Every leader wants to improve performance and business outcomes – but what happens when you lose talented people and need to recruit others in order to get work done, fuel growth and drive new opportunities? How do you combine recruiting talent with improving business outcomes? Here’s a handy guide to our five-step process:

Step 1: Know thyself

Experience shows that people are drawn to those who have a strong purpose. By being very clear about what your business is about, you can demonstrate your purpose. Ensure that your mission statement, vision and values are easy to understand, compelling and inspiring.

If you’re having difficulty articulating your mission, vision and values, it might be worth considering enlisting the help of a professional to make sure you get it right.

Step 2: Mind the gap

Tempting though it may be to replace one Joe – or Jo – with another to do the same job in the way it’s always been done; before launching into a recruitment process, it might be beneficial to spend time ensuring that you fully understand the skills gap within your organisation. Think about the skills you need your workforce to have not just now but, also in the future.

Consider this: do strictly defined role profiles aid or abet you in meeting your targets in this ever-changing business landscape? It may be worth challenging yourself to write in clear straight forward language what you want the person to do and why.

Step 3: Experience versus aptitude and attitude

Many organisations make the mistake of thinking they need people with experience of the work they would be required to do – but is this really the case? Challenge yourself to ask if this is really necessary for all your roles.

Perhaps the job is a niche one and difficult to recruit to so, how would you like to be able to hire people with the right attitude and aptitude but who may not yet have the experience? Perhaps you could offer an accelerated learning programme to upskill them?

Step 4: Location, location, location

After following steps one, two and three, you should now have a clear statement about your purpose, an idea of the skills, aptitudes and attitudes you’re looking for, and an idea of what you can offer to new talent. Step 4 is all about identifying where that talent might be so that you can connect with them.

Use social media fully and wisely to advertise your vacancies (and also to continually manage your business profile and reputation). How well are you using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ and Glassdoor, for instance?

Think about the different generation segments: where would they be most likely to be looking for opportunities?

On your website, do you have a candidate portal so it’s easy for potential recruits to tell you they are interested in working with you?

If talk of Twitter and ‘portals’ sends you running screaming form the room with your hands over your ears, our advice is, “Don’t panic!” We can help you find the people you want to attract. We will partner with you to reach out to your segmented markets using our network of experts. We can also help you utilise social media to raise your profile and attract a fitting audience.

Step 5: Use the force

‘Using the force’ doesn’t mean that you have to become a Jedi warrior! You have a workforce, and, if they are happy at work, they are likely to be willing to help recruit new talent to the organisation. Think about how they could become your advocates; how they might be able to encourage their friends and family to join the business. Perhaps you could encourage them to share their stories via social media. You might also consider introducing a reward mechanism to thank them for finding great new talent.

Make sure your managers and team leaders know they have a responsibility for being a talent magnet – to spot, to engage and to hire great people who are a good match for your business.

So, there you have it – our 5-step guide to not just recruiting to fill a gap, but to also improve your business outcomes. If you think we could help you with your next recruitment challenge, why not give us a call? We’d be only too happy to help.