Читать книгу: «100% Recruitment»

Foreword

The book you are holding is devoted to recruitment, the system of activities undertaken to source and select personnel. In my opinion, it is the recruiter that is the most important aspect of the recruitment process. Everyone else merely plays a supporting role. If the recruiter says that a particular vacancy is impossible to fill, then it is solely the recruiters problem and responsibility. If a recruiter takes on a vacancy but is unable to fill it, that means that the recruiter isn't up to the task at hand. If a recruiter decides to work with a client that is unable to provide competent feedback, this means that the recruiter won't be able to handle the interaction. It's always the recruiter's problem, and only the recruiter can find a solution.

Sometimes, one can lack the necessary skills or experience. In order to be a true professional that can perform the role with your eyes closed, you must immerse yourself in the job, putting in the time to rack up 5, 000 flight hours, as they say in the aviation business. It's easy to tally up for yourself how long you work each day and each year, then the total you have worked in the industry and how long it takes to consider yourself a professional.

I have worked in recruitment of professionals since 1999 and opened Business Connection, my agency for personnel selection, in 2001. I am listed in the of Top-5 and Top-15 recruiters in Russia, as well as other ratings. I undertake business training courses and master-classes and offer training to specialists, an activity I consider to be a key aspect of the operations of my agency. In this book it is my pleasure to share with you my experience, techniques and tricks of the trade. You won't find worn-out clichés here. This is the knowledge I have built up from my extensive first-hand experience, and therefore the book is crammed full of real-life examples. You will learn:

– What the ideal candidate looks like;

– How you can identify them during face-to-face meetings;

– How to correctly evaluate them;

– How to motivate candidates;

– How to become an attractive employer;

– How to work with resumés;

– How the gather recommendations;

– An A to Z on how to perform interviews: the goals, types, challenges and behaviour of participants;

– How to handle counter offers¹; – What the «tricks of the trade» are in recruiting, and so forth.

We'll start with the «tricks of the trade». They are universal and apply to everything. Many business-trainers prefer not to share them: this is detrimental and even dangerous.

Remember your own experience. You order corporate sales training. The trainer comes in, shares some knowledge and information with your sales managers. Your staff try to put this into practice as they go along, so some will sooner than others. Sales begin to increase, but a month later it's business as usual as sales return to the previous level. So why can't they keep up the momentum?

The answer is simple: there is only 72 hours during which you can apply the knowledge into skills and turn information into action. The things you will learn from this book which you consider to be useful and valuable for your organization must be put into practice within 72 hours. Then you can transform knowledge into skills.

Therefore, as soon as you learn something useful, write down the time straight away. You have to begin using what you have learned within 72 hours. If you fail to do so then you will simply remain a run-of-the-mill reader. But I don't believe that will be the case.

If you decide you want to ask any questions in person, or meet to share your impressions of this book, write to me at director@buscon.ru or call me on +79032602551, or look me up via social media.

Is your company ready to talk to candidates?

Searching for candidates is much more than just closing a vacancy. And the process doesn't begin by posting the job advert.

Building your HR brand

You need to start out by making preparations internally.

Interviews are more than just an opportunity to find an employee. They are also a means to promote the company itself, although this is often overlooked. That is to say that recruiters and HR managers will often communicate more with potential clients than your sales managers. If your company holds 50 interviews per day, then you will have more than 1, 000 new contacts every month. That's 10, 000 contacts every year! Moreover, these are people that came to your office themselves and are interested in the work you do.

Since they're already there, they may as well learn about what a wonderful company you are, why you're an attractive employer to work for, why your market offering is so incredible and why customers should procure it from you ahead of the rest!

The work of a recruiter is to attract loyal and potential customers, and to establish your employer brand. Employer brands are not created by marketers or copywriters. They are formed on the basis of your efforts day in and day out as you hold interviews. And every employee that is hired contributes to this complex process.

