The Three Cs of Recruiting Successfully
As an IT professional, how do you prefer to be recruited? You’re in high demand right now, and are likely being contacted by recruiters on a weekly basis. You might be thinking, “I don’t want to be recruited.” Or maybe you don’t mind an email here and there as long as it’s perfectly aligned with your skillset.
Last Friday, I attended TalentNet Live Dallas, a strategic recruiting conference featuring leaders from some of the biggest brands in the world including Capital One, Yum! Brands, AT&T, Pepsico and many more.
Now, I’m not a recruiter, but I do work for a company that specializes in recruiting. My job, ultimately, is to discover how to engage with candidates in a way they actually want to be engaged. Below are my key takeaways from TalentNet. I’m curious if they are what you would expect HR buffs to talk about at a conference – and if they ring true to what you are looking for in a company.
Culture
“Beer Friday doesn’t make your company unique…people do.” – Craig Fisher, CEO at TalentNet
Culture has become more and more of a deciding factor in whether or not a company is considered appealing. But when it comes down to it, is a stocked bar or arcade room in an office really going to make you a happy employee? Craig Fisher emphasized that it’s the people in the office that define a great culture – not the foosball table. Another big point the speakers stressed was how often you recognize the people in your company. Appreciating and celebrating your employees is essential for good morale. As Tiffany Harvey from Southwest pointed out, happy employees = happy customers.
How do you define culture? And how much of a factor is it for you when choosing a place of employment?
Content
“If you’re not listening, you’re operating blind.” – Tommy Blanchard, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Capital One
As a Content Specialist, I was happy to find that content was an overarching theme at TalentNet. Authenticity and engagement were big buzzwords as far as what companies should focus on when creating content. Tommy said the above quote as he discussed the most important factors when speaking with potential candidates. In the same way, I don’t want to blindly post content to our audience – I want to post the things that people are interested in seeing.
What kind of content do you want to see from employers?
Customer Service
“Our business is customer service, we just happen to fly airplanes.” – Tiffany Harvey, Employment Lead at Southwest Airlines
This quote is one of the founding principles at Southwest Airlines. Many are familiar with the fun culture promoted at Southwest – they even have a culture department! But the real reason they are so adored by customers is the level of service they provide. On the agency side of customer service, the speakers reminded us that we are a business of humans working with humans, not placements. At MATRIX, our focus is building and nurturing relationships so that we can fulfill the needs of our customers. We would be nothing without our relationships.
What companies have stood out to you with their customer service? Why?
I’d love to get your feedback on these points. Leave a comment below or tweet your thoughts at @MATRIXResources.