I write when I get that bug in my ear - that little voice that just keep repeating a one-liner or something that clicks in my head. Otherwise, writing feels a little forced and I feel like people can smell my insincerity and the forced manufacturing of ideas. This weekend, that little bug kept saying "I love recruiting because it's this perfect blend of psychology and ...."
I couldn't pick one word to concisely and prophetically complete that sentence; to summarize all the nuance I've picked up about recruiting. For the people we hold in the highest regard, I imagine each of them would share a different second word about what drives them. Personally, I love the mix of psychology and science that goes into it. How the best of our industry can be so balanced in their approach to human nature and then use a thousand plug-ins and hacks to discover the details.
What pushed me to finally translate that bug into a post was a call over the weekend. A call I wasn't expecting on a Saturday morning from a millennial who wanted advice on how to get an HR job. She told me that she wanted a job in benefits. No more than 3 sentences later, she tells me she wants a high-energy environment and to work on the weekends.
"Stop right there," I said. I hate to burst a bubble but benefits and "high-energy" don't usually fit into the same category for me. I quickly stepped up on my metaphorical soapbox and started this diatribe about why I thought she should try recruiting.
See, recruiting isn't perfect but at least it's not a check box job. It's not process and printing. Yes, still printing even though it's 2017 (but print is not my diatribe of the day so I'll let it go). Maybe I'm mistaken but half the traditional benefits jobs I hear about are restrained by a lot of legalities. You're trying to make sure you've crossed the t's and dotted the i's.
Recruiting at it's best is conversations, creativity, development and relationship management. We tell the story that makes a job description something human. We have the opportunity to make a candidate feel like a human instead of a piece of paper. We offer people a chance to be inspired, creative and happy at work. I'd suggest a round in recruiting to anyone who's trying to figure out where they fit in HR. The people side is critical to all the things that support people, after all.
While I understand the value of payroll and benefits and am so grateful to the people who make it work seamlessly in so many organizations, their teams aren't typically a fit for someone with bright eyes who wants to change the world and minds. There just isn't a lot of space for innovation.
She hesitantly agreed and I could tell she was nervous. Recruiting has a reputation - not always a good one. Despite that, so many of us are recruiters by trade. So, now I'm curious. Why do you love recruiting?
