Yesterday, we took a look at the advantages of playing hardball: timing our proactive outreach around periods of organizational uncertainty at our talent competitors. But…what goes around, comes around. We need be prepared to effectively recruit during periods of instability within our own organizations (and protect our best talent from the poachers that will inevitably come calling).How do we reassure candidates who are anxious about destabilizing events in our organizations? It’s a tough question, but the good news is that the science of reputation management offers some answers. Most importantly: don’t “remain silent” and don’t make promises that you might not be able to keep. Because silence leads to negative speculation, recruiters need to proactively address these concerns with candidates. (Even if candidates don’t voice their anxiety, they’re feeling it.) These are tough conversations to manage, but creating a simple position brief for recruiters can make a big difference.
The position brief can be, well, brief – and simple: just a handful of bullets to help recruiters contextualize the “destabilizing event” and respond to candidate concerns. Your recruiters will thank you – and your candidates will be less likely to leave you.
Posts
