Saturday, March 15, 2008

Hard-to-Fill Positions-- JB Smith at Google Inc.

I asked JB Smith, Senior Lead Contract Sourcer/Recruiter at Google Inc. what he does when he has a hard-to-fill position.

This is what he had to say.

"Don’t ever discount any options without trying them first. The best recruiters never take anything for granite. A single search is only a specific step in a larger problem solving process.
Go back and ask yourself the question “Why” were you searching for that position? Either search for something or create a new problem to solve with a different set of searches.
Go back to the HM and review the requisition. What was stated in the requisition, can it be stated a different way. In addition to talking to the HM, talk to others within the group. Set up a casual meeting (lunch or coffee) and brainstorm to find more creative ways in how to find candidates for them.

What user groups do they participate in, associations, clubs, blogs, trade magazines, newsletter, alumni, publications, universities, mergers and acquisitions currently going on with the competition, seminars attended, conferences attended, professional networking, , patent searches, call experts in the industry, dig deeper by sourcing the competition?
Find out what companies local to the client have people with the same skill set and then Google and other techniques to find them? What new technologies are they checking out and where can you find those? Ask the HM how he found his current employees. If able too, review the resumes of the people currently in the group you’re searching for.

You are probably kidding yourself about how systematic and exhaustive you have been. Get a fresh perspective and ask a colleague for their input. Sometimes you just need to change the equation to get the answer you want. Look for requisitions from the competition and job boards that are similar to the position you’re searching for and review how their specifications are written.

Have you looked at companies and tried to find someone trapped by a glass ceiling that would move for a career opportunity? Contact reputable advertising agencies and speak to the account representative that specializes in the industry you are in to see if they can make suggestions. This also can hold true for trade show and job fair representatives.

Look at the familiar first before you try something unfamiliar. Don’t give up; it will eventually come to you. Have you networked everyone? Have you really gotten every name?"

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