Waiting for the next person to come through the door to be interviewed, I take the opportunity to look at the prospective support worker’s application form. A security guard at a designer shopping village and a youth worker! The previous candidates had experience of supporting people with a learning disability (which is what we were recruiting for).   

It is over twenty years since my colleagues and I interviewed Maxine, but I can still remember that interview vividly. We soon realised that previous experience was not essential. It was all about the person and what they could bring to the role and the difference someone could make to other people’s lives.  Maxine was successfully appointed to our team.

At the time I was a Registered Care Home Manager, supporting people with a learning disability. Shortly after my arrival I decided I needed to rebuild the whole team, and I was going to build a team around this new recruit.

Tip: Experience and Knowledge is ‘preferable’. Values and Attitude are ‘essential’.

A passion for recruitment

Recruitment has always been something I have enjoyed – you never know who is going to work through the interview door and make a difference to you, the team, company, and your customers.

Tip: To be a successful recruiter you need to have a passion for the entire process. 

My Top 10 recommendations for Recruiting:

  1. Do not go overboard with excessive interview processes. I experienced being on the wrong end of an overindulgent assessment centre many years ago. It included a personality test, psychologists assessing you during group exercises – even during your lunch break – Maths tests, English tests, timed interviews, group exercises (which included actors!), etc I could go on. I wish I hadn’t bothered!  Have the courage to make the decision on the best candidate for the role without depending on the assessment tools to make the decision for you – you could save a lot of money on trusting your ‘gut feeling.’ 
  2. Provide a welcoming Recruitment Experience – it is important the interview panel are relaxed and want to be there. You are there to sell your team and company to the interviewee – it is not a one-way street.   
  3. Stay connected with the successful candidate so they already feel part of the team on their first day. There is often a gap between the appointment, working out a notice period and a new recruit’s first day.  During this period, I share our team’s weekly newsletters so that they feel included. As the care home manager, I invited the new team member to visit and get to know people. 
  4. Who came second and possibly third? If they met the job competencies but just fell short on the day, I promise candidates I will keep their application in my recruitment folder and I will come back to them when I have a vacancy.  I once went back to a candidate over a year after their interview – I am glad I did, they became an asset to our company, staying with us long after the successful candidate. 
  5. Inform the candidates who were not successful and offer feedback. It is the least you can do when someone has made the effort to apply and gone through the recruitment process.   
  6. Network – some of the best recruits I have selected have come via networks – mine and my colleagues. 
  7. Speculate to Accumulate. Do not stop recruiting even when you have no vacancies. This is an opportunity to get in front of the recruitment cycle. Be pro-active not reactive, i.e., waiting until you have a vacancy.   
  8. Talent Spot – Look for people you would like to work with. Encourage your team members to also look for potential colleagues.  
  9. Speed is of the essence. Do not procrastinate. As soon as you decide you need to recruit get a move on and set a timeline for each milestone in the process. Do not lose out on that new recruit because someone moved faster than you. 
  10. Take responsibility. Too many times I have observed managers thinking the recruitment for their team is someone else’s responsibility e.g., expecting the recruitment team to find people for you.  Take ownership. After all you need to fill the vacancy. 

Tip: Respect for candidates’ time and efficiency in the hiring process is paramount to a positive company brand.

When I recruit for a team, I look for:

  • Positive and cheerful people. Attitude is a choice. Attitude is everything.
  • People who will share the vision and embrace the values of your organisation.
  • People who are more talented than me within specific areas of our service – surround yourself with talent.
  • People who do not look like me. Diverse teams, in my experience are the best teams.
  • People who are competent in the role you are recruiting for.
  • People who will bring added value to your team and organisation. Doing a decent job should be a given – so what is the added value they can bring to the table? Related: The 8th Leadership Lesson I learned – Add Value – Leadership in the Raw

Maxine became the catalyst for change within the team I was hoping to create for the people we were supporting. An excellent example of someone who came through our interview door and changed so much for our service to people with a learning disability. Within a year she created (and took on the road) a support group for women with a learning disability called ‘Keeping Ourselves Safe’. Maxine designed and delivered Epilepsy workshops for our organisation, and she completed her NVQ in Care and her Assessor qualifications. Needless to say, I recruited (and promoted) Maxine into the next company I joined. 

Tip: Take your top team with you. 

My thanks and gratitude to Maxine Lorraine

Steve Raw

* Related: 

Great teams: winning teams! – Leadership in the Raw

The 3rd Leadership Lesson I learned – Surround yourself with Talent – Leadership in the Raw

My personal top 20 interview tips – Leadership in the Raw