Some companies hold not fifty, but a hundred or even several hundred interviews every day. And the recruiter has to be prepared to present their company in every meeting to ensure the candidate remembers that they were interviewed by their company. The aim is that the candidate and company both have an excellent impression of one another, so the candidate is ready to give his all.

The interview room: make it your home turf

The interview room, the meeting room, call it what you will, is your home turf. It is the pitch on which you play home matches.

Example

One particular client of my agency Business Connection, a bank that is in the top 20 locally, had a problem. Candidates would attend interviews and were considered completely suitable by the recruiter. The bank would make the candidate an offer of work… but the vast majority of these offers were turned down. We were asked to get to the bottom of the situation.

It was impossible to figure out what was going on with just a phone conversation, so I agreed to meet with them at their office. I arrive. I walk in to find a huge open space work area. Almost everyone in there is creating a lot of noise. Someone is eating a hot-dog, someone else is drinking coffee, another employee is yelling into their telephone. I asked my way to the HR department. Over there, comes the response, on the opposite side of the room. So I waled through this bustling, heaving cauldron and reach the HR department and say hello. I'm ready to discuss their issue, if I could just sit down. The girl offers me to «take a seat on that filing cabinet».

I'm taken aback. «You know», she responds, «our bank is growing, every day we have new members of staff, we're opening new offices. We don't have enough space, so you'll have to sit here on that filing cabinet, underneath the palm tree in a metal bucket». Okay, I think to myself, so there's no meeting space but there is enough space for a palm tree. So I sat down on the filing cabinet I was offered and get ready for our discussion. Their recruiter's phone is ringing off the hook and she is constantly being distracted from our meeting. I asked her: «Where do you usually hold interviews?». «Well, we hold them right here» she replies. «On a filing cabinet?», I enquire. «Well, yes, what's wrong with that?»

I didn't need to ask her any more questions. A bank, a fortress of reliability, confidence and stability indeed! How could a candidate possibly want to work here, when the job interview is held while sitting on a filing cabinet on wheels which is constantly moving around underneath you?

So we identified their issue quickly and the situation with their meeting room was soon addressed. Their issue with hiring candidates soon disappeared.

You need to have a dedicated space to hold meetings, a separate meeting room. In a communal space you will simply not get to know a candidate properly. He or she will worry that any passerby could listen in. Psychologically speaking, the candidate will shut up shop. You won't be able to learn what you need to about their salary expectations, for example. It's unrealistic to expect otherwise. The candidate has to feel secure, and bare all to the recruiter, in the same way you would a doctor. Would you go to a dentist in an open space environment? What about if you have a more private ailment?

My colleague from Minsk made a cool meeting room, hanging messages of thanks from the mayor and the president on the walls, along with diplomas and certificates. Candidates were led into the room and left along for a couple of minutes. During this time, what would the candidate do? Read them all carefully, of course. The recruiter was received quite differently as a result.

The walls in your own home can help too.

Do you have a dedicated meeting room? No? Then demand one. It is your tool. As well as a place to calmly make notes and reason upon what you have seen and heard.

Organize the space in the meeting room with a single shared table for you and the candidate to sit around. This is important. A meeting on a soft couch cannot be considered an interview.

Up to 50 % of all HR managers hold interviews «under the palm tree». This is a big no-no.

Sometimes, a company might have a meeting room but recruiters are the last in line to use one, or they might be asked to leave it during the interview itself. This is a matter of building a relationship with the management, as we will discuss further into this book.

Vacancy portrait

So, the sales director runs to the HR manager and cries out:

«I need candidates for sales manager! It's urgent!»

«What kind of sales manager?»

«One with fire in their eyes! What do you mean, don't you know what kind of sales manager we need?»

Does that sound familiar?

If we run off looking for candidates with a brief like that, we might only find one on accident. The techniques we use for candidate search and selection would make no difference whatsoever. A few glasses of whisky can put fire in your eyes, but you can't pour a glass for everyone. So it's the sales director that needs to sober up, and it's the recruiter that has to help him do so.

What does «fire in their eyes» actually mean?

