Why You Struggle to Recruit

At the end of the day, building your team is just a different version of marketing and sales.

We all know the marketing formula.

Identify who your customer is. What are they like? What do they do? Who do they spend time with? What are their interests? (You know, the "avatar," as they call it...)

Determine what your customer needs to hear about your offer. What message will resonate with them?

Then, decide "where your customer's eyeballs are." What medium can you use to communicate with them? Where is their attention?

When they reach out, you sell to them. You start with understanding your customers' pain points (needs), ensuring that what you offer is a fit, and putting a well-thought-out proposal in front of them.

Lastly, you handle their objections.

Pretty straightforward, right? This is the essence of marketing and sales, is it not?

But what if you substitute the word "customer" above for "employee?"

And that's precisely what recruiting is: the marketing and selling of you and your company to a potential team member. The parallels are astounding. Let's dive in:

Know Your Customer Recruit

First, who are you looking for? What is a successful person in your company like? Do you need a hard-charger? Or do you need a steady "rock?"

Think about your existing top performers. What do they do on nights and weekends? What type(s) of people do they hang out with? What do they enjoy?

Create an "employee" avatar for the recruit you're looking for. What are the must-haves?

Identify the Needs of Your Customer Recruit

Now that you know who they are, think about their needs.

Are you looking for someone currently commuting who might want to work closer to home?

Are you offering a work-from-home opportunity perfect for a person who needs more flexibility?

Or will the person you're looking for have an exceptional opportunity to be promoted into future leadership roles?

Highlight how you solve these needs in your job posting, specifically how your employment situation meets them.

Capture the Attention of Your Customer Recruit

Ok, now you know who you are looking for and their needs. It's time to capture their attention.

Think about where your recruit is spending their time? Are you recruiting for a role well-aligned for Indeed? Or perhaps your ideal recruit is a LinkedIn power user. Maybe Instagram and Facebook are where they spend their time.

Regardless, make sure you message to the recruit's specific needs by explaining in great detail why the opportunity you're offering is fantastic. Then ensure this message is plastered everywhere "their eyeballs are."

Sell to Your Customer Recruit

Now that you've got their attention and the resumes, emails, and cover letters are flowing in, it's time to sell.

Start by listening. Understand where they are coming from and where they want to go. Really get to know their past wins and losses. What keeps them up at night? What gets them up in the morning? Where does their passion lie?

Then, tell them why your opportunity is excellent. Don't hold back. Sell the heck out of it. Get them so excited to join this kick-ass team of high-caliber world dominators that they'd be foolish to stay where they are.

Lastly, probe for objections. Why might they NOT want this job? What concerns them about the opportunity? It's time to close the sale.

As you can see, marketing/sales and recruiting look the same, and at their core, they are the same.

You are identifying fellow human beings whose needs align with what you offer.

That's it, plain and simple.

Now, go market and sell that open position!

Thanks for reading this post. I appreciate you. In return, please share this with those you know who may be interested.

Book of Note: Just finished 2034, a fictional account of World War III. And boy, in light of the recent economic and political turbulence, it reads like more of an "inevitable" than a "perhaps." So, if you like thought-provoking, real-world fiction (and if, like me, you HATE fantasy and talking animals), this one's for you!