07 Sep CEOs Are Like College Recruiters
Bill Eastman is the host of “Real Help Wanted,” a radio show and podcast that deals with HR related topics. Run a department or business and you know that human capital can be your biggest expense and require most of your time.
One of the many life lessons I have learned from being a CEO, is that I have to be a constant recruiter. Seriously, I don’t remember this topic being covered in any of my business classes. But when you are the head of an organization, it is your job to recruit top talent for your company.
“You have to think of yourself like Mike Krzyzewski, the Duke Men’s Basketball coach,” said Eastman. “If you think about it, Coach K only has players two, maybe three years. The average employee will only work for your organization three to four years. That means you will constantly be recruiting talent.”
And with “The Great Resignation” of 2021, you might find yourself on more recruiting visits.
When I am interviewing candidates for a job opening on my leadership team, I always start the meeting off by letting the prospect know that I see the interview as a two-way process. Yes, I am interviewing them for the job, but they are also interviewing me as their potential boss and our company as their potential new place of employment.
I want candidates to get an honest look at our company, the good and the bad. The worst thing I can do is to paint a picture that is not reality.
I think that approach puts people’s minds at ease and gives them the freedom to ask more questions. I want candidates to get an honest look at our company, the good and the bad. The worst thing I can do is to paint a picture that is not reality. All that does is set me up to start the process all over again in the near future.
You do have to sell yourself and your company. That is an odd thought, but it makes complete sense when you think about what the candidate is thinking. “Do I want to work for this person? This company?”
I am proud of the team we have at Centerpost Media. I confess I feel like a smaller University that has landed some five-star football recruits that had offers from the bigger schools. But the biggest reason people want to work for me and our company is the people. When they meet the team and see how we focus on our people and our clients over profit, they want to be a part of the team.
My takeaway is: focus on building a great atmosphere and team that people want to be a part of and you too will land some five-star recruits.
Scott Miller is the CEO of Centerpost Media and host of the Create, Build and Manage Radio Show and Podcast. You can find Scott on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter via “@scottmillerceo.” Centerpost Media is a marketing agency with a vision to help every business they encounter with their media needs by providing outstanding quality, service and value. Centerpost Media is the parent company to BizTV, BizTalkRadio, BizTalkPodcasts and Bizvod.