Straight off the bat, this isn't enough information, and secondly it's not something you can quantify. Thirdly, it would certainly be useful if they could do something, aside from having fire in their eyes of course.

Therefore, the job description should be compiled after a detailed discussion during which the HR manager takes on the role of critic. For example, the sales director might say:

«They must have a degree from Moscow State University!»

«Why Moscow State?»

«Intellectuals study there».

«So we need an intellectual sales manager but only if they have a degree from Moscow State?»

«Well, I guess if they're an intellectual then that's sufficient».

«The Institute of Noblewomen also produces perfectly intellectual maidens. So we can accept candidates that have graduated from other uni's, right?»

«You're right, we can».

And so on and so forth, with every different parameter. You need to approach these requirements with a critical eye and weed out anything that's over the top.

We'll discuss the job description later, in the chapter entitled «Searching for Candidates».

Planning and approval of the selection procedure

Lets start with an example Of what not to do

The owner of an IT company from another town got in touch with me. He needed to find a HR director. When I asked him what his requirements were, he told me that his finance director would fill me in when he arrived in Moscow.

The finance director arrived in Moscow. We met and began discussions, at which point we immediately switched to discussion of the strategic tasks facing their business, how the company planned to grow and what personnel they would require further down the line. He didn't even mention their requirements for this role, saying nothing about their motivation, education, gender or age.

After our discussion, it took me precisely three minutes to put five resumes in front of him. As I was already aware, all the candidates were satisfied with their proposed level of remuneration, had the necessary experience and were absolutely ready to come to an interview. The finance director also liked the candidates.

I got in touch with each of the candidates that very same day, and they confirmed their interest. This happened in April. The first meetings with the employers took place in mid-May after the holidays, while the follow-up took place in June and July. The vacancy was only filled at the end of August. My job took me five minutes (and 15 years of industry experience), while the employer needed five months to thrash out the finer points of the role. It is your responsibility to plan out and to approve the selection procedure. The general manager went on holiday, the commercial director's wife had a baby and then the finance director fell sick. Then as soon as they got back, the candidate goes to America for a training course… But none of this should affect the process.

So, we devise the selection procedure.

All procedures should be recorded on paper in as much detail as possible. No amount of charisma, enthusiasm or a proactive attitude will enable you to control the meetings to suit yourself, the candidate and the company. It can only be regulated by a document, something your company must have. What should the document contain? First and foremost, a timeframe. For example, the recruiter that is holding the interview must provide the manager responsible with information on the candidate no later than two hours after the interview. This means that if you're searching for a sales manager then the head of the sales department should be holding a copy of the candidate's resume along with your notes within two hours of the interview (provided, of course, that the candidate is suitable for your organization).

In turn, the head of sales must determine no later than the following day whether or not they intend to meet with the candidate, and provide a rationale for their decision. It only takes a minute to look through a resume and any member of management can find time for this, regardless of how busy they are. This means that within 24 hours of an interview, you will know whether or not you will be moving forward in the selection process with the candidate.

Unfortunately, it sometimes doesn't work out like this. For a few days in a row, the recruiter asks whether the manager responsible has had a chance to review the resume. «Yes I have», comes the response. «And what do you think?». «I haven't decided yet».

This should not happen. You need an answer within a day, a yes or a no.

What if you're an external personnel manager, working for a recruitment agency, and your client isn't interested in following your instructions?

Of course, you couldn't write this in the contract, this is not just a whim but rather a matter of establishing proper communication. You can make a special internal policy document which will not be a part of the contract but will show the serious approach you take to your work.

«So you want to close the vacancy, and yesterday if possible? Do I understand correctly therefore that in this case you're prepared to meet regularly and provide swift feedback? In order to achieve this, we have developed specific standards. Is this acceptable for you?» This will allow you to enlist the necessary support from the client. You can't force the client to follow your regulations, but you can undoubtedly show how important they are and how they help to get the job done.

