Recruiting the 'best Fit'

As a Security Department hiring manager for a multi-billion dollar company, I got to see first hand how companies struggle to recruit and retain the best. Having worked  with many good Recruiters and HR departments, I am still amazed at how many companies still recruit new EP and other security candidates by taking a generic security job profile,  and then send it out to the masses on every site in the world. Some of the best known, and most respected organizations are literally posting jobs on Craigslist because they just don't know where to find good people.
After sending out these broad-brush calls for applications, they must then cull through hundreds (if not thousands of resumes) trying to find that one candidate that is the "perfect fit". They are bombarded by resumes from great people. Military, law enforcement, security contractors...you name it. But they are not familiar with the nuances of this line of work, nor the terminology and acronyms that typically abound in resumes candidates for this field. By the time the recruiter is finished, he or she is weary-eyed,  worn out, and just wants to fill the spot. Keep in mind, recruiters are generally filling multiple positions, for multiple departments at once, so you can see how they get over-whelmed. And the process just continues.

On the other-hand, companies that have created a system where recruiters are working directly with an experienced security- specific hiring manager, or an out-sourced head-hunter who knows exactly what to look for, end up with the "cream of the crop". The experienced hiring manager is able to wade through the process, discard the bulk of the resumes (which if you know what, to look for eliminates a good 95% of the applicant pool),  and go directly to the top of the field of candidates.

Most Security/Protection resumes pools are comprised of 3 general categories.  The first are the jargon, mission-filled gobbledygook resumes that doesn't serve the job-seekers who wrote them well.  A lot of these guys/gals may be well qualified and have the experience, they just don't know how to transfer their experience to paper in order to get that initial phone screen.  The second, are the security resumes and job -seekers that just don't have the experience, nor the resume to qualify.  And then the third are the small group of candidates and resumes that have already worked in the field for a while and have their resumes honed-in like a missile.   These people generally get the "cold call" from the Recruiter.  Where they may get hung-up in the process are on their phone screens and interviews.  I will touch on that portion of the process on a later blog.

I don't want to come off as an know-it-all or elitist, but just want to "get real" with the truth.

Now, back to the process itself. If the hiring manager or subject matter expert does not know which candidates he or she is looking for, then how can the recruiter hope to find the right person for the job? In my previous role, I quickly saw that maintaining a good/collaborative relationship with my department's recruiter and HR-team were a necessity. I knew what I needed on my team, and they understood how to network and get the word out. I provided the content and screening expertise, and they ensured that my criteria and standards were made clear and consistent in our recruiting.

We worked synergistically. I provided the framework, educated them about our industry's standards (jargon, red-flags, etc),  and ensured our postings and process were properly aimed to attract the type of employee I wanted on my team. I then narrowed down the pool of candidates, and pushed them to the recruiter, so that they were then able to do their magic and recruit. This process took time to develop, but I am proud that we got it down to a science. We no longer aimed a fire-hose at the public, hoping the right person would find us. We were surgical and strategic in our recruitments, and our principal benefited from high caliber individuals, eager to join our team.

Hiring the right person the first time saves companies tens of thousands of dollars. Being strategic in developing applicant pools for jobs as specialized as Executive Protection, ensures that recruiters are not fielding resumes that are not the right fit.  The results speak for themselves.

Talent development and recruiting. Both critical components of a successful operating structure.

At OPStructure, we utilize this recruiting model to get companies the best people that "fit" the needs and culture of their organization.  We find and work with candidates to get their resumes and backgrounds seen.