Today’s guest blogger is John Francis, info@theonera.com, president and senior managing partner of Theonera, Inc. in Waterloo, Ontario (Canada). Theonera is a boutique recruitment firm specializing in engineering and software professionals and sought-after senior managers. Theonera has been a member of NPAworldwide since 2011.
Here is a major problem for any company today: A company’s success or failure rests on the people that they employ. But securing and cultivating employees that add real value to your business is no easy task. In today’s job market you have low unemployment numbers and potential employees who are extremely discerning. Complicating things further is the fact that people are, by nature, ever evolving and dynamic entities and are difficult to truly understand. No wonder companies find it challenging to hire quality employees and it’s no wonder they are in an anxious position when it comes to their hiring needs and growth plans.
So, what to do if I am a CEO of a growing company and need to hire excellent talent to ensure success? Well lately there has been an onslaught of Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms that claim, with their unique algorithm, that you will be able to safely determine the success or failure of your next hire. My twenty-five years of recruitment experience tells me that you shouldn’t be fooled by this simplistic claim to such a complex problem.
I understand the pressures to get the hiring process right. But to apply and rely on a logical algorithm to understand the complexity of people and to expect success is a fool’s game. Here is a truism: People are continually changing, we are dynamic creatures with multiple layers of intricacies. Any attempt at understanding the true essence of a person, an understanding that aims to provide certainty, is never possible.
All is not hopeless though. Twenty-five years of toil has told me one thing: you need to invest in the time needed to get the hiring done right. There are no shortcuts. AI is not the elixir some would like to proclaim nor are job sites that proclaim bountiful qualified candidates at the click of a mouse the answer either. The adage remains true, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is.
Success lies with CEOs empowering their managers and providing them with the proper amount of time and resources to hire the right person. Hiring must be a collaborative, team effort. You will need to do your due diligence, trust your professional instincts and not rush the process.
The reality of running a business is that there will be times when your management team is stretched and partnering with a professional firm can be a very beneficial arrangement but make sure that any relationship is a true business partnership. Don’t be hoodwinked into any quick-fix sales promises; rather, seek the innovative partner as they will unearth quality candidates.
In a nutshell, companies must invest the time needed to bring the best people into their company. However you decide to proceed, be it through internal management handling the process or outsourcing your needs to a professional firm, there simply are no easy steps in the hiring process. Remember, people are complex and take time to understand. Your company’s success is worth it.
Spot on John. There’s one thing AI can’t determine – motivation! A great candidate on paper might be a disaster in a job if their motivation has gone. Conversely, someone like a mother returning to the workplace with no skills or recent track record would never get hired by an AI system, but their motivation could make them an excellent prospect! Computers are brilliant at analysing facts, but feelings, not so much.