Waiting Versus Being Paralyzed
In my post last month I talked about different leadership styles surrounding the question, “How long do we wait before we start hiring again?”
At the time, two of the most common responses of were:
- Be aggressive and hire top talent today that would not typically be available under normal circumstances.
- Put hiring on hold to reduce overhead, build contingency plans, and develop the right strategy to move forward.
Unfortunately, there is a third option that it starting to become more prevalent (which on the surface is similar to option 2 above – but is actually very different):
- Put hiring on hold. Wait to see what happens (and hope for the best).
Over the past few weeks I’ve spoken to a lot of Clients (and even some Candidates) that are just sitting on their hands and ‘waiting for things to go back to normal’. They are not strategizing or planning; they are not doing any research; and seem to have given zero thought to what their business might look like if ‘normal’ changes to something new and different from the past. They are frozen and do not want to concede that their market might not ever be the same.
To be clear – being an Executive Recruiter I am obviously a bit biased, (I really appreciate my Clients that are hiring today). However, I am also very busy with Clients that have put hiring on hold. While they are not in the position to pull the trigger on new hires, they are still actively interviewing for a number of very good reasons:
- Develop a strong Candidate Pipeline so when they are eventually ready to hire again they are not starting the process from scratch
- As long as you are setting fair expectations upfront – this is a very valid approach. Candidates do not mind doing an ‘Interest Interview’ for a role that may come up in the future (it helps them too). You just have to make sure they are aware of this at the start of the process
- Gives them key information to help them build plans / contingencies for the future
- For example, if you think you might want to focus on developing your ecommerce strategy – now would be a good time to talk to an ecommerce expert to help you decide if this direction makes sense
- Do some industry / market research
- A great way to find out what is going on in the marketplace is to interview some key employees from a few of your competitors
- Stay relevant in the Marketplace
- Don’t discount this one – this is a great way to build up your Brand (especially right now when traditional Marketing channels are not as available)
Lately, when one of my Clients tells me they want to wait – my immediate response has been “wait for what?” – Waiting for things to magically go back to the way there were pre-Covid? Waiting for their competition to dictate their market when the ‘new normal’ arrives? The reality is they are not “waiting”. They are paralyzed.
I totally understand, and in many situations I agree with the impulse to play it safe. However, playing it safe does not mean doing nothing. Right now it means using this time as an opportunity to blueprint potentially new directions for your organization. Try new things. Take action now to help determine what your future should look like. Have a virtual coffee or two. Maybe you’ll hire them one day – but even if you don’t, at the very least it will give you some extra ammunition to figure out what your hiring needs will be.
How Long to Wait…
(originally posted on April 8, 2020)
Over the past 3 weeks or so – I’ve had numerous conversations with Clients that deal with a simple question ‘how long do we wait?’. Given the current health crisis and economic instability the different points of view I am getting are pretty fascinating. While each situation is unique; two of the more common comments have included something along the lines of:
We have put our hiring on hold as we wait to understand what the new business landscape looks like. This is the safe / responsible approach. No one knows when the market will come back – so now is not the time to take on new overhead.
We are ramping up to take advantage of some of the instability in the market. Try to attract some superstar Candidates who would otherwise not be open to new roles. These Clients are being very proactive and using the downturn as a tool to really build for the future.
What I find really interesting about these opposed viewpoints is that the common thread between the two has NOT been Industry or even current performance during this crisis. I have some Clients that have seen a significant increase in business due to Covid19 who are taking the safe approach; and conversely have other Clients that have seen a massive decrease and have still decided to put hiring into overdrive. The differentiating factor has been Leadership style.
The more aggressive / bold Leadership approach says don’t wait. Move forward. For them this is the optimal ‘buy-low’ opportunity.
The more secure / protected Leadership approach says play it safe. Press pause. For them this is the essential ‘wait and see’ moment.
