Decision Makers in the Hiring Process
We’re currently in a candidate-driven market, which means additional options for candidates and increased competition for employers. So what’s an employer with critical hiring needs to do? Companies can increase their odds of securing top military talent by focusing on understanding transferable skills and technical terminology. Furthermore, within a candidate-driven market, companies can’t afford to hesitate on acting on talent once job seekers are presented. It’s critical for companies to get decision makers and hiring managers involved earlier in the process. A hirer can’t afford to look uneducated to a potential candidate and must put its most knowledgeable decision maker forward when looking to the staffing industry for guidance.
I recently had two experiences back-to-back that provided great contrast. Both companies needed an engineering manager, in similar locations and were exhausting every resource without a return of desirable candidates.
Company A: After I asked the Talent Acquisition Manager a couple of strong technical questions, she suggested we include the Hiring Manager in the process. The Hiring Manager was able to provide a list of requested experiences and required skills needed for the position. After I filled four interview slots, the talent team called the candidates and went through the advantages of several of their programs and answered questions on policy and benefits. Within six days, Company A’s top two candidates interviewed onsite and their favored candidate accepted an extended offer immediately following their interview – something I attribute to teamwork, efficiency, and an overall winning hiring strategy.
Company B: I responded to a call from their recruiter who did not possess strong technical knowledge, but unfortunately the hiring managers were far too busy for a call. I received her job order (very similar to Company A’s) and, with the profile fresh in my mind, I realized I had the perfect candidate who was surprisingly stronger than Company A’s hire. I confidently screened and sent this candidate over thinking this was quite a home run. So imagine my surprise when I received the feedback that this perfect candidate was not a fit. The sourcing process was going nowhere with this company and then it struck me – this was due to a lack of expertise on transferable skills mainly because I was working with a non-decision maker who lacked the support for a strategic hiring process.
The major difference between these two companies is the level of involvement and efficiency of the decision makers in the talent screening process. Within a candidate-driven market, it’s vital for employers to involve their personnel with the highest level of knowledge regarding the role they are striving to fill, in order to select the best military talent. Many times, it’s the subject matter expert who can fully assess the combination of skillset and transferable skills for a 360 view of a particular military candidate’s potential. Unless he/she is actively involved in the hiring process, the company won’t be able to successfully source and hire the right candidates.
I don’t want your company to end up like Company B – missing out on a great opportunity because your department lacks industry-specific knowledge or the employee that is educated doesn’t have time to take part in the hiring process. If you or your department would like to know more about what our military candidates have to offer, feel free to visit our Employer FAQs page or simply contact us. Our military-experienced representatives are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to matching candidates with top employers across the U.S., and can help your company adapt to the current candidate market.
Bobby Whitehouse