Master your next move: Insights from a corporate recruiting leader

It was 2013 when I was having one of my hectic, too-much-to-do, and not-enough-time days as a newly promoted recruiting leader. Together with my team, we filled thousands of jobs every year.

And, as I was walking into my boss’s office (I’m a really fast walker, even in heels) one of my colleagues said, “Are you running to another hiring emergency?”

She was a friend so I laughed, but honestly? It bugged me.

In those days, it wasn’t uncommon for an executive or manager to come by my office with their “hiring emergency.”

It could be…

… their budget for a new position was finally approved

… they were falling behind on a project and the hiring wasn’t happening fast enough

… they were just handed a new, high-priority initiative and they needed people yesterday.

I took their needs and my job seriously so I did my best to accommodate their sense of urgency.

✔️ I would rearrange job requisitions so they could have a recruiter spending more time on their role,

✔️ I’d schedule an emergency meeting to figure out why things weren’t moving fast enough or,

✔️ I’d drop the project I was working on and look into the applicant tracking system to figure things out myself.

It was in the middle of one of those moments that I realized that I was part of the problem.

I was acting more like an anxious mom than a skilled practitioner.

I had a great team who worked hard. And, we had some success, but the emergencies kept coming. And, we were all tired.

I knew it was up to me to make the necessary changes to help my team be successful and help the executives and managers feel confident in our ability to deliver.

I had to change the way I was working the problem.

The answer? I created a framework.

Within the framework were repeatable processes and simple systems. Instead of working each hiring need as a unique problem, I implemented the framework across my team so they could be used by everyone and I could make sure it worked!

You’re probably familiar with the saying, you can’t manage what you can’t measure.

And, by structuring our work into processes and simple systems that were repeatable, scalable, and measurable, it made it easy to figure out what we should keep doing and what we should stop doing.

You may be wondering how I know it worked…

👍🏼 First, people noticed. Executives and managers started giving us compliments instead of criticisms.

👍🏼 Second, I used the data we got from our framework to inform recruiting decisions. This helped anxious hiring managers have confidence in our ability to recruit. Their requests for external recruiting help and our need for it diminished dramatically, which saved a lot of money and the reputation of the team improved as their skills and capabilities did.

👍🏼 Third, I’ve used this same framework of processes and simple systems to hire for years across multiple industries.

I’ve since taken what helped me and my teams successfully hire thousands of people and created a simple, repeatable framework.

The clear path forward gives my clients peace of mind.

I’m telling you this story because as a business leader, you’re no stranger to high-stakes situations and time-sensitive decisions.

But have you applied this same level of strategic thinking to your job search?

1️⃣ Create Your Own Job Search Framework

Just as I developed a framework to streamline recruiting processes, you can create a personalized job search framework. This approach will help you move beyond the typical “spray and pray” or networking until the cows come home.

👉🏼 👉🏼 External Action Step: Develop a systematic approach to your job search, including daily tasks, weekly goals, and monthly objectives.

🌟 Internal Win: Celebrate taking action –regardless of the outcomes – because this is what you can control.

2️⃣ Implement Simple Systems for Maximum Efficiency

You’re used to juggling multiple priorities. By implementing simple systems in your job search, you can ensure consistency and save valuable time because you know what’s working and what isn’t.

👉🏼 👉🏼 External Action Step: Create easy-to-customize templates for outreach emails, follow-ups, and thank-you notes.

🌟 Internal Win: Close the loop in your brain when you want to say something meaningful with ease.

3️⃣ Leverage Data to Inform Your Strategy

Just as data-driven decisions improved our recruiting outcomes, you can use data to refine your job search strategy.

👉🏼 👉🏼 External Action Step: Track metrics such as response rates to different types of outreach, success rates of various networking methods, and the ROI of your time spent on different job search activities. Use this data to continuously improve your approach.

🌟 Internal Win: You won’t be wondering what works at your level.

4️⃣ Position Yourself as a Solution to “Hiring Emergencies”

Companies often have urgent needs. By positioning yourself as the solution to these “hiring emergencies,” you can create opportunities that didn’t previously exist.

👉🏼 👉🏼 Action Step: Research target companies and identify potential pain points or growth areas. Craft your outreach messages to directly address these needs, showcasing how you can provide immediate value.

🌟 Internal Win: You aren’t solely relying on reactive methods (referrals and posted jobs). Celebrate your creativity because you translated your skillset – you’re the aspirin, not the vitamin.

I want to remind you that you aren’t just searching for a job – you’re strategically positioning yourself as the solution to a company’s most pressing needs – and building a career you love.


Think a friend would benefit from Career Moves? Share here!

Refine your interview skills with these proven strategies!

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *