During this time of the global pandemic, recruiters have been dealing with curve balls from many angles, and it’s those organisations that have made adjustments swiftly that have been able to reap the benefits. At this time, many organisations have had to implement hiring freezes, downsizing of staff or cutting their hours, and this is particularly challenging in the for-purpose sector. There are also opportunities though for those who can turn this into an upside, perhaps approaching a potential hire they believe can help lead them on the next phase of their journey. This too requires a sound plan to suit the current climate.
Traditional recruitment requires a good operator to select an individual based upon their technical skills, behavioural skills, and their cultural fit with the employer’s team. In the for-purpose sector, you add the extra and more elusive dimension of how passionately this person believes in an organisations cause or purpose, how well their values align, and how flexible/adaptable they are.
Often people will tell you they believe passionately in the purpose of an organisation they are interviewing for, so it requires probing questions and genuine insight to uncover someone’s real motivations. More often than not, when people are looking to transition from the corporate sector into the for-purpose sector, they come to us with a general idea of how they would like to add more value to society, without having any clarity around what that actually means. We challenge people constantly around what they believe in, what issues they feel are most pressing in their community, and how they feel their skills could be used to address these issues. This is true especially now, as there are many exceptional leaders in the market who find themselves looking for a new role due to factors out of their control. This may lead to them feeling like they need to apply for anything they see to take whatever they can.
Tenacity and creativity are key attributes for successful staff regardless of their industry sector, however, they become even more important in the for-purpose sector order when you may be required to cope with a workload that is often more challenging due to resource constraints. It is when faced with these challenges that your genuine passion to contribute to the organisations desired outcomes becomes critical.
The chance of someone succeeding in a new role often relies upon their motivators, and it is their connection with a cause that will see them persist through the difficulties inherent in a new role, which is why we spend and equal amount of time interrogating peoples’ commitment and motivation as we do we do their skills. Onboarding during these unusual times also offers a chance to think outside the box, so that a new hire feels just as much a part of the team as they would in an office environment. Technology and tools are enabling life-like interactions and a few moments of thoughtfulness, e.g. recording a short video to say hi from each team member or where possible to introduce the workspace to the new team member, can make a world of difference.
These times are challenging however it is those who maintain a long-term view, a level head and plan for future needs by leveraging the current opportunities, that will win.
