There’s the old adage about “quality versus quantity” that says if you have to choose between a few exceptional things, skills, or people, and a large group of the same, but of unexceptional caliber, it’s always better to go with a few very good choices, than a lot of average ones.
But for people with staffing problems that are working with recruiters to fill a void in their roster, this can often be a very a difficult challenge to overcome. This is especially true in a competitive employment scene where the demand for competent, skilled workers may be higher than the actual available pool.
One key to increasing your chances of a quality hire is to cultivate relationships with recruiters, especially those you may have had success with in the past. Staffing can be difficult because of the speed at which a job can be offered and a qualified employee can fill it. It’s common for the same position to be open across multiple companies, and if the qualified workers are in short supply, then it is the recruiter that refers a potential employee to a hungry company that is going to make the difference between a great new hire and a continuing search.
A recruiter you trust, with a solid relationship between you, is going to remember you and keep you uppermost in mind when these qualified hires make an appearance. If you can afford to wait for the right person to come along, you’re in a much better position to get the hire you want.
Of course, this isn’t always possible and in some cases, especially extremely competitive periods, it may be more realistic to scale back expectations and understand that some of the “good ones” may get away if you don’t move fast enough, but that there are other hires who may still acceptably fill the roles that you need.
Electric construction is often a delicate balance between doing the best you can with what you have. Hiring new employees is often similar, though in this case, the conditions depend on a lot on the available pool of employees coming in, and how aggressive other companies are in their search to fill positions.
