Recruit Like Warren Buffett Invests! by Kimberly Schenk

Whether one is recruiting loan officers, computer programmers, engineers, or CEOs, sound, simple strategies always produce desirable results. Warren Buffett has become an investment icon by using what he calls a value investing strategy.  Specifically he advises followers to focus on what an investment will produce.

This is wise advice for recruiters as well.

Great recruiters know their success lies in the quality of their conversations with candidates and hiring managers. The best recruiters follow a proven strategy to match ideal workers to their client’s requirements for a position. To maximize the company’s potential candidates must be a technical and cultural fit. Recruiters invest in their thought process and skill sets to achieve their production goals.

Focus on what a candidate will produce.

Just like Warren, when we listen carefully to our client’s needs we can dismiss the less productive and culturally incompatible candidates. When we understand the big picture of what a company client wants to accomplish, we can better qualify those candidates who are an ideal match.

Luckily, people are not machines.

As recruiters we must interview carefully. Productive thinkers may not be obvious. A productive person employs a combination of intellect, skill, pride in their work, ambition, self-motivation, and ability to communicate ideas. Sometimes a very productive person may need a good coach in the form of management, to produce their best work. It helps if the candidate genuinely loves the work she’s chosen.

A predictive benchmark of one’s ability to produce is past performance.

We often embrace the work ethic of our upbringing. Being from the Chicago area I can joke about the mid-western work ethic with others from the region. We get up and work everyday until we die. It’s ingrained no matter what level of success is achieved. We work at our education, hobbies, on our homes, and we help others. Of course many cultures and areas have similar philosophies so ingrained they seem natural.

Productive people have this:

Productive people believe they will produce. They almost cannot produce because the drive is so strong. Some people need training, and wise companies provide instruction. Some gain confidence by doing so it’s important to have standards and pinpoint areas to improve. We all have the potential to become experts. At the core of recruiting is identifying those who possess the internal conviction that they are productive beings. Productive people have tenacity to stick to a project until it's done well.

When recruiting trainees look for signals and proof of prior accomplishments that point to the caliber of person being hired. Productive people won’t be slotted into a wasteland position. Make sure your company is equipped with vision, purpose, and opportunities for advancement if you want to retain the most productive workers.

By following Warren Buffett’s advice to focus on what an investment will produce, a recruiter will do well. New hires are the most important investment for a company. Refine your recruiting process to incorporate strategies that lead to high quality hires and watch your dividends grow.

Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, Author of Top Recruiter Secrets, In-House Recruiting: How To Recruit Anyone!, I Communicate, and Cold Call Therapy