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Right person, Right place, Right job, Right time

Faced with a fast-changing market, it is easy to regard a replacement strategy as a recruitment strategy. But it is an easy option that ignores the challenges and opportunities ahead. All too often, the question of replacing team members is seen as just a case of ‘same again’.

The opportunity is missed to rethink that aspect of the Company’s business and whether a ‘same again’ approach is right. More often than not, it isn’t. Sometimes the person specification goes no further than: ‘Well, all we need is another Ron’.

Many businesses fall into this trap.

Key Strategic Recruitment questions that you must ask

How well has the departing person performed against his personal targets and in relation to the strategic business plan, always assuming that there is one? Does the business plan contain a section on management structure and future manpower development needs? Is the current organisation working as well it needs to in order to meet long-term goals? If not,how should the management structure be adapted to get there?

If ‘all we need is another Ron’ is the wrong way forward, what is a better way? For example, would it be possible to reorganise and train existing team members to incorporate his role and responsibilities? Does the business plan give a road map that addresses future human resource issues, and does it define the evolving roles and responsibilities of key players? Is this backed by a simple performance appraisal process that helps employees to define their goals and priorities in supporting the Company on its mission?

Does the Company actually have a working Business Plan?

The Right Job?

A good illustration of the need for careful thought is when appointing sales people. Smaller companies will often say that they ‘need a salesman’. But is that right?

In the current climate, the first imperative is to retain the support of key customers. The requisite ‘selling’ skills are more to do with Customer Relations and Project Management. And with new customers, it is well known that ‘cold calling’ is very costly and unproductive. Potential customers are highly skilled in hiding from such salesmen!

New Business Development increasingly harnesses the power of the social media in accessing new customers and markets. A traditional salesman arguably lacks the skills and experience to master these methods. Worse still, the most successful salesmen will rapidly be poached by larger firms who will reward their success and improve their career prospects. Smaller businesses always have difficulty retaining the best.

So why not consider a complete change of direction?

The Right Time?

Here the trap is one of urgency: ‘We need to replace Ron NOW. And we don’t want to pay fancy fees to an agency. I met this sales guy at my Golf Club, and he said that he would jump at the chance to join us. I had a word, and he is up for it. He can start in two weeks. OK?’

No selection process; no recruitment strategy; just fill old boots. Is it any surprise that such a ‘selection’ process routinely fails?

Recruiting new people affects the future well-being of the business and it warrants careful thought in preparing job and person specifications and defining a clear selection process and criteria. It should not be allowed to drag on, but neither should it be rushed or careless.

The Tools

In no particular order:

• Business Plan with defined management structure spanning next three years.
• Performance Appraisal process.
• Evaluation of how best to fill a particular position.
• Job and person specifications for any role.
• Selection process involving two or three stages and more than one person.
• Interviewing skills that encourage candidates to reveal their commitment and interest.

The process is inherently simple, provided that the business has been set up in the right way.