Why It's a Mistake to Copy Billion-Dollar Tech Giants

The Talent Revolution

Notes from Tom:

Recruitment advice that has been informed by all the “best” mainstream outlets is not always relevant and to the vast majority of companies it's actually harmful. That advice, often found in places like Forbes or Inc. Magazine, goes something like this:

“Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google are wildly successful companies. If you recruit the way they’re recruiting, you’ll have a shot at that level of success, too.”

Why is this advice irrelevant for most organizations? It’s because you aren't a billion dollar company. You don't exist in the same ecosystem as them, where the sound of your brand name alone opens doors and lures top talent away from their current jobs elsewhere. And because your company is not like theirs, it stands to reason that replicating their approach won’t work.

A typical recruitment experience at one of these companies includes some or all of the below:

• A multi-month recruitment process
• Ignoring candidates until late-stage interviews
• Providing no (or almost no) feedback
• Irrelevant brain teasers with no bearing on the job
• Ten-plus rounds of interviews
• Hyper-specific job descriptions
• Intensive applications that take an hour to complete

What does everything on the above list have in common? A negative candidate experience.

Think of recruitment as selling the opportunity to work at your company. You should put as much effort into that endeavor as your sales team does into selling your product, and perhaps even more so.

Here are a few ways to start doing just that:

• Identify your EVP. It won’t appeal to everybody, and that’s a good thing. Create a resonant employer brand, and put your message in front of the people who want what you’re selling.
• Make it easy to apply. It should take someone five minutes or less to answer basic screening questions and send you their resume and cover letter.
• Measure and track candidate response SLAs. The best candidates have a choice, and if you drag your feet, you could miss out on a great hire.
• Don’t neglect your onboarding experience. Too often, organizations invest heavily in recruitment and then trip at the finish line when they underwhelm new hires from day one. Keep employees excited and engaged from the start.
• Meet your candidates where they are. Think about sourcing strategy from end to end, with a people-first approach. Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal candidate; think about what they read and where they browse online, and engage them there.
• Incentivize referrals. Leverage your current team of unique humans to recommend others you haven’t met yet.

So don’t try to beat these wildly successful companies at their own game, or even emulate it. Think instead about what sets you apart. It won’t be for everyone, and that’s a good thing.

See Also:

TTR, Episode 1 - How to Out-Hire the Competition From a Global Talent Pool

TTR, Episode 3 - How to Perfect the Employee Experience with a Remote Workforce