Believe it or not, the recent recession has had its advantages. A significant one is the big increase in the availability of talented executives.
The question is: Are you missing out on these top executives because of reorganization and/or belt tightening?
“Take advantage of this opportunity to market your company to prospective executive candidates,” says M.J. Helms, director of operations for The Ashton Group. “No one can really predict how long the economy will stay soft. Now is the time to rethink your corporate strategy, restructure your business and possibly hire a few leaders to move your business forward.
To do this, says Helms, first examine the current leadership in your company. Then, if you are short on talent from within, do an external search.
Smart Business spoke with Helms about hiring in today’s economy and why the time is right to find your future leaders.
How can a company bolster its recruiting process?
Planning for the future is key. There is a strong possibility you may want to rehire some of your downsized employees, now that the recession (seemingly) has passed. However, how you treated those employees when you let them go will no doubt play a role in their decision to come back to your company. One example of a good way to let someone go would be to offer that person solid outplacement services.
Your company’s reputation is at stake and how you handle this will be watched closely by employees and future potential candidates.
What are some of the ways to properly handle this?
Branding your company is one of the steps that you can take to help in the recruiting process. Create the image of your company as a great place to work. Employment branding is important, so take advantage of social networking opportunities like setting up free professional pages on both LinkedIn and Facebook. On LinkedIn, it is important to also make as many professional contacts and recommendations as possible.
Also, consider setting up your own company blog that offers professional advice in your industry. This will create a link that routes back to your company name in search engines. You may want to consider a press release when a new product is launched, as well. Publish articles about your company’s successes in trade magazines. Engage your company with top executive recruiters who have the experience and contacts to attract the right candidate for your company.
Recruiting for talented executives can take from three to six months in some cases for certain professionals, such as top information technology and software executives, so don’t wait too long to begin your search.
