The Career Tree Network Blog

Here are a few comments that I’ve received this week:

“My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!”

“Really interesting post, thanks! Do you mind if I publish it in my blog, with a link back to you?”

“Hi, I like your blog. This is a cool site and I wanted to post a little note to let you know, nice job! Thanks Lisa”

The only problem is that all these comments are fake.  When you leave a comment on a blog you can include a link to your website, these links will help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which helps your website appear higher on Google.  As a result, spammers have created automated systems that leave comments on blogs.  They are not real people and certainly don’t care about Healthcare recruitment in Wisconsin.

When I get the email with their “fake” comment I’m always excited.  Then a few seconds later, I realize that the comment is phony and disappointment sets in.  The idea of a real person giving a positive comment about this blog is very appealing to me.  In fact it’s what I crave…and what all of us craves! 

We want real connections with other people.  We want another people to listen and appreciate what we have to say.  If we have a question, we want to reach a knowledgeable person who can personally respond.  In many ways technology has enabled an abundance of fake connections which can be incredibly annoying.  Like when you receive a spam email message from a business owner in Kenya who wants to send you money.  Or when you call a customer service hot line and spend 30 minutes hitting buttons on your phone before a real person….in Manila, Philippines…answers the phone. 

Let’s tie this to Healthcare recruitment in Wisconsin.  Many recruiters seem to follow a transactional approach.  It might sound something like this:

“I have a position open for a Pharmacist, so I’ll post the position on a few job boards, and follow our hiring process.  On my outgoing voicemail I state that I can’t return individual calls from candidates.  I really don’t want to build relationships…I just need a qualified Pharmacist to come forward when I post the position.  Why are people so difficult?”

This sends a message to candidates that we really don’t care about them.  We only want to go through the motions to uncover a candidate who we’ll never keep in touch with once the position is filled. 

Rather, I’d encourage you to give candidates what they crave.  Listen to their career goals and take a long term perspective to build a mutual relationship.  Develop active channels to stay connected for future networking and career opportunities.  Be a recruiter and a real person…at the same time. 

A job description is your primary opportunity to attract the attention of candidates.

In many disciplines, like Physical Therapy, candidates are highly sought after and often could literally choose any position that they’d like. When candidates are scarce, the strategy of recruitment must shift from a screen resume framework to a proactive sales approach where the job description is a persuasion tool.

Your job description must do more than disclose the essential functions of the position. View a job description as a sales tool that persuades candidates to join your organization.

Key Thought: Candidates already have a good idea of what work a licensed healthcare professional within their discipline will perform. Use the job description to persuade candidates to come join your team.

Your current employees are a great source for candidate referrals.

Right now you may be thinking, “we’re all set….we already have an employee referral program (ERP)”. Before you skip away for another cup of coffee, let’s review a few questions:

1.  In the last 12 months, how many new hires were generated from your ERP program?
2. How do employees learn about the mechanics of your program?
3. What incentive do employees have to participate?

It’s not good enough to just have an ERP…..it must be an effective recruitment source.

In order to enhance your program, include a reward for both the current employee and the new referral. Current employees may feel awkward earning a reward at the expense of their friend. Rewarding both parties creates an equitable solution.

The incentive does not need to be cold hard cash. Consider incorporating other creative rewards to acknowledge and thank employees for participating in the program.

Key Thought: Take a close look at your current Employee Referral Program. Do employees really know how it works?

I recently had a conversation where a recruiter at a major Healthcare organization said: 

“My marketing team hates me.  I’m constantly upsetting them because there is some confusion around my need to “market” our open positions to attract candidates.  Social Networking websites have only complicated the issue.  The marketing team has taken control of our corporate social networking profiles and they never approve the content that my team in recruitment suggests.  I’m stuck and at the same time, my recruitment deadlines are looming.” 

Here’s the problem:  Your marketing team does not realize that sourcing candidates often requires a direct and interactive approach.  In effect, your marketing team is not comprised of recruiters…and often they take the wrong approach with candidate sourcing campaigns.   

Traditional marketing involves creating mass messages to blanket a target audience.  Think: Television, Radio, Newspaper, Billboards, etc.  These messages will have a broad appeal and might even use a nice picture of an airplane with the tag line:  “A career at our organization will take you places”.     

In contrast, my definition of “Recruitment Marketing” involves building a direct and interactive relationship with a targeted group of candidates.  Think:  Email, Phone, Direct Mail, Resume Databases, etc.  Your marketing team is not interested to invest the time required to build these relationships as such they will push for campaigns that don’t involve targeted relationship building…this is a big mistake.     

It’s a classic battle and unless you push for a relationship focused campaign, I fear that your recruitment goals will suffer.  Of course there is an alternative…it involves paying Headhunters and Agencies to build relationships with candidates in your target audience.  You don’t mind paying agency fees, right? 

I feel bad for Office Assistants. Let me tell you why…

When I call a company I typically need to get past an Office Assistant, aka “The Gate-Keeper”. It’s her job to screen the calls; most people go to voicemail and a few important people get through to the boss.

After I’ve stated my name and the nature of my call, I’m then put on hold while the info is passed along. When the assistant comes back she often says, “I’m sorry Jane Doe isn’t in the office, would you like her voicemail?”

At this point, I usually say yes, but what would happen if I responded with: “Are you lying to me?” Most likely she just spoke with Jane Doe and now she’s suddenly not in the office. Incredible.

It must be difficult for that assistant to work in an organization where “Integrity” is probably a core value, yet at the same time she lies to people each and every day.

Let’s put this in a recruitment context, we’re not off the hook! How often do you lie to candidates? “Your application is still being processed, but thanks for the call.” “I don’t make the hiring decisions; all candidates are passed along to the Director for consideration.” etc. Lord knows that back in my recruiting days, our company policy involved lying to candidates. It was often easier to lie then to tell the truth. At some point they’ll get the rejection letter and realize that they didn’t get the position, right?

I think we’re moving towards an age of honesty and openness. Recruiters are often connecting with candidates on social networking websites, like Facebook and LinkedIn. These connections offer direct two-way communication channels. Candidates now sit with a good level of access and visibility to your company and stakeholders. Treating these candidates poorly will lead to negative experiences…which make great stories to share with friends.

In this new world, the organizations that treat candidates with Genuine Transparency will win.