Kibbe on Marketing: Hiring by Pin the Tail on the Donkey

There is an egregious amount of information out there about what prospective job candidates can do to make themselves more attractive to potential employers. From writing strong resumes to networking as if one’s life depended on it to the proper handshake, the list goes on. There is, however, precious little on what due diligence a company should do to present itself as great place to work.

We all know that it’s a buyer’s market out there, but too often it seems as though companies don’t take the time to figure out what they’re really looking for. Job applicants take skills and compatibility tests to learn what kind of work they’re best suited for, but do companies perform the same amount of introspection when crafting a job position?

Company staffs have never been more overworked. From the administrative assistant to the CEO and everyone in between, all are wearing many, many hats. Too many, really. Combine that with the incredible amount of talent available, there is a quiet perception that companies don’t have the time and don’t really care about creating solid and detailed job descriptions. It seems sometimes like they’re just continuously plugging square pegs into round holes in the hopes one might actually fit. Just get the job filled so we don’t have to think about this anymore. Then because of the murky job description, the new hire has to fumble his or her way around, no one to show direction. In frustration, the new hire leaves, and the cycle repeats. I previously talked about marketing by pin the tail on the donkey. Well, this is hiring by pin the tail on the donkey.

Certainly, the hiring process is as much as, if not more, an art as a science. By its very nature, hiring is difficult for all involved. Turnover is a huge cost in and of itself. But desperate, or worse, lazy hiring practices because overworked staff don’t have the time or information to create detailed and specific job descriptions and are ready to provide some minor oversight and training to the new hire only serves to hurt the company in the long run.

Just as damaging is the complete lack of management development, whereby supervisors learn how to actually hire a new employee. How many of you mid-level directors out there received any training by your company on how to be a director? You work your butt off, get a promotion, then what? Congratulations! Here’s the key to executive bathroom, now go hire a team.

Huh?

If managers aren’t given the skills to create good job descriptions and find the talent that really will be a long-term asset to the company, how does the company expect to flourish?

They next time you or your company is considering hiring an employee, invest in your firm by training your managers, figuring out exactly what and who you want to add, taking the time to create concrete job descriptions, and setting aside side time to also train the new employee. Your candidates – and your bottom line – will thank you.


Cindy Kibbe is owner of Cindy Kibbe Creative Communications, a writing services firm based in New England. She was an editor for a regional business publication for nearly a decade. She can be reached at cindy@kibbecreative.com.