If a vacancy needs to be closed and closed yesterday, then the writing is on the wall: the employer will certainly not find the time to meet with you during the coming week. Therefore, after the head of sales has told you that «Yes, I'm ready to meet».

it is essential to have the meeting organized within 48 hours. This is an acceptable time-frame. They must find at least 30 minutes for an introductory meeting within two days. The recruiter must participate in this meeting, to understand which questions have been asked, what the right answers are and it is essential to discuss the candidate immediately after the interview and to layout the next steps, for example, to arrange an interview with other members of management. Make a record of all your discussions!

Example

On one occasion, Business Connection was searching for a branch manager to work in the regions. The industry was very specialist, so there were few candidates. The prospective employers arrived to hold interviews with the candidates we had selected for them. We already knew which one they would choose: the fourth one. It was clear, since he was the ideal candidate. The most important thing was that the candidate should want to work for them.

The interview process is complete, they have spoken with each candidate. «Yes, the fourth candidate is the best. We like him». That's great! Everything fits into place. We know that there are no other specialists on the market that could compete with this candidate. «So, he's suitable for you, shall we make him an offer?»

The answer? «Yes, we liked him but let's keep looking».

Have you encountered a situation like this? Rustam Barnokhodzhaev, one of the leading headhunters in Russia, likes to respond to such cases as follows.

– «Give me five minutes, I'll go find a tramp on the street so you can have another look».

– «What do you mean, tramp? Why a tramp?»

– «Well, you said you wanted to keep looking».

– «We want to see professionals!»

– «You just saw the professionals».

They agree, they nod their heads. But they still turn down the candidate.

«Why are you refusing the candidate?»

«Well, you know… we like him, but… he's not exactly right for us. Yes, he has the experience, he knows the industry, but…»

And here they'll start talking out of their hats and will avoid giving a straight answer. What does an average recruiter do in this situation? They agree, since they don't have the willpower to argue their case further.

Okay, they say, we can search for one that has the right colour buttons on their shirt. So what should an outstanding recruiter do? An outstanding recruiter will get to the bottom of why they turned down the candidate for real.

Let's return to the case of the branch manager. I asked them:

– «Colleagues, if you don't tell us the real reason then we won't find you the right candidate, since we don't have a clue what was wrong with the guy that just left».

– «He was wearing brown shoes. Our general director thinks that top-managers should wear only black shoes, no exceptions. But the candidate showed up wearing brown shoes!»

What would an average recruiter do in this case? Search for a top-manager that wears black shoes…

An outstanding recruiter would take a different approach. He would say:

«There aren't any other candidates as good as that guy, but trust me, when he flies to Moscow to interview with the general director, he'll be wearing brown shoes. There's no other option. Otherwise, you won't have any management in that region at all». And that's exactly what I told them. Of course, we closed the vacancy with that ideal candidate.

So you always need to figure out what the problem is, instead of searching for another candidate before you have a proper understanding of why the last one didn't tick all the boxes.

So finally, we reach the general (or finance, or commercial) director. You can allow up to a week for this, but it's better to restrict it to three days. Of course, you'll hear something like this: «The finance director is on holiday, we can't make a decision without his approval».

So when the finance director is away, does everything at the company just grind to a halt? Payments stop arriving on the bank account, salaries go unpaid? Of course not, somehow the world keeps turning.

Who is in charge then, the deputy director? So let the deputy director hold the interview!

In other words, the second vital thing to regulate is the identity of who should reach a decision in the absence of top management. A business shouldn't stall over just one person.

Naturally, if we're considering a new finance director then it would be illogical to make a decision without the general director. But this is an exception. Trade representatives, logistics managers, accountants and secretaries can be appointed by the deputy director.

The maximum time frame within which the candidate should be told about the outcome should be regulated too, for example, within 3 days of the final interview. How is it often put? «We'll be in touch». «If the answer is positive then we'll get back to you». This is awful.

Three days have passed and you don't make a call, because you have nothing to say. The candidate starts to reach out for an answer, but you avoid taking the call. What is the point in all this stress, if it can be avoided?

