When we went into lockdown, March 2020, like everyone else out there – we had no real idea how the pandemic was going to impact us. The first few months were survival mode: learning the new ropes of virtual interactions; endless health and safety risk assessments to even contemplate a return to the office (which we scrapped soon after); getting our heads around how best to use the furlough scheme and convincing our clients to book in new ways and reassuring our talent that it would all be ok… And then, there was the team itself.
Nothing has made me value our team more than the last twelve months. My absolute priority has been leading them through each twist and turn; and amazingly we didn’t just survive as a team, we absolutely evolved. They are the backbone of everything we do and to have the opportunity to expand this was incredible.
That’s not to say there weren’t plenty of mistakes, *ahem* learning opportunities, to be had but that’s for another post another time… We spent the first few months redefining roles, doubling down on our core values to establish where were at as a team and only then could we look forward. Within a few months and when were back to our full numbers, we began hiring for new staff to support our talent and drive progress forward.
Since August, we’ve doubled the team in numbers, adding new roles and strengthening core divisions. So, if you’re looking to hire new recruits – here’s my top tips:
- Talk to your team first. Involve your team in writing job descriptions; get them together to discuss weak areas that exist currently within divisions, what battles they’ve faced with previous team dynamics and where more support and skill is needed Make sure that you’re covering all the areas of the role ahead then strip it back for clarity of communication and prioritise.
- Use a blind applications process. This has transformed our recruitment process and removes unconscious bias to focus just on skillset and experience alone. We’re a smaller business so we don’t use software to recruit, so we’ve involved a member of staff to book out time to read through all CVs and redact any information on names, gender, race and age. It’s time consuming but it’s such an important process that means until that Zoom video loads up, we have no idea who we’re about to speak to.
- Set an agenda for interviews. Not only this add structure but allow for candidates to prepare and do their groundwork. We’ve always been so impressed and actually flattered when a candidate has taken then time to learn more about what we’re about, our client base and our talent. Leave room for more spontaneous questions but we provide 5-6 questions that range from their journey so far to the role itself, company culture and so on. We’re never looking for the perfect polished answer, it’s the thinking behind it that is what’s important and the most revealing about a potential employee’s mindset and attitude.
- Listen more than you talk. As much as you’ll be tempted to ‘sell’ your company – your proud and eager, that’s great! But if ideas offered are things you already do, there’s no need to say that at this stage, just stick to the nonverbal feedback, ask open questions ‘Why do you feel that’s important?… Could you expand more specifically?… What kinds of obstacles might there be around that idea?…’ Consolidate your understanding of what you’ve heard if unsure – don’t leave an interview wondering if you interpreted something accurately or not; it could massively do that person an injustice.
- Talk about the elephant in the room. Allow for acknowledging the weirdness of zoom interviews and talk about how they’re finding that now and how that might still exist for the foreseeable future. We’ve found it reassuring to let candidates know we’ve hired successfully this way before, how we keep communicating and connections strong despite the distance and our buddy up system so no one ever feels isolated.
- Encourage your candidates to ask questions. We’ve loved being put on the spot and made to think on our feet. Our most recent recruit asked us ‘tell me something I’d not be able to find out on social media about the company’ which was a bold question and encouraged some real honest communication at such an early stage. It’s important that new recruits feel happy with with company values and ethos – we’re all investing in each other so the more authenticity the better. There can often be silence when we ask this question so when met with that, make it easier with some examples ‘Would you like to know about our team, our processes, our culture, our history, our current agendas…’ etc to put your candidates at ease and show them you’re open to being open.
- Outline next steps. Explain how long the interview process will continue for, likely time frames in hearing more and in what capacity, whether or not there may be second interviews etc so that everyone leaves the situation fully informed. Find out their position so you’re not blindsided by losing a potential superstar – if they’re actively interested in other roles and involved in other processes, ask for transparency and encourage them to ask for updates sooner if they need to make a big decision.
Finding Our Words 
