Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
I recently published an article on the importance of recruiting strategy meetings. If you haven’t seen it, I hope you’ll check it out. These meetings allow the recruiter and hiring manager to talk about the open position and discuss the strategy for filling it.
A recruiting strategy meeting doesn’t have to be long, but it should be thorough. Over time, I’ve put together a list of questions that can be used for the meeting and thought I would share it today. The questions are divided into sections. You can use this list as a confirmation that you’re focused on the right things. And it could also be a good refresher of questions you might want to add.
Oh, and before you glance at this list and say, “OMGosh, how am I going to find time to ask all these questions?! And hiring managers aren’t going to answer all these questions!”, the point isn’t to ask every question. Some of the questions might not apply to a job. But there could be some questions that aren’t being discussed … and they should be.
Position
- Is the position new or a replacement (i.e. resignation/termination)? If this is a replacement position, why did the employee leave?
- Who does this position report to (i.e., organizational chart)?
- Are there any dotted-line responsibilities?
- How many direct reports (if any) does this position have?
- Does the job description need to be updated?
- Are there any safety or work environment considerations that need to be addressed?
- Does the role have global responsibilities?
- How soon do you want someone to start? Do you need a temp/freelancer in the interim? Is there a budget for it?
- What is the salary budget for this position? Is relocation an option? Is a signing bonus an option?
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
- Describe someone who has been successful in this position.
- How much experience does the candidate need?
- What are 3 daily work skills that require proficiency on Day One?
- List of must-haves technical and people skills.
- Does this position require a degree, licensing, security clearances, or special certifications?
- Is industry experience a requirement? If so, how much?
A Day in the Life
- What projects (specifically) would they work on?
- What does the first 30/60/90 days look like for this position?
- Will this position have any challenges to deal with, especially in the first 30/60/90 days?
- Is there a specific location this position will be based? Is remote or hybrid work an option?
- What are the hours for this position? Is flexible scheduling an option?
- Is travel expected in this position? If so, how much?
- What is the department culture / office environment like?
- How do you expect this employee to work with you (i.e. manager’s style)?
Motivators
- What are some of the reasons the person will love the job?
- What’s the worst thing about this job?
- What types of business challenges would this position be tasked with solving?
Sourcing Strategy
- Is there a possibility to promote someone on the team?
- Is there a qualified internal candidate?
- Is there someone who could be qualified with some training?
- Where have we successfully sourced candidates in the past?
- Have you reviewed prior applicants / candidates?
- Are there any websites that you feel we should post this position on?
- Are there any groups or associations that might be good for sourcing?
- Are there any companies / competitors that the ideal candidate may work for?
- Would a temp-to-perm option possible?
- Is this a confidential search?
Interview Process
- Who should be added to the communication list moving forward?
- Who will be a part of the interview process (i.e. the hiring team)?
- What is your availability for interviews? What is the availability of other panel interview members?
- Does anyone on the hiring team need interview skills training (or a refresher)?
- What are 2-3 screening interview questions that should be asked?
Future Opportunities
- Is your team ready to train this person?
- What’s the 30/60/90-day training plan for this hire?
- What’s the career path/growth potential for this role?
- Will mentoring / coaching opportunities be available?
- What does the success profile / KPIs look like at 90-days, 6 months, and 1 year?
- What is the career path for this position in 5 years?
This is by no means an exhaustive list for your recruiting strategy meetings, but hopefully it can help get the right conversation started. You could also use a list like this as creative inspiration to develop your own. Give it to hiring managers so they can come to meetings prepared to discuss. It can help them think about the whole picture and provide good answers.
I know we’re also seeing the same headlines about unemployment being up and the labor market cooling a bit. Even if this is true, it doesn’t mean that organizations aren’t hiring. In fact, this type of labor market can put additional pressure on recruiters and hiring managers to focus on quality of hire. Recruiting strategy meetings are focused on the same thing … an effective and efficient process that identifies the best employees.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of New Orleans, LA
