Every hiring process has its “Hidden Hiccups.”

One of the hidden hiccups in an employer’s hiring process is when Hiring Managers make the majority of their offers to candidates whose skill-sets remind them of themselves. Using personal filters is okay, to a point, but this limited horizon also causes additional key skill-set groups to go missing from the workplace.

For example, there is a distinct difference between the personalities and skill-sets of a Business Development Professional and a Customer Service Professional. Stack the deck with Business Development hires and client turnover increases because nobody is taking care of client needs. Stack the deck with Customer Service hires and they end up serving the same narrow customer base over and over because nobody in the office is bringing in new business.

Creating an environment of consistent success means setting aside personal filters and viewing the workplace situation in its entirety. Decision making has to be based on serving the whole, not the few.

An equally troublesome hidden hiccup in the hiring process is the negative impact personal filters have on the placement of employee recruitment advertising. Candidates do not think, act, or speak like Hiring Managers, Recruiters, HR Directors, or HR Consultants/Bloggers. Candidates think, act, and speak like CANDIDATES going about their normal lives in the real world. The secret is reaching them where THEY are in their world, not where YOU are inside the Hiring Bubble.

A well-known social media site is fond of saying, “80% of recruiters are here!” That’s great but the important question should be, “Where are 80% of the candidates hanging out?” It’s NOT on that single social media site! (As one of our employer-clients recently said, “Not everybody looks for work on a job board or social media page.)

Case in point. Our firm, Mitton Media®, designed and executed a recruitment advertising campaign to support an employer’s Skilled-Workforce job fair. The employer had just signed a major construction contract and needed to staff up quickly.

One of the first things we did was to distribute our recruitment-focused in-house survey to current employees. Placement of the media campaign and production of creative hiring messages was determined by the feedback received from these surveys.

Results?

Mitton Media

Over 2,000 candidates lined up before doors opened for this Hiring Event.

  1. Over 200 candidates were hired BEFORE the job fair took place.
  2. At 8:00am on the actual day of the job fair, the employer counted 2,000 people in line waiting for the doors to open.
  3. 3,000 people were in line when the doors did open at 9:00am.
  4. Over 4,000 candidates were eventually counted by the end of the day.
  5. A record number of offers were extended and accepted the day of the job fair
  6. All positions were filled within one week after the job fair.
  7. The employer was able to create a mega database to use for future hiring initiatives.

Here’s what might surprise you. The media campaign designed and executed by Mitton Media:

  • Didn’t use a single print employment classified.
  • Didn’t use a single online job posting.
  • Didn’t use a single social media posting.
  • Didn’t use a single billboard.
  • Didn’t use a single “testimonial” video, YouTube or otherwise.

With our help, the employer’s recruiters and decision-makers took off their personal filters and started to see things through the eyes of prospective candidates. Accepting and acting on the premise, “There is more than one way to get the job done,” this employer enjoyed unparalleled success.

Is it time to take off the personal filters in your hiring process? Mitton Media can help. Contact me, John Mitton, or Shana Reinhart. We will be happy to assess your hiring challenges, offer suggestions, and help you start getting the response you need for your job openings.