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Hot Tip #11 - Time is Your Most Valuable Commodity - Don't Waste It

By Lou Adler, May 8, 2007

Use the idea of leveraging time to your advantage whenever a candidate decides to opt-out of your process - under the contention that your job is no better than others she's considering. Here's an example of how this scenario plays out.

Read more articles by this author.

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Recruiter Hot Tips, Recruiting

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Mention to your candidate that leveraging time is a critical aspect of the career management process that most people ignore at their peril. In the rush to take the most attractive offer, based on compensation, sometimes critical long term issues are missed. Suggest that how a person maximizes their use of time is often the difference between a stellar fast-track career and one that just plods along. This statement will get the person's attention. Then ask the candidate if you could demonstrate that your job is growing faster than other offers she's considering, would she at least be open to discussing it further. This is called the "Close Upon an Objection" technique to uncover real concerns. If the candidate agrees to move forward, you've identified a legitimate concern. If not, you'll need to try some other techniques (FYI - you'll learn these in Recruiter Boot Camp Online).

Once the candidate agrees to listen to your pitch, you'll need to prove your case that your opportunity is better than other jobs she's considering. To get started, I draw a simple diagram with two lines - one increasing at a faster rate than the other. Pointing to the top line I say, "let's assume for a moment that this faster growing line represents our job and the potential career path likely to be followed. The other slower growing line is the growth path you're on now and is comparable to other jobs you're considering. I would like to have the opportunity to prove that our job offers 4-5 years of experience in 2-3 years. If we could put you on this type of career path your value to the business world would be 30-50% greater than it is today, and of course your compensation would rise accordingly. As far as I can tell, too many people ignore the long term career path as part of their decision-making process when comparing opportunities."

I then go on to say leveraging time is the key to a better career. When people look only at compensation as the difference between one job over another, they often miss this critical issue. When you make too many moves for compensation reasons you quickly become overpaid for what you're doing. This puts you at a competitive disadvantage, since recruiters will be reluctant to present you to their clients and you won't see as many opportunities. It's always better to be underpaid in relationship to what you're doing, this way you'll be seen as a bargain for what you bring to the table. This is especially true if you're getting promoted quickly and handling more challenging work.

While the concept of leveraging and managing time is a useful recruiting tool, it only goes so far. You and the hiring manager must then go on to prove that your job does offer these types of fast-growth opportunities. The best representatives for this are people who have worked for the hiring manager, who are on these types of career paths. Get them involved in the recruiting process and you'll really maximize your use of time.