Recruiting is Key to Hiring the Right Staff

Lee Iacocca says the first requisite in running a major corporation is hiring good people. Ask any progressive business owner or manager of small business, and you will hear the same thing. Spend time and money up front to secure the right person for the job, and you will be rewarded 10 times over in the long haul.

You say the market is scarce. There are ways to increase your pools of qualified applicants and greatly enhance your chances of hiring the right person. In fact, can you afford to gamble with one of the most critical business decisions you'll make?

The first step involves developing a current job description -- not the one that's been on the shelf for the last decade. There may be tasks that aren't so important anymore, and you may wish to shift emphasis from one area to another. Now is a good time to update your job description to include physical requirements and differentiate the essential functions of the job in order to be legal with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Once the functions have been defined, determine if there are corporate objectives to be addressed along with your recruitment plan. For example, do you want to increase the number of minority or gender-specific applicants? If so, you must determine where to spend your advertising dollars to best advantage.

When the school district of Lee County wanted to increase the pool of minority teacher applicants, school district officials determined what colleges in the Southeast produced the greatest number of minority education graduates. Lee County's own successful minority teachers paired with school administrators to travel to these college campuses. As a result, the school district more than tripled the number of minority applicants from which to choose.

Once you have decided where to advertise, determine the medium. Trade journals as well as newspapers may provide the coverage you need. The Fort Myers News Press recently reported that representatives from South Seas Resorts arrived by boat in swimsuits and shorts to accept applications and interview prospective applicants from the hordes of college students on Fort Myers Beach during Spring Break. What a creative way to lure applicants to the burgeoning tourist industry!

Don't overlook qualified applicants internally. In fact, your company may wish to post the job vacancy within prior to going outside the company. Regardless, if you have sufficiently communicated your vision and expectations to employees, they may be of significant help when it is time to recruit new talent.

But you say, "I've been looking for talent in the high technology/computer industry, and Southwest Florida just does not attract applicants." Have you met with officials at the local high tech centers, colleges, universities and representatives from the Workforce Council of Southwest Florida? Try it, they'll listen. Their mission is to bring people and jobs together, and they have the resources to train for you.

Don't overlook the advantages of a diverse workforce. Suthwest Florida is home to many highly-skilled and qualified retirees, many of whom wish to work. And also be open to hiring qualified retirees less than full time. The right person may complete the project in half the time of others lacking experience.

Perhaps it is time to look at your company benefits to see if they can be used to enhance potential applicants. More and more people are placing less importance on money and titles and looking for a balance in their lives to spend more time with their families and exercise greater control over their time. According to the May 1997 issue of Working Woman, the Illinois Trade Association boasts a turnover rate of zero among its 50 employees during the last three years. The company entices new employees with desirable fringe benefits, including a free massage once a month on company time for any employee who wants it.

Whether you are hiring a cook or a CEO, you owe it to yourself and your company to invest time and money in hiring the right person the first time. Targeting your recruitment efforts effectively reaps long-term rewards.

Madeline Doran, Ph.D., is an associate professor and coordinator of the Masters of Science in Human Resources and Development at Barry University in Fort Myers.