The World Cup is a very important way to measure the good players, and the great ones. It is a test of a great player. – Pele
My recruiting strategy has been heavily influenced by my time spent as a retail manager and I have embraced the lessons learned there within my recruitment role. With World Cup fever nearly at its climax, I’ve realised that my recruiting strategy is not unlike how Hugo Lloris prepares for each game.
Rule 1: You’re only as good as your team
If fans can remember a full squad of people they have never met by their last name, you can at least remember the team you hired by their first name. Every member of any team is as important and critical to the game as each other. Jose Mourinho has won many leagues, cups and titles but he didn’t do that on his own. Great leadership breeds a winning team. The same rules apply to recruitment. I am only as good as my last hire.
Rule 2: You must have the pace and stamina to stay ahead of the opposition
The pace maybe not as fast Lionel Messi who runs 32.5 km/h with the ball, but the stamina needed to stay on your feet with the game plan in mind is longer than 90 minutes. I need to ensure I make quick passes from sourcing my candidate to arranging the interview to ensuring a successful onboarding process. Letting the tiredness take over only opens the team to the opposition scoring a goal.
Rule 3: Expertise ensures success
I see myself as the Goal Keeper. I have gone through specialised training and I prevent the opposition from scoring. My area of expertise is recruiting Care Assistants and knowing how to find the talent that stands out amongst the crowd.
Rule 4: Always know your ‘SWOT’ analysis (strength, weakness, opportunity, threats)
My competitors are other care homes, other recruiters and even other careers. My team are working together to ensure we stay at the top of the league. Knowing what you need to improve on as well as knowing how to apply your strengths will take you far. We want to be the best care home with the best care team, and we achieve this by eliminating our weakness and turning our threats into opportunities.
Rule 5: Don’t play for the name on the back of the shirt, play for the name in front
The offense is how we drive our goals forward as a team. We want to engage with our candidates and show them why our team is who they should be playing for. Our goal is to hire committed and compassionate team members to help care for our residents. We’re all playing for the same team here.
Rule 6: Slow your opponent’s attack
The defence is my care home hiring managers. They are the managers of the care home and their job is to hire and retain a strong team. The defence prevent the opposition’s forwards and intercept when necessary. Strong and open communication creates alignment between the team. The defence learn the threats they are up against, and ensure they create as strong and enjoyable a work environment possible.
Rule 7: Play by the rules
The referee is my boss. He is in control of the match with the help of his fellow match officials. He works with his team mates to ensure all rules are being followed to ensure fairness and equality. The referee has the help of VAR in football to make the correct decisions. Luckily, my ref sits right next to me and can give me on-the-spot feedback to ensure I am playing to the best of my ability, the way I was trained.
Rule 8: Loyalty increases profits
Ideally, I want the candidates to be my fans. They are the ones that keep the teams motivated, and without them, what is the point of the game? My goal is to play the game to the best of my ability with my full team, and to recruit the best Care Assistants for the best homes. Fans buy the merchandise and the tickets which helps keep teams in business. My aim is to gain the candidates trust as well as the hiring managers, which in turn keeps me in a job and my employer happy!
Football is a team sport and not an individual sport. We win as a team, and every individual is better if we are part of the team. – Fernando Torres
If you’re a hiring manager who would like to move up a division, contact us today to discuss outsourcing your recruitment to top-of-the-league players.
Julie McCann is from Glasgow, and has experience across the recruitment and retail sectors. Before becoming a specialist recruiter with Solutions Driven, she focused on internal recruitment for a multinational fashion chain, including assisting in the launch of the chain’s first flagship store in Australia.
