Shazam’s Ruth Penfold Gives Her Top Tips For Recruiting Open Talent

By January 24, 2017For Companies

If you don’t know who open or passive candidates are at this stage, you’re not just behind, you’re missing out on two-thirds of the workforce! Read this blog to catch up and then return for our Q&A with Ruth Penfold, Director of Talent Acquisition at Shazam. As well as her immense knowledge of HR and recruiting, she’s a master yogi and Snapchat filter enthusiast.


Q: What are the best ways to spark the interest of open Talent?

RecruitingBy working out who you really are as a business and letting that permeate everything you do. Your vibe really will attract your tribe. The key is to make sure that people have enough access to that kind of information. That can be the challenge!  Make sure you have a clear focus on your employer brand at all times!

What platforms are you using to promote your company, free or otherwise? Which events are you exhibiting at? Which are you sponsoring? Which are you hosting? Find out where the candidates you’re looking for ‘live’ both online and in real life.

People feel authenticity instinctively – whether you meet them online or in person, so make sure that the version of you that you show to the world is the real one.

Q: How do you initiate contact with open candidates?

I approach people as human beings first and foremost. One size does not fit all. Be versatile. Be aware that not all interactions work for everyone. Some people like to speak on the phone, some like to meet, some like to send messages, some like to email. Be prepared to adopt the style of your approach and interaction for different audiences by being mindful of their responses when you approach them. Reading emotional intelligence effectively will mean that you are able to find a style that works for all parties.

Q: What are the important things to consider when recruiting open candidates?

If you are interested in someone professionally, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask them to meet or connect online. It’s hugely flattering to have someone be interested in your expertise and what you do – most people will be responsive when you ask them. The worst thing that would happen is they say no but there is an even bigger chance that they will say yes. Once contact has been made, keep it as real as possible. Tell them about the cool projects lined up but be open about the challenges also.

I find the challenges can often be the things that spark the most interest, so don’t be afraid to share them. A smart person will see the opportunity in being able to fix them.

Be mindful though that this candidate is ‘open’, therefore you need to really start to offer them the role from the very first contact – that is to start to work out what’s important to them and what makes them tick – if those things match with your organisation, give them ample opportunity to discover those things about your business.

Q:How important are team referrals?

HUGE but they shouldn’t be focused on to the exclusion of everything else either. That said –

The people that understand your culture best are the people within your teams. They are also your best advertisement, it all comes back to humans!

Don’t be afraid to encourage your team to see themselves as brand advocates – the entire organisation should be invested in recruiting. Hiring great people is great for the whole organisation and to do it right, you need the whole team to be an extension of the recruitment team. 


 

blog-image-2-01


 

Author Aoife Geary

Aoife Geary is the Content Editor at Jobbio specialising in the areas of Workplace Culture, Diversity, Startups and Digital Trends. She's partial to a burrito, a bad pun and living way beyond her means.

More posts by Aoife Geary

Leave a Reply