What Your Legal Recruitment Program Should Do In A Changing Economy

Should your recruitment program differ between good and bad economic times?

A Short Quiz:

True or False…
In slower economic times, hiring authorities should alter their strategies when evaluating candidates for available openings.

True or False…
During a slower economy, hiring firms/companies should limit their search efforts to internet job boards/postings because they will be able to hire from the “pick of the litter” in a candidate-saturated marketplace.

True or False…
Candidates in the marketplace disregard an employer’s past layoffs because when they need a job, they need a job and will take anything.

If you chose “FALSE” for all three statements, you are correct. When the economy is slower, employers tend to be more cautious and selective in their hiring procedures. That’s just smart business. However, as legal employers, you understand that as the recession winds down, you will be back in the market to aggressively hire top talent once again. How you handle your recruitment functions now will have a strong impact on how you are perceived by candidates in the marketplace when the economy shifts into full gear.

Whether in booming economic times or slow ones, employers must always be looking toward the future in terms of their recruiting efforts and processes. You should always be working on recruitment even when your firm is fully staffed. Even when you are not looking to hire immediately, keep your options open when presented with an exceptional candidate. The message you send to the lateral market needs to be clear: “We are always seeking to hire top talent,” notwithstanding a recession.

Employers must understand that the best talent is generally snapped up immediately, regardless of economic conditions. In order to compete, hiring firms must have a streamlined, organized hiring process in place. Decisiveness is absolutely imperative. For some reason, the sense of urgency in hiring seems to be lost by some employers in a slower economic market. This is a tactical error on the part of these employers. As a result, the most talented employees, whether they are active or passive job seekers, will be disenchanted with these indecisive employers and will take their respective skill sets elsewhere.

Employers also get into trouble when they “over-analyze” or spend an inordinate amount of time screening candidate resumes, thereby failing to make prompt decisions on available top talent. Perhaps these employers feel there are better prospects who might come along. However, what appears to be a “candidate-saturated” market is somewhat misleading. Regardless of the number of unemployed candidates out there, the best talent will always be hired quickly and, if you don’t act on that talent, your direct competitor will be the winner in the talent game. This is no different than the reality of hiring in a boom market.

Not only will an indecisive employer lose the top candidates today, but dragging their heels now could have a devastating effect on their future recruitment efforts. As the economy begins to turn around, not only will candidates be wary of firms who had highly publicized layoffs during the recession, but they will be additionally concerned about employers who were hesitant about hiring decisions during these times. They see this behavior as indicative of the firm’s overall hiring strategy. This is a major negative to candidates and, as a result, the indecisive employers will lose out on top candidates both today and in the future.

Our Recommendations for Recruitment Plan and Procedures — both now and during stronger economic times:

• You must have a swift resume screening process. If you like what you see, act on the resume as soon as possible.
• Create job descriptions which are clear, concise and which discuss not only features of a job opening and skills desired, but also the benefits of working for your organization. Benefits means more than standard benefits like medical and dental insurance. Outline what makes your organization unique and consider why highly skilled candidates would want to work for you versus other employers in the marketplace.
• Be flexible. Notwithstanding the need for specific job descriptions, treat them as flexible. Consider your job specifications as a “wish list.” If you find a phenomenal candidate who meets most of the requirements, don’t simply discount the candidate because every single skill prerequisite isn’t met. Think globally about how the candidate’s overall skill set could benefit your organization. Rigidity in your screening process could prove costly. You want to be known in the employment marketplace as a “smart” hiring firm who sees the “big picture.” And, remember, you also need to find a candidate who is the right cultural fit for your firm. Even if the candidate meets all substantive qualifications, in order to be a successful hire, the candidate must “fit in.”
• Diversify your search efforts. Don’t simply limit your search activities to the Internet. There are a host of limitations in using this medium as your sole source for candidates. You will attract mostly non-qualified candidates and will need to spend countless hours reviewing resumes in the hope of finding a limited number of potentially qualified applicants. Keep in mind that as a general rule of thumb, passive job seekers will be stronger candidates than active job seekers. Passive job seekers are generally not spending time on Internet job board postings or advertisements.
• Strengthen your alliances with legal search consultants since these professionals not only have access to the top talent, they are also privy to intelligence in the employment marketplace. Candidates discuss their concerns and fears about specific employers with their recruiters every day. Ask your outside search consultant, “How is my organization perceived in the employment landscape” and be prepared for honest feedback. Legal search consultants are a great source of exceptional candidates and helpful information for your recruitment efforts. In addition, by maintaining strong ties with your search consultants, you can share your organization’s plans for growth and hiring strategies. This information will be passed on to the candidates with whom the search consultants work. This is an incredible marketing tool for you, as employers. The stronger the ties with your outside recruiters, the stronger your positive message can be conveyed in the lateral marketplace. This is especially important if your organization has endured layoffs and you need to revitalize your reputation to candidates as the economy begins to improve.

Economists are very optimistic about continued economic recovery in 2004. With these positive indicators, employers will be focusing more on filling the gaps in personnel that have been created over the last few “leaner” years. As a result, competition for the best talent will continue to increase. Will you be prepared for the competition?