You may not be able to match the search giant on either budget or branding–but you can steal its tricks for snagging top talent.
With its free meals, company ski trips, and sky-high brand recognition, Google is a magnet for top talent. Your little start-up or small business…not so much. Plus, Sergey Brin & Co. have the deep pockets to employ the finest recruiters. You’re still counting pennies and sifting through resumes yourself. It may not seem like a fair fight, but Michael B. Junge, a recruiter for Google and author of Purple Squirrel, is aiming to level the playing field a bit. He trolled through his long experience working with top companies to offer Inc. a handful of recruiting tips tailored to smaller businesses seeking to hire the best and the brightest:
Recognise the inherent strengths of the amateur. “Non-pros make plenty of resume reading and interview mistakes, but they can do some interesting things right as well,” says Junge. “Veteran recruiters often get stuck searching for the perfect profile, while the inexperienced are more likely to take action on candidates who don’t fully meet the predefined requirements. Resumes are an imperfect reflection of the people they represent. An off-center candidate can turn out to be a fantastic find, and on-paper perfection doesn’t always translate into a real world fit. Sometimes the only way to figure it all out is take the initiative and have a conversation.” Small business owners have the flexibility to listen to their gut and take a leap.
Be a language detective. It’s easy to type out an impressive resume, but can a candidate really do what he claims he can? “An experienced eye is far more likely to pick up on the subtle signs of incongruence,” says Junge. “Pros are also more likely to recognize language-based clues that may help to predict the performance of a particular applicant.” So how can you acquire these advanced resume evaluation skills? Junge reveals one of the pros’ techniques:
…to read this article in full, visit leading US small business resource, Inc.