Each and every employee that might be related to the interview process should have instructions. Step into the shoes of the candidate for a second: he or she has gone through 5 interviews at your company, and upon each occasion they have been asked the same old questions, with a few new ones thrown in for good measure. «What was your sales volume, what were your achievements over the past year, which customers did you work with…» Why waste the management's time in holding the exact same interview with the same candidate? And while this is taking place, the head of the sales department passes the resume to the sales director with the comment: «I like this candidate, have a look». But what did he like? And what didn't he like?

After the interview, the person that held the meeting must write down some comments. The recruiter meanwhile, will write down even more comments. The head of the sales department adds a few lines. The sales director adds a sentence or two, and the general director must add something, a line at least.

Yes, it's all straightforward, logical, helpful and necessary. But it won't work without regulation of this kind.

Not to mention, this regulation can be considered a good way to record the KPI of employees. If you don't pass comment on a resume – that's minus one point. The outcome of which is a reduced bonus. Next month, everyone will follow the regulations!

This kind of regulation should apply to written job offers too. Sometimes the time-frame is dependent upon the security department. Are your security department competent and efficient?

Example

Phone rings:

– «Is that Ilgiz Danilovich? I'm calling from the security department of „Money Tree bank“. Did you have an employee named Kuznetsov?»

– «Yes, we did».

– «Was he a good employee?»

– «He was fine».

– «Thanks!»

Did the security department staff member learn anything useful? Maybe Kuznetsov was the cleaner. Maybe he worked there for 3 months, rather than the three years as stated in the resume? And what is a good employee? Maybe you have a quite different idea of what constitutes a good employee. In this example, the security department staff member worked quickly, but badly.

Why else are instructions needed?

They are useful as a means for training. Your management don't know how to properly hold an interview. They didn't study it, or go on any training courses. They haven't read articles on how to interview correctly. This isn't their field. So, within the company it is you that needs to step up as the interview guru. After all, you're not going to try to coach the logistics manager on which aircraft to order for transport services, are you? They are the professional in that field, and you are the professional in yours. You have to teach your co-workers how to interview correctly. Attend the interview, provide feedback on how the meeting went and not just the candidate. Tell your colleagues which questions they missed, or issues they failed to discuss, or if there was anything you didn't understand. Hold an internal training, and don't spare the horses. This is one of your direct responsibilities, since a properly thought out hiring process will enable the company to select the very best candidate, save time on arranging the hire and your colleagues will feel more confident in holding interviews.

Sometimes it seems that the management has a better understanding of who they want to see join the team. It's quite possible. But that doesn't mean that they're able to hold an interview effectively.

A failure to hold one properly could wind up being the reason that an outstanding candidate slips through the net.

Presentation materials for candidates

They are essential. Corporate magazines, booklets, interviews with employees, articles about the internal code of conduct, company presentations and an address by the management to potential employees will give candidates an inside line on the company. Place these materials in the meeting room and don't forget to give the interviewee a magazine at the end of your meeting.

This serves to shape your company's brand. Trade branding and a company's brand as an employer are completely different things. For example: Coca-cola is the most valuable brand in the world, however as a employer the company holds an entirely different position. It's a challenging place to work and few actively want to work there. HR-branding is shaped through the interaction with candidates. The recruiter conveys the values, ideas and concepts.

The ideal situation, is when the head of sales, for example, reaches out to a specific group of candidates:

«Dear all, my name is Vasily Stepanovich and I have been working here for 3 years. During this time, my team has grown in size from three to thirty and now I need another five fighters that will be just as strong workers as we already have here. I am looking for a sales manager for „Mega-Firm“ to work on my team, that will soon realize how wonderful it is to work here. Come visit us, I will have a chat with you after you have spoken to our personnel manager».

