Hiring and Retaining Top Talent Blog

Interviewing is a PR Event.

We recently conducted a retained executive search for a VP Marketing . The position had been open for more than six months, during which time the company had interviewed ten people who showed little interest in the position or company. In fact, one offer had been turned down. At first glance, this seemed strange, since it was a good company offering a reasonable compensation.

Shortly after contacting prospective candidates working for competitors and others in related industries, the mystery became clear. The company had a reputation for trouble, high turnover, lack of innovative products, and low pay. One candidate stated, “It’s known as a ‘burn ‘em and churn ‘em’ company.” All of these had been true three years back, but new management had since come on and started changing things. The reputation, unfortunately, lagged behind.

In conjunction with the company we put together a marketing plan, beginning with changing the website. We encouraged the company to address the baggage of the past while emphasizing the changes that had been made and the future. The redesigned site also included testimonials from happy employees, along with information about new and improved company benefits and management’s new commitment to employees. Another new web site section discussed the company’s new products and how they were performing in the marketplace, as well as the company’s dedication to R&D. Finally, we changed how potential candidates were treated when they came in for interviews. All interviews were now looked upon as a PR event. Hiring managers were required to meet the candidate on time, they were given tours of the facilities, candidates were given materials on the company, the company’s vision was posted in the lobby for all candidates to read, the company had won numerous awards that were now prominently posted in the lobby.

As a result, even if a candidate didn’t end up getting the job, they still walked away with a completely different image of the company and wanting the job.

We ultimately filled the search with a candidate who originally told us that she didn’t even want to interview. In fact, she told us the same thing three times before finally going out for a meeting. She came away overwhelmed by the changes and her misunderstanding of the company. She had done a 180 from not wanting to even interview to one of excitement about working for the company.

Understanding your company’s reputation is an important issue when conducting a search. Regardless of your reputation, developing a compelling marketing plan and understanding the mistakes companies make when hiring is key to a successful search. Insuring your company’s image is well received by candidates will help you attract more top candidates and reduce the cost per hire.

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