If you don’t know who you’re looking for, you’ll easily find him (or her)
The unemployment rate rose from 6.5 to 6.7 percent for the Month of November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—the economy shed 533,000 jobs in one short month. That’s up 2% from the same time last year.
So, that must mean it’s an employer’s market. Or is it?
On first blush it seems like it is.
The law of supply and demand tells us “the more candidates you have to choose from, the greater the choice you’ll have among candidates, and it’ll be like shooting fish in a barrel.”
Unfortunately, recruiting is not so simple.
In a time of uncertainty, with lots of people on the job market, calculating what they’re going to do next, there are many people to choose from who are “almost-good enough” to take your company to the next level.
But “almost-good enough”–is that good enough?
After you factor in the expense of the search, their orientation and training, having to put up with sub-standard performance and results for a period of time, and if it doesn’t work out, the severance you have to pay the employee to leave, it all adds up.
Real costs plus opportunity/lost productivity costs.
For a six-figure salary executive, the average mis-hire runs in the millions of dollars.
When you’re in survival mode, can you really afford to make a mistake that costs millions of dollars?
Out of all the people out there looking for jobs, there is one out there that is perfect for you.
One who has all the skills you need. One who is a match for your corporate culture.
One who’s able to do more with less people and less money.
One who can do things better, faster, and cheaper.
The real “A” player.
The question is “How do you know how to find him or her?”
Are you going to wait for this person to knock on your door?
If you don’t know who you’re looking for, you’ll easily find him (or her).
There are many people out there who are almost good enough.
Getting the wrong one could be a costly mistake.
The original premise is correct. It is an employer’s market—the employer is in the driver’s seat.
But the job of finding the right person just got harder not easier.
Mark Gonska is Executive Vice President of Career Transition Services for Dise & Company. You can contact Mark directly at the People Page on Diseco.com
3 comments ↓
So true! It’s harder to locate the best fish if the barrel is really crowded with average (or below average) fish. I have had hiring managers tell me that hiring is a crap-shoot – you have a 50-50 chance of hiring and retaining the best person. I couldn’t disagree more, and it all starts with defining the necessary skills, background and experience before beginning your search.
I agree with Mark’s and Connie’s comments.
Last month I started at Shell. I have access to information on how many people have applied to the open positions listed on http://www.shell.com. These are jobs with good pay and good benefits. Shell is a great company to work for.
What has suprised me is how few well qualified people apply for many of the open experienced professional positions at Shell. Shell gets a large number of applicants for the enty level positions from students and new graduates, but not so many qualified applicants for the professional positions requiring prior experience. It is my understanding that many of the applicants either:
- Do not meet the job requirements or
- Are not willing to relocate.
Today on http://www.shell.com there are 83 job listings for experienced professionals in the US. There are 88 job listings for experienced professionals in Canada. I would encourage job seekers who are qualified and are willing to relocate, to apply for these positions.
So what is the best way for an applicant to impress a hiring manager that he or she is truly the one that a company is looking for?
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