I know what you are probably thinking…My most precious resource must be “time” right?

Well, you are partially right.

In the world of recruiting and hiring talent, I believe your most precious resource is actually “other people's time.

After all, you are only one person.  As one person, there is only so much you can do.  But…if you utilize other people’s time wisely throughout a hiring process, you can exponentially increase your capabilities.  Along with your own time resources, you can use the resources of others that will give you an edge when trying to identify, hire and retain talent.

Follow a Process

When it comes to hiring, you cannot maximize the time of others if you don’t have a process in place.  If you’ve read any of my previous articles, you know I’m a big proponent of having a process and holding your team accountable for that process.

They need to understand who will be responsible for what and when.  They need to understand the why behind the process and what you’re trying to accomplish with it.

Communication

Communication can be incredibly easy or amazingly challenging.  When it comes to maximizing other people’s time, communication is probably the single most important element.  

Do you want to keep a candidate excited about your opportunity?  Communicate with them…

Do you want to get feedback from one of the hiring managers from a recent interview?  Communicate with them…

Do you want your leadership team to understand where you are in regard to the process?  Communicate with them…

Don’t give vague answers.  Be clear and concise.  If you do so, others will understand what you’re saying.  Crazy concept, I know.  

Do what you say you’re going to do

If you really want to get others behind you that are willing to help you accomplish what needs to be achieved, then do what you say you’re going to do.  Now, I am a parent of two amazing kids.  One is in college, and the other is a junior in high school.  I don’t know about you, but when my wife and I knew we would have kids, we told each other that we would not do what other parents did. We wouldn’t use the threat of a time-out…we would actually put them in one if needed.  We would answer every question they asked…every single one of them…with detail and intention.  While we tried our best not to be like ‘other’ parents, you probably know how that story goes.

But, in our professional world, if you say you are going to do something,  actually do it.  If you say you will follow up by a certain time, get a particular report completed by noon tomorrow, make a certain phone call, actually do them.  Those you ask for help will be more inclined to give the help to someone who follows through.

Don’t be one of those parents (I mean professionals) that says, “do as I say, not as I do.

Vacation fill-ins

If you are working on completing a process, such as getting someone hired, a big challenge is to ensure the process will be followed in a timely fashion.  As I’ve discussed in previous articles, if you don’t follow a process that is thorough yet time-compressed, you will lose out on the best talent.  This isn’t a sales pitch by a hungry recruiter.  This is a pure and absolute fact.  The best talent has other opportunities, and they will not wait around for you without a clear and concise timeline.

A big ‘ole metalic wrench that can be thrown into messing up a process are big gaps in that process.  One of those is vacations by the decision-makers.  Please don’t interpret my saying this as implying that I don’t think decision-makers should take a vacation.  They absolutely should, and they need to in order to recharge as well as enjoy life.  My family and I love vacations.  

But, what I am saying is when the decision makers are taking these well-earned vacations, they should plan for them in relation to the hiring process.  While they are gone, other needed interviews should be staged during their time away.  Others should be empowered to make the necessary decision whether to hire or not.  This would be a definitive example of the decision makers using other people’s time effectively.  It also eliminates gaps in the process that risk losing the best candidates.

Share the Accolades

When things go well, share the love.  Do not take credit for all of it.  Make sure the leaders above you know who else was involved and how instrumental they were in the project being completed. Not only is this the right thing to do, but it is also one of the more powerful ways of gaining complete buy-in and loyalty from those you will need assistance from again in the future.

I know you are working as hard as possible to achieve your goals. I know you are consistently trying to improve yourself.  After all, you’re reading this article, so there is proof right there!  But, there is only so much one person can do.  If you can utilize your strengths and those of others to achieve the desired tasks, processes, and goals, you will do so quicker, better, and with a greater sense of accomplishment because you did it as a team!  This goes beyond just a hiring process.  It can benefit you in every part of life.