From my perspective – both styles can be correct. The more important thing right now is having an organization that has a strong sense of direction. I’m finding that companies that are having a hard time are the ones that have an absence of Leadership. The Management Team either has not been able to agree on a direction or has been unsuccessful in communicating the plan.
The advice I’m giving my Clients right now is to be consistent, communicate with their teams, and ensure they are doing their best to be Leaders.
If you are ‘playing it safe’ then take this time to strategize. Develop contingency plans. Put your hiring on hold and tell your team that you are doing your best to decrease overhead to make sure their jobs are safe. Your employees will appreciate the stability.
If you are ‘moving hard and fast’ then make sure your organization is on board. Let your team know exactly what the plan is and engage them to help. Your employees will appreciate working for an organization that is forward thinking.
Either way – pick a lane and act accordingly. With all the uncertainty in the world right now employees are looking to their Senior Leadership teams to remain dependable and provide clear direction on how the organization is moving forward. When asked the question ‘how long do we wait?’ – the answer itself is less important than actually having a consistent and cohesive answer that makes sense for your organization.
I Miss the Office.
(originally posted – April 2nd, 2020)
I’ve spent the past 18 years as an Executive Recruiter. During that time I’ve seen a lot of changes. When I started there was no such thing as LinkedIn; everyone had stacks of paper on their desk; and successful people in the Industry would make at least 20-30 cold calls a day (I was a Pro at getting through the dreaded Reception / Gatekeeper).
Things are obviously very different today. We now have a variety of technology-based tools that have changed the game and allowed us to take a more global approach to our business. Over the past year I’ve filled roles in the UK, United States, and the Middle East – all from my desk in Toronto. Using tools like LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Zoom, FaceTime, GoogleHangout, and iMessage, I’ve been able to vastly expand my reach and keep in touch with Clients and Candidates all over the world.
However, over the past 3 weeks as it seems the entire world has been working from home – these Technology Advantages have become a real source of frustration. Simple things that I took for granted are just not as dependable anymore…
Video Conferencing used to be a painless experience (and a great way to screen candidates) but is now glitchy and slow. Screens are freezing consistently, audio is muffled, and lots of people who never used this tech before are not finding it straightforward (I can’t count the number of people who have pressed mute by accident).
Our Cellular Networks are not prepared for this either. I’ve had more dropped calls in the past 3 weeks than in the past 3 years combined. Doing something simple like a 3-way conference is now a risky proposition (as the Network will invariably drop one of the participants). And of course the call quality has gone downhill (I’ve also said “Pardon” more times in the past 3 weeks than in the past 3 years).
I never knew this – but it turns out I’m a little old school. I miss meeting people in person. I miss grabbing a coffee or beer after work. I miss being able to have impromptu meetings with my team and working together to strategize. In general I’m a pretty tech forward individual (albeit a dinosaur to my kids) – but there really is something to be said for personal connections.
So, in general – I miss going into the Office. I miss being able to pick up the phone and easily call someone. I miss being able to visit clients. I miss grabbing a quick lunch with a candidate who happens to be in the neighbourhood.
This is a turning point for the Business World. I believe that the Working from Home movement is here to stay. I understand that my technical issues will eventually be fixed. 5G is coming. Networks will run smoother. People will finally figure out how to use Zoom. I just hope that we don’t lose site of the fact that it is important to interact with people in the real world as well.
Welcome to ChadTech
At Chad Management Group – we’ve done a lot of recruiting for roles on the ‘Business Side of Tech’. That being said, over the past few years we’ve had many requests to work on more Technical roles as well.
Over the past few months, we’ve been working hard on strategy / planning (including hiring / developing a fantastic internal team) and today we are excited to announce the latest division of Chad Management Group – ChadTech.
ChadTech takes a consultative approach to Technology Recruiting and our team has lots of experience with a wide variety of roles (everything from Developers, Project Managers, ERP / CRM Implementation, to VP IT / CTO).
Whether you are hiring Full Time or Contract – we can help.