Unlike many Americans who take particular delight in
disparaging the French, I don't.
For me, there is a lot to love about the French
and their way of life — the appreciation of
good food, good conversation, fabulous wine,
gorgeous countryside, high-speed trains —
stop me anytime! (Did I mention the cheeses?)
The other thing I like about the French is their
short time-frame for their presidential elections.
Last year, their process started in February with
two rounds of voting, the "official" campaign started
on April 9, and the results of the general election (May
6) were announced on May 10. During that time, they
managed to whittle the field down and elect a
president — all in less than four months.
Voila!
Compare that to the process we have here in the
United States; we started over two years
ago! We've been barraged by opinions from
every political pundit on earth, been polled by every
newspaper, and listened to every (frequently) boring
debate the networks have to offer. Let's face it, no
matter how exciting any of the candidates are,
we're all pretty tired of them.
Is Your Hiring
French or American Style?
I know some companies where the hiring process
resembles more the sprawling, interminable U. S.
elections than the crisp, tightly managed, relatively
short process of the French. Why is this? For the most
part, I think it's because these managers believe that
the longer the process, the better the result.
Longer Process
Doesn't Mean a Better Result
Many
hiring managers feel that a long process will give
them these advantages:
- A clearer idea of who the candidate is;
- An understanding of how the candidate will
perform on the
job; and
- Insight into how the candidate will adapt to
company culture,
and
many other factors.
Au contraire! I just don't think that an extended
process does that. As a matter of fact, I think you
are in serious risk of losing your top candidates to
your long process. Many times, top candidates
think a long hiring process is a sign of indecision and
they shy away from joining a company they perceive
as indecisive. In this tight market, losing
candidates to competition is painful enough…
when you lose them because of what you
do, that's absolutely excruciating.
Tighten the
Process
Here are five strategies that will help tighten up your
process:
- Start with a Deadline:
Make sure you set a deadline date for
your search to be over. Sure, it may slip a day or
week, but have a goal — that's
important!
- Line up Your Team:
If you are having a few people involved in
the process, be sure they are lined up behind your
deadline goal. Like a good campaign manager,
coordination is key.
- Keep It on Track:
Be adamant about the process staying on
track. Don't be sidelined by other projects that
may knock you off your timetable.
- Wrap Up the Deal:
Be hands on all the way through the
process to make sure, at the end of it, you get your
best candidate. Take personal responsibility for
seeing that the hire is made.
- Host an Inaugural
Ball:
Well, you don't quite have to throw a formal
ball, but celebrate your hire with your team and your
new employee. Have a fun lunch, "getting to know
you" time, whatever, to get everyone off on the
right foot.
Speaking of "Tightening It Up," the third person to
call
(978-921-8282 x202) and tell me who sang
"Tighten Up" gets a $25 gift certificate to
Amazon.com. And, if you can hum a few bars of the
"Marseillaise" as well, I'll make it $50 (dollars that is
— not euros)!
