I’m a total fantasy sports nerd, and football drafting season is upon us. For those unfamiliar with it, fantasy football is an online game where users draft football players onto their virtual “fantasy team” and compete weekly with other users in the league. Each player accrues points for your team based on their real-life statistics like touchdowns, pass yards, rush yards, etc.
In addition to being a fun hobby, fantasy football draws parallels to the recruiting world, such as:
Get the #1 pick:
Just as in the fantasy football world, where everyone vies for top players like Tom Brady on draft day, recruiters all want the cream of the crop candidates. According to OfficeVibe.com, the best candidates are gone within the first 10 days of entering the market. “Drafting” the best talent is critical to a recruiter’s success, so how do you ensure you snag that #1 draft pick? You need a good strategy to reach those prospects quickly and keep them from seeking out other recruiters. A good strategy might include things like speeding up your pipeline, using LinkedIn and other social media effectively, setting up a creative referral program, and “branding” yourself/your firm to candidates.
Look beyond the numbers:
In fantasy football, players are given ranking numbers, based on their statistics. But good fantasy football players know that sometimes things like a player’s ability to play multiple positions trumps good numbers on one single statistic category. Similarly, a candidate’s resume doesn’t give you the whole story — and, according to HireRight, 85% of applicants lie on their resumes. Candidates’ personalities, work ethic, and attitude are a huge factor in hiring. Like football players must get along with their teammates, candidates must be able to fit into a company’s culture and work with the existing team there. Whether you use a personality test, call or Skype with them to learn more about their motivations, troll their social media to see their public persona, or meet face-to-face, it’s important to get the full picture and not just depend on a resume.
There’s no “I” in “team”:
Just because I have Tom Brady on my fantasy football team doesn’t guarantee that I’m going to win. In fact, sometimes it can work against you in certain leagues that use an “auction” format where you have to spend lots of “money” to get elite players, and in turn, the rest of your team suffers. It’s important to be well-balanced and well-rounded, just like in recruiting. Oftentimes, joining a recruitment network can put other recruiters on your team that can help your candidates or clients in different geographies or industries that you may not specialize in. In addition to making splits you otherwise might not have been able to make, trading partners often share valuable insights and knowledge.
Do you play fantasy sports? If not, it might be time to sign up and get some recruiting lessons!
