutes from now,” said Wintrip. “From downloads to deliveries to services on-command, the rise of the on-demand economy has made speed not just a competitive advantage. For doing business, it’s a requirement.”
However, while everybody is putting an emphasis on speed, an overzealous emphasis on it can have negative effects. And that includes the hiring process. In fact, especially the hiring process, which is why we have it as the main area of concern for this blog post.
A problem occurs, though, when hiring managers and hiring authorities confuse “recruitment speed” with “haste.” There is a difference between the two, and mixing them up can have dire consequences. (Well, as dire as not being able to hire the candidates you want to hire, that is.)
“When it comes to hiring, some people don’t think these ‘new rules’ apply,” said Wintrip. “They believe that speed and quality are mutually exclusive. What’s most likely happening is that they are confusing speed with haste.”
The last thing that any company or organization wants to do is make hasty hiring decisions. Those kinds of decisions smack of desperation, and nothing good ever results from acting in desperation. Consequently, you (as the company’s trusted recruiter) should not allow your client to make hasty hiring decisions. After all, you are a consultant, and if your client has chosen to utilize your services, then they should be open to listening to what you have to say about the subject.
“Haste has no place in hiring,” said Wintrip. “Rushed decisions often lead to poor choices. These mistakes result from an ineffective approach that wasn’t built to deliver fast and accurate hires.”
Recruiting speed and results
Recruitment speed, on the other hand, definitely has a place in the hiring process. That’s because it speaks to the right results delivered in a more streamlined timeframe. Everybody wants results, and when you get right down to it, they want those results delivered as quickly as possible.
“Speed is different,” said Wintrip. “It is simply part of a well-planned process for achieving great results quickly. The operative words are ‘plan’ and ‘process.’ Fast and accurate hiring is never an accident.”
So how can agency owners and recruiting managers make this happen? How can they ensure that they and the other members of their agency operate not with haste, but with recruitment speed? And more importantly, how can they get the “buy-in” of their clients so that not only does hiring happen quickly and with the right results, but that placements also happen more quickly, as well?
“It happens because leaders plan for it, implement a process to achieve it, and hold staff accountable to following the plan,” said Wintrip.
There’s nothing hasty about that.