Example

A retail chain that is well-known in Moscow has opened its doors in Novosibirsk. It didn't have a particularly strong employer brand, but in Novosibirsk no-one had even heard of it. When opening a Hypermarket, it goes without saying that the company will need management staff and their deputies. So how did the management proceed? They created a presentation entitled: «We are your dream team! We can offer any director that strives for career-growth and professional development a space of 50,000 sq. m!»

Next, they indicated the names and telephone numbers of the exact people that will hold the interviews.

They didn't refer to their overall floor-space, volumes, dimensions and growth, they instead reached out to the people they were targeting as future managers of their company.

If the candidate was in any doubt about whether to attend the interview, they were sent a copy of the presentation. A few minutes later, the candidate came back with a positive response.

We very quickly generated a large and exceptional pool of candidates. The majority of them were highly-qualified and earned more than this company were offering, but the candidates were willing to lower their salary expectations because they liked the company's relations.

Every single candidate wanted to work for this company even before they had met with their potential employers! This is a perfect example of excellent employer branding.

Searching for candidates

If you can create a detailed vacancy then it will be much more straightforward to write the job advertisement.

How to write job ads

«Due to an expansion, a young, dynamic and actively-developing company is looking for men and women with highschool education and preferably without bad habits. High salaries, upon negotiation».

You really couldn't think of anything worse, yet job ads like these can be found plastered on websites and newspapers!

Job ads serve to sell both the vacancy and you as the employer. There is one very simple way to attract more attention to even the most run-of-the-mill job ad. All you have to do is add one piece of information and everyone will react to your text.

If the date is April 15th 2016, then you should write:

«The closing date for submitting your resume for this vacancy is April 25th 2016».

This simple phrase is effective for two reasons. Firstly, the candidate can see the clarity, certainty and confidence of the employer in what their need is.

Secondly, people play the role of candidate, by being successful, brilliant and highly-productive, during the interview. They are there to sell themselves. The rest of the time, even when they're reading the job-ads in the paper, they're just ordinary people. When they're driving along and hear a job ad over the radio, they're just an ordinary person and not a candidate. People do not focus on achieving success, but avoiding failure. That's how we're set up. Especially in Russia. Psychologists know this well. Therefore, when you note the last day for submissions, you're telling someone: «Buddy, if you don't send your resume before the deadline then you're a loser». And so he will send it just to avoid being a loser. Avoiding failure is a far better motivator than achieving success.

So write this phrase on popular job sites like hh.ru or superjob, on social networks and on your website – everywhere that you post the job ad. Try experimenting over the next 72 hours and you will see the difference in the number of clickthrough's, even if the content of the job ad is otherwise the same as usual.

But what if you haven't generated the required number of quality resumes by April 25th?

Just change the date to May 5th, that's perfectly fine. The job ad will be seen by people that haven't read it before that will respond just the same way. Recruiters are often of the opinion that candidates are always on the lookout, just as they are. This isn't the case. Even if 10 % of the candidates notice the new date, it's no skin of their noses.

Creative job ads

How did the great Gogol write his masterpiece, when he was lacking inspiration? Through sheer willpower, he forced himself to sit down and get to work. Inspiration came to him throughout the process. This also applies to you, if you're lacking creative ideas for writing a job ad then the best thing to do is write something, anything.

The famous Brian Tracy, the management guru and author of around 50 books, said at his masterclass: «If you need to think something through, write some kind of plan, do something creative or write down your thoughts, don't use a computer or tablet etc. Take a regular piece of paper and a pen and start writing. You will have far more interesting ideas. You need to think with your hand, your pen, you need to think in written form. You can transfer it to the computer later».

So, what can a creative job ad feature, and what should be avoided?

Firstly, you shouldn't lie. The job ad should reflect reality completely. You can exaggerate, downplay or embellish, but you mustn't deceive. With this in mind, it is essential to make intelligent use of what you place the emphasis on.

Secondly, never belittle the competitors of the employers.

