Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the AA-ISP Senior Exec Retreat and spending time with 50+ Execs, VPs and Directors sharing & discussing issues relevant to inside sales.
One of the workshops focused on Employee Lifecycle. Well, let me tell you that I learned a ton from the other attendees – Inside Sales leaders from companies like IBM, Mentor Graphics, Staples, & Henkle to name a few.
I thought I’d share a few takeaways from that session – specifically focused on the front end of the employee lifecycle: Sourcing.
For the better part of the last 15 years we’ve all used a combination of the following to source candidates:
- Internal and external referrals
- External or in-house recruiters
- Online postings: corporate sites, Monster, LinkedIn, etc.
But we know that finding top talent is tougher than ever before. Our hiring infographic notes that:
- The demand for inside sales talent increased 124% from 2009 to 2011
- The demand for lead generation talent increased 59% in the same time period
- 59% of all reqs are filled in under 45 days
Yikes… Since filling open reqs dramatically impact our ability to achieve revenue goals, what can we do about it?
I wanted to call out 2 examples of companies that are using creative methods to recruit top talent.
First up, HubSpot.
(For those unfamiliar – HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Software gives you all the tools you need to make marketing that people will actually love - earning quality leads and loyal customers in return.)
Now, let’s take a look at their recruiting page. What are they doing that is different and creative?
- The page is visually attractive and calls out their awards as a great place to work
- There are a variety of videos that showcase Hubspotters and the many reasons to work there
- They share their unique culture: no offices, focused on education including buying books for employees etc.
- They provide resources for job hunters that extend beyond just them like “Building Your Online Brand” or “3 Things We Love About Your Resume & 3 Things We Can Do Without”
What a great recruiting page! They have invested in being attractive to candidates and also invested in a culture that will retain those candidates.
Next up, M5 Networks.
(For those unfamiliar – M5 Networks is a recognized leader in cloud based business phone systems. While other companies have added voice service as an afterthought, voice is the core of M5’s business.)
M5 recently made a corporate commitment to hiring great talent and have re-organized to back it up. Here’s an excerpt from a recent release:
M5 Networks today announced the creation of the M5 People Team, a group dedicated to creating a winning workplace for M5’s valued staff of over 200. Focused on employee engagement, the M5 People Team, led by Chief Learning Officer, Heather Bennett, will use fun and creative ways to foster a work culture that supports its staff to help them meet their personal and professional goals.
So, what are they doing that is creative? They are offering things like:
- The M5 Rock program, where employees form rock bands, take music lessons and compete in a yearly Battle of the Bands.
- A digital suggestion box, called M5 Ideas to systematically collect, process and reward innovative staff ideas.
- A Jiujitsu program run in partnership with MMA Champion Marcelo Garcia and international Chess Champion Josh Waitzkin who recently wrote, “The Art of Learning”. Waitzkin, who was the subject of the popular film, “Searching for Bobby Fisher” works with M5ers on practicing learning techniques while they perfect their jiujitsu moves.
Heather Bennett (Chief Learning Officer) shared: "We want people to love working at M5. That means creating a workplace where people are free to be themselves and feel well cared for. If we can create that environment, we will attract the best talent who will then bring the next wave of innovation to our customers. It’s a win-win situation for everyone."
Wow, right? In this new world where attracting top talent is so competitive, you really need to stand out from the crowd. Why not try:
- arming internal & external recruiters with landing pages for candidates not just prospects
- content marketing for open positions (video that captures your people's passion, slideshares that present your vision)
- equipping your current Reps with all of the above to share with their network
What are you doing that is creative? I'd love to hear from you!
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(Photo credit: bjmccray)