Staffing Up
Bringing in more team members during the "Great Reshuffle"
It’s kind of like a game of musical chairs—but in reverse, since companies keep adding chairs.
If you have a team member resign, you need to replace them. And if you have a lot of work scheduled and need to expand your staff, you need to bring in more people.
How do you stand out to improve recruitment?
Check that you have competitive compensation and benefits. Make sure you are offering people what they are worth.
Figure out what your “best features” as an employer are. Great corporate culture? Opportunities for advancement? Cool projects? Flexible or hybrid work hours? Travel to exciting places? Mentoring and coaching to help younger staff develop? The chance to work with Terry, and Terry is amazing? Emphasize your strengths.
Recruit from more than just your “usual” pipelines. This is a great chance to expand your workforce to include people from historically under-represented groups.
When possible, look for ways to grow existing team members into next-level roles and back-fill with talented young hires you can then train up. Promote from within.
Compare the job description you have drafted to others currently advertising for new hires. This is a “match, then overshadow to stand out” strategy. Refine your description so that you are authentically offering comparable incentives, and then include what makes YOU stand out. “We are a great fit for talented people who are looking to…”
Interview well. Focus on two things:
1) the person’s current and future technical capacity—can they do the job well? What else might they be capable of growing to do? Look for competency (not exaggerated) current skills, as well as the potential and interest to grow into more.
2) Look at their ability to “work and play well with others.” Will they be a good team-member? Look for someone who will be a good fit for YOUR work group—this is not “one size fits all.” You might want someone who pitches in when needed, or who is able to work independently, or who is able to work collaboratively, or who can be a positive and enthusiastic influence, or who is going to quietly make sure that everything is running smoothly. Avoid hiring people who immediately blame others when things go wrong, who hog credit, who create unhealthy competition or drama, or who will otherwise make the lives of the other team members significantly less pleasant. People are usually hired primarily for their technical skills—they are “let go” because of their people skills (or lack thereof).
And if you know someone who might like to do what I do, have them ping me on LinkedIn. Like most firms these days, we’re hiring.