Do you remember when the first IKEA store was opened? A large number of personnel had to be found immediately, but the salary offered was lower than the market-rate. Nevertheless, they were able to complete the assignment. How? They placed the emphasis on the candidates. They wrote:

«We're looking for a head of plates!» Specifically «the head of», and the job ad was humorous, unusual and interesting throughout. People will submit their resume for a vacancy like this out of curiosity alone.

Example from the restaurant business

In the restaurant business, as a rule, turnover of waiters and waitresses is very high. They come and go, and there is always a shortage. They are always in demand and they are hired on the spot. «Do you have a sanitary certificate? Are you ready to start? Go get changed and away you go».

Job ads frequently look something like this: «Urgent, we need a hundred people and we need them yesterday!» This creates a bad first impression on candidates, creating a disinterested attitude to work in advance.

The famous Goodman restaurant chain took a quite different approach.

Their waiters and waitresses work there for years. How id the management manage to achieve such a feat?

Part of their approaches was the use of smart job ads.

A few years ago, when the Goodman restaurant chain was actively expanding, they needed to find a large number of waiters on a very tight schedule.

And not just your average candidate that was looking for some temporary and casual work, but result-driven and self-confident candidates looking for a long-term job. A case of quality over quantity.

They accepted people with and without experience.

Goodman posted the following large and bright ads in advance:

«No vacancies. To get on the waiting list call 123-45-67»

This was technically true, at that time there were no vacancies. However, there soon would be, and in great quantity.

So what happens when a waiter, who is used to seeing job ads along the lines of «Waiter urgently needed. Competitive salary» and «Waiters needed yesterday for a restaurant» and then suddenly they see a job ad which says «No vacancies»? They ask themselves: «how can that be?» But they're intrigued about the chain and what on earth is going on. So this considered, worthy and unusual approach leads them to write a letter or call, to which the reply is:

«Your resume is on our waiting list, thank you».

A short-while later, when the chain plans to open a new restaurant and many new staff are needed, the recruiters call around the candidates:

«We finally have a vacancy for you and would like to invite you to meet us».

So the waiter pulls off the uniform of some other restaurant and joyously heads over to the interview. After all, good things come to those wait! He passes the interview and is hired! The waiter starts work, a job he values more than any of his previous jobs. As a result, Goodman has a wonderful waiter, and the individual has a first-rate job.

People are always telling me: «this approach wouldn't work for us, because…» And then I always remember my travels around Russia for training courses and discussions of interesting new ideas. In Ulan Ude they said this approach would only work in Irkutsk, since it wouldn't work in Ulan Ude because it's such a small town. In Irkutsk they sighed: our city is such a depressed little place (why does everyone think their city is depressed!), nothing can work here, if only we were in Novosibirsk! In Novosibirsk they gaze longingly at Moscow, opining that you can only employ such creative job ads in the capital.

But this approach works everywhere. It's no surprise that until something won't work until you actually try. What have you got to lose? Nothing!

To make a creative job ad, you need to figure out what the key features of your vacancy are, how best to describe that in words and to then put those words together.

For example, you have a vacancy for a kitchenware sales manager in Moscow. What words would we write down?

1. Retail

2. Restaurants

3. Retail B2C

4. Wholesale

5. Sales plan

6. Office in central Moscow

7. Young line manager

8. Ability to work independently

9. Arranging meetings

10. No subordinates

11. Salary 50, 000 rubles plus commission

12. Office three minutes walk from M. Shabolovskaya

13. Company is in top-5 rating for the industry

14. Company has been on the market for 200 years

15. Corporate events

16. Private medical insurance

17. Ergonomic workstation

18. Officially shown salary

19. Free lunches

20. Licensed computer OS

21. Working with the best restaurants in Moscow

22. Working with the best chefs

23. 15 people working in Russian office

24. Company known by everyone on the market

25. Knowledge of English language

26. Show-room in the office

27. Business trips to Europe etc.

There are 27 points in this list, you should write no less than 35 and preferably 40. If you prepare the foundations, it will be easier to construct a creative message, since these are the words you will combine to form your ad.

