This morning one of my clients gave me an amazing “gift” when I asked him for the job description for the Business Development Executive he wants us to find. He is a new client and we had our introductory phone call where I learned all about his company, what they did and the job he was looking to fill. Usually the first thing we get from a client is the job description for the position they are looking to fill. Often times before my first phone call I’ll go check out their website and pull the job description down so I’m prepared to talk about it. This client didn’t have one on his company website though. I asked him to email me a job description and instead of the job description, he gave me the “objectives” for the person they are looking for. What an “AHA” moment for me and I loved it. This is even better than a job description because he didn’t give me a box that I have to work in. Instead of having to look for someone with 10 years of experience selling ABC, and 5 years of experience selling XYZ, and x & x, I get to look for someone who can “increase revenue to $ x M”; someone who can hunt and find new clients so that no client represents more than 20% of total revenue; someone who can ensure client satisfaction and someone who knows how to manage a pipeline. Being able to work from the objectives of the job instead of the job description gives me the flexibility to go find someone who can “do the job” instead of finding someone who fits into the box of job requirements that we often get. When we have the flexibility to think outside the box, it opens up the potential to find someone who might otherwise be overlooked because they don’t have the specific qualifications defined in the job description. That’s exactly what we do at A Sales Guy Recruiting; focus on the end goal(s) and what the candidate is expected to accomplish in the role. Traditional hiring focuses on experience and credentials. This approach shifts the focus away from what it is you’re trying to get done to an arbitrary set of perceived success measurements. Our approach maps the client goals and objectives to the capabilities of the candidates, thereby ensuring they can actually DO what you need them to do. We all know “A” Players are hard to find. “A” Players that can actually deliver what you need delivered, well that’s an even greater challenge but when you have the information to determine what they will be delivering, it is a whole different ballgame. The process becomes easier and we can talk to more candidates to create a better flow of candidates. If you’re looking to add talent to your team and having difficulty finding the right people, perhaps it’s time to think outside the box and let go of your rigid requirements. Identify your list of objectives for someone to be successful in the job and what you need them to accomplish. Changing your process up a bit might just help you find a few really good people for your team that can DO THE JOB. Thanks for making my day Josh.
Helping You Find the Right Person Who Can “DO” the Job
