Not only do we offer Performance-based Hiring training for hiring managers and recruiters, it also forms the core of our executive search practice. In fact, we just introduced our first-ever shared search program embedding executive search and recruiter and hiring manager training as part of the search process. This is a great way to demonstrate to hiring managers and company executives their critical role in hiring the strongest passive candidates.  

Whether you use our firm, or any external search firm for that matter, it’s important that the recruiter understands the job, can find and attract the best candidates, can accurately assess candidates, and can recruit and close these candidates. More important, the firm should have a track record of maximizing quality of hire. This is what our recruiter and hiring manager training is all about. Even better: selecting us to conduct a search is a great way to demonstrate the impact Performance-based Hiring can have on improving quality of hire and getting hiring managers fully-involved in the process of hiring top people.

If you’d like to engage with us on a search, expect things to be different. For one thing, we start the partnership before we start looking. It covers the following:

The Performance-based Hiring Recruiter and Hiring Manager Partnership

• Clarify Expectations by Understanding the Real Job. Before beginning any search, we prepare a performance profile describing what the person taking the job would need to accomplish in order to be considered a top performer. This is not the job description! If the real job isn’t defined before you start looking, the candidate will be judged on subjective or invalid criteria. Here’s an article on why this is so important. As a way to introduce potential clients to our search process, we prepare a preliminary performance profile with the hiring manager. There’s no obligation for this, so don’t hesitate This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you’d like to get a hiring manager’s reaction to the Performance-based Hiring process.
• Understand the Candidate as a Means to Develop a Unique Sourcing Plan. To attract great people you need to understand what’s motivating them to consider your opportunity, find out the best way to contact and attract them, and then engage them in a career-based conversation. Good planning is at the heart of good sourcing. For us it’s a formal process including the identification of potential networks, groups, and niche sites. Part of this is creating a series of advertising messages that can be used in emails, voice mails, and to replace traditional job description oriented postings.    
• Build the Candidate Pool. This is where real recruiting takes place. It’s not about finding people who are looking for lateral moves; it’s about convincing people to view your opening as a career opportunity. To do this we develop deep networks, get dozens of people engaged in career conversations, qualify these people, and move them from “no” to “maybe” to “yes” in short order. We expect hiring managers to participate in this phase conducting preliminary exploratory phone calls with high-potential prospects.
• Conduct a formal screening and assessment process. Over the years we’ve developed a unique two-question performance-based interview system and 10-Factor Talent Scorecard. There are no systems more accurate, and this process is now being used by companies around the world. It’s a combination of top-grading and behavioral interviewing, but far simpler to use, and more accurate than both. As important: hiring managers can use it with minimal training. The key is to get candidates to describe their most significant accomplishments related to the performance objectives listed in the performance profile. Evidence from these questions is then used to assess candidates on 10 factors that have been found to best predict on-the-job success.
• Negotiate and close the offer on reasonable terms. Since top people – passive or active – will always have multiple opportunities, it’s important to present your opening as the best career move, not necessarily the one offering the most money. This increases the close rate and ensures the candidate accepts the offer for the right reasons.
• Formal onboarding including a review of the performance profile. In order to maximize on-the-job performance, it’s important to make sure that the new hire and hiring manager are on the same page regarding real job needs. Since the performance profile is the front-end of a company’s performance management system, it’s important that it’s clearly understood and prioritized to reflect any changes.

To learn more, you can This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , attend one of our webcasts, or sign up for a sneak peek of Performance-based Hiring. If you’re ready to begin hiring top people, sign up for our online recruiter training course. Regardless of how, when, or where you start, we look forward to sharing our excitement with you on how to hire top talent.