Next you need to understand the nature of the candidate for this position. Next, you convey to them via the ad just what it is that your company can offer them.

If we write a traditional ad, it will look something like this:

«Looking for a client relations manager for HoReCa segment. Duties include:

– Meeting clients

– Completing sales plan

– Preparing commercial offers

– High salary, subject to negotiation».

Does that look attractive? Not particularly…

What can you create using the list of words that you put together? Something like this:

«Would you like to interact with professionals of the restaurant business? Be on first-name terms with the chefs and managers of the best restaurants in Moscow? Whilst working for the largest glass kitchenware producer in the world? Have the chance to interact with management everyday, and not just once a year at the corporate end of year party?

No more days stuck in the office, you can visit the best restaurants and not spend anything, in fact you'll be earning money! We offer the successful candidate an officially shown salary of 50, 000 rubles and a monthly bonus for meeting KPI. You can communicate and share experience with your colleagues around the world. Is this the vacancy you've been searching for? Then send your resume by email right now…!»

Can you spot any difference? Which job ad would you respond to? The vacancy itself is one and the same…

I'd like to share my experience of searching for our colleagues: recruiters.

Who usually works as recruiters? Girls younger than 30 years old. I call them «22+». «22+» girls often show up without or with only minimal experience, frequently with a degree in psychology. For some reason, they think that it's cool to be a recruiter.

What's important for «22+» girls? Interaction? Meeting interesting men?

After a moment's thought, I posted a Facebook status:

«Girls, evening is falling. Are you bored? I can teach you to meet affluent men, and immediately learn their marital status and actual income level, and get their mobile phone number. Top-managers will call you and beg for a meeting. What were you thinking? That's right, Business Connection is inviting recruiters to join the team. Get in touch».

Next to this was a photo of billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. Attractive, creative and effective! It worked instantly.

You can use this approach for other vacancies too, for example:

«Can you put together and take apart a car with your eyes closed? Then our vacancy for a mechanic is perfect for you!»

Interested parties will think: «Oh, I didn't think of that approach, I should go and see them. If they need serious and experienced people then I guess they must have something to say for themselves».

Example

One visitor to my seminar told me a story:

«I needed to find an actor that didn't have any acting experience. So it was a waste of time to search for one through the regular databases. I posted the following job ad: „Needed – one rugged man between 30 and 40 years old, 3 would be even better, to shoot an advertisement. Money and fame guaranteed“. There were 10 click-throughs within an hour and a half».

Important: you can't make a creative job ad if you don't understand the specifics of your vacancy and the people you want to respond to it.

Example

Problem: a company can't find regular sales managers in Vladivostok and reaches out for advice. The following conversation takes place:

– «There's no such thing as a „regular“ sales manager, there's always some kind of quality that characterizes your company and the vacancy. What do your company do?»

– «We sell large bottles of water, 19 liters. Lots of companies sell them, there's nothing unique about it…»

– «Maybe you make salary payments not twice a month, but 3 times? Or maybe it's not cash in hand, nor officially shown but rather fixed in a foreign currency?» – «Yes, we have a completely average approach on that, but we still can't find people».

– «Where is your office, in the centre?»

– «On the outskirts. Well, to tell you the truth, it's out of town. We can't afford to rent in the centre. We're in a high rise out of town office block, on the top floor. To be honest, the lift doesn't always work».

– «Do you have a good view?»

– «You can see the ocean».

– «Do other offices in town have an ocean view?»

– «No».

– «Good. Maybe you have a short working day?»

– «No chance, we work around the clock. We come in early in the morning and don't leave til it's dark outside».

5 minutes later the job ad is ready:

«Do you want to see in sunrise and sunset looking out onto the ocean from your office window? Our office is the only place in the city that's possible».

Afterwards, the working conditions and candidate requirements were listed.

It worked.

The capital has its own characteristics too. Muscovites, by which I mean people who have lived in the capital for five years or more, don't usually like work that involves traveling around the city. So how can you make a job ad that will deliver?