Question: If speed and relationship building are both important parts of hiring competitively, how do you get them to work together nicely?

Answer: Implement an assessment (DISC, MBTI, PI, Profile XT, etc) after the first interview and share and discuss the results with the candidate. Ask them if they agree or disagree and how they handle various situations that could happen with other personalities and styles.

I know of a recruiter who placed a client’s brother at his firm. They even got paid on it, and rightly so. They solved the problem. It’s a little absurd though and I’m sure the client will be more thoughtful next time. Here’s a checklist to quickly find your low hanging options:

We are fans of Ray Dalio’s book, ‘Principals’. His simplification of profound truths is relatable and more easily applicable than dense theory.

Our Principals are a work in progress, but we would like to share what we have, thus far.

“What has been your experience with recruiters?” I asked.

“It’s been disappointing.” Came the quick response. “We have paid several recruiters fees for people and none of them have stuck with us longer than a year.”

Puzzled, with a warning flag waving in my mind, I ask “Do you feel like the recruiters did something improper?”

“Well, yes, we feel like they ripped us off".

“Hmmmmm… What would you do differently to avoid the situation again?”

“We don’t know. We haven’t been very impressed with recruiters.”

They didn’t appreciate hearing that recruiters cannot guarantee retention. It’s impossible.

What are your expectations for success when you hire someone? Do you feel relieved and enthusiastic? Does the wary probationary period start? Is the path for success in your organization (performance expectations) immediately clear to them or do they need to prove they can figure your system out on their own? What gives you those feelings?

Significant “career growth,” the kind which earns you a significant salary, that fulfilling project, or a partner position, lies in your ability to prove yourself faithful in the little things and scale your [duty/trust/authority] with your highest possible degree of competence.

Richard Branson's philosophy that “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” is key to this assertion. Hiring is the most important thing a manager or owner does, so get good at it. You cannot solve all your company's problems but you can hire all the right people to solve them and then your company will be successful.

Here’s a controversial idea. As a headhunter I talk to lots of companies (hundreds in a year, sometimes thousands) and many of them have no interest in my services, sometimes dramatically and emotionally so. That is perfectly ok, of course. However, there may be a little trend in why these firms cannot see themselves productively engaging a recruiter.