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RANDY WILBURN, from page 5

happens quite a bit. Most retained recruiters create a “hands off” list of client firms that they will not recruit from. We’ve done this at Zweig Group for almost three decades. If the cli- ent is not taken care of, they will go elsewhere. 4)Of companies polled, 65 percent use an employee referral bonus program. I’m torn about this statistic. Our founder, Mark Zweig, doesn’t like employee referral bonus programs for the simple reason that if things don’t work out with the referred candidate it creates a negative effect on the employ- ee. Mark said, “You run the risk of alienating and angering the employee and may even create a situation where they work against the new person hired, so they fail.” It’s Mark’s conten- tion that if employees like where they work, they should want to refer others to come onboard without the promise of a referral bonus. I guess it does come down to the culture of the workplace and what works in an organization. And speaking of culture... 5)Of those polled, 71 percent said that cultural fit was the most important aspect of hiring a candidate. I’ve written several articles about the importance of culture and how it plays into finding and hiring the best talent. Firms that cut corners in this area can pay the price for their lack of discre- tion. Firms in the design industry must have a complete handle on their culture. You should know beyond a shadow of a doubt the type of person that will make it in your organiza- tion and the type that doesn’t stand a chance. Usually, firms cut corners when they’ve added new projects and need extra people to get the job done. This is the worst time not to be mindful of your organization’s culture. You have to make sure you take care of the people already in the organization, and you need to make sure that the people you bring in under- stand what they are getting involved with. At Zweig Group, we require everyone to be a go-getter with a positive attitude. We don’t have time for negativity or schisms. Take it from me, one bad apple can ruin the whole bunch. This Recruitment & Retention Survey is not only timely but telling, and you should take the statistics and figure out how they apply to your current situation. The numbers only lie when we ignore them. If you are looking for ways to refine and tune up your recruitment and retention practice, there will be several opportunities to participate in our Becoming a Better Recruiter seminars throughout 2016. Join me for a one- day Boot Camp where we will bring these statistics to life and show you how to strengthen your organization in the process. RANDY WILBURN is Zweig Group’s director of executive search. Contact him at rwilburn@zweiggroup.com.

I don’t find this hard to believe given how prominent Linke- dIn has become these past few years. Most recruiters and ex- ecutive search specialists use LinkedIn as the standard bearer for getting a search off the ground. One of the widest audi- ences for business people is on LinkedIn and if you are post- ing a job, why not go to the biggest bulletin board to advertise your opening? Even more interesting is that 57 percent of all activity on LinkedIn is done on a mobile device, according to CEO Reed Hastings. That means companies better get their ads and ca- reer sites optimized for mobile viewing. Most in our industry are not set up properly to take advantage of the candidate that wants to search for jobs and interact with companies on their mobile device. We have to embrace the times for they are a-changing. And once you find that great candidate, you better make sure you do everything possible to close the deal. “This Recruitment & Retention Survey is not only timely but telling, and you should take the statistics and figure out how they apply to your current situation. The numbers only lie when we ignore them.” 2)Only 53 percent of those polled discuss a counter offer with the job candidate. I was not surprised by this figure. Most firms we come in contact with don’t spend time discuss- ing the counter offer, and this is a mistake. Our recruiting team uses a script to discuss the matter with candidates to make sure we have touched on all of their con- cerns and whether there could be a stumbling block to them making a decision to join our client. You must discuss it early and often. Most firms leave this part of the hiring process up in the air. In the design industry, it’s hard enough to find suitable candidates let alone leave things to chance. Companies are not letting go of good employees without a fight. 3)Almost 30 percent of those polled said they have used both contingency and retained recruiters to fill posi- tions. Contingency recruiters don’t get paid until they make a placement. Retained recruiters need an upfront retainer for any and all searches done. The contract arrangement can vary from one firm to the next. Retained recruiting in the design industry is still a bit of a secret. Most companies we come across are content to use contingency recruiters but then complain when, a year or two later, those same recruiters raid the candidates they placed. I know, it sounds crazy, but it

DO YOU KNOW WHAT OTHER FIRMS ARE DOING TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN TALENT? The 2016 Recruitment & Retention Survey of Architecture, Engineering, Planning & Environmental Consulting Firms has statistics relating to all the latest meth- ods used to hire and keep your firm’s most important resource it’s people. This survey contains data about recruiting methods and policies, training, HR departments experiences, attitudes, and challenges regarding the hiring and firing process, turnover rates, and compensation and benefits. Is it time for you to hire, but you don’t know where to start? Do you know what most firms in the industry are doing to recruit top talent? This survey covers all areas of recruitment from the search process through integrating a new can- didate into a firm. The 2016 Recruitment & Retention Survey of Architecture, Engineering, Planning & Environmental Consulting Firms also has data about HR departments and the use of outside executive search firms. For more information, visit zweiggroup.com/survey.php or email research@zweiggroup.com.

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 28, 2016, ISSUE 1145

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