Recruiting Your Next Superstar

If you want great employees, you must become a great recruiter. Most ads are written for people who are looking for jobs. The best candidates, however, already have good jobs.

People don’t move for a job that feels the same.

So, follow these five rules to attract extraordinary performers.

1) Spell out EXPECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS

At least half of your ad copy should be geared toward what you want the person to accomplish. Write this in exciting copy, and you will attract people who want to accomplish great things. Better yet, you’ll exclude people who don’t want to do the work!

Here’s an example: “Lead our sales team of 50 to be number one in our market area.”

Or, “Create relationships with our customer such that they’ll bring all of their financial business to us.”

2) Spell out THE FUTURE

Create a vivid picture of exactly how the person can grow and learn, and you’ll attract those compelled to do what it takes to have a great career and future. Great people want to be a part of great and compelling initiatives.

Capture this by blending it with the future of the company.

Here’s an example: “Become an Internet Marketing guru as you execute a state-of-the-art marketing process on the Internet.”

Or, “Develop your leadership skills as you launch our new location in Charlotte.”

3) Leave out THE DETAILS

Don’t have your ad be a laundry list of duties, academic requirements, or skills. These do nothing more than turn off the best candidates. Because experience is a poor indicator of future success, spend no more than one sentence on this. Keep it vague, and keep it simple.

Here’s an example: “Industry experience and a track record of success in operations are helpful.”

4) Lead with a GRIPPING TITLE

Be creative and interesting with the titles. You’re competing against hundreds of mundane ads, and the title needs to pull them in before any ad is read.

Here’s an example: Instead of “Internet Developer,” says “Internet Guru.”

Instead of “Sales Management Officer,” say “Leading Sales Wizard.”

5) Quickly DISQUALIFY

The end of the ad should ask the candidate to submit a few paragraphs describing their most significant comparable accomplishment. This far beyond the resume in proving they can be successful. Make sure to ask them when they describe that accomplishment who can verify that outcome, and since many people often impact an outcome, how much of it they were responsible for creating.