I am not a recruiter, head hunter or HR professional, which makes me far enough removed to give my objective opinion and perspective.

I have been on all sides of the table. I’ve been the candidate with sweaty palms. I’ve written job descriptions and reviewed tons of resumes. I’ve phone screened candidates and held in person interviews. I’ve also had to make the decision and recommendations my for who gets hired.

Some of the candidates declined, some accepted only to resign in under two years, and some became key members of the team.

What made the difference?

I’ll break it down simply. To find and retain the talent your company needs and deserves you need to be:

1)      Transparent – Do you have a position open immediately? Are you filling a vacancy? What are your strengths and weaknesses as a company and culture? If you aren’t prepared to answer those questions, solid candidates will easily sniff out your unease or reluctance to answer.

2)      Fair – Be prepared to pay people what they’re worth. Don’t try to sugarcoat an “opportunity” when it’s really about your bottom line. If you ask what people want in compensation, tell them if it works or not. Don’t waste people’s time.

3)      Engaging – By being able to honestly show up as your company culture, there is no guess work about fit or expectations. You’ll know in the first meeting if you’ll have a good rapport. Don’t try to be the hard ass asking the hard or stressful questions. Get to know people and have them be themselves, not a mask of who they think they’re supposed to be.

4)      Clear – Let people know about time expectations and next steps. Don’t leave people on the hook if you aren’t interested. If you are interested, let them know what the next steps and time commitments are. As soon as you aren’t interested, let the know. Again, don’t waste people’s time. Let candidates know why they aren’t a good fit. Honesty delivered with compassion allows people to grow.

How do I know this works?

I’m 3 for 3 in finding solid candidates for a company. This company is clear on their culture and expectations. They communicate it effectively. They hold it as a standard and they only recruit in candidates who build on that foundation.