WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR NEXT JOB OR HIRE?
Manage to those Expectations!
I remember a small plaque hanging in my uncle’s den when I
was a kid. The black type on that worn wooden disk advised, “Never expect
anything, and you’ll never be disappointed."
As a child, it made little sense to me. However, as an adult
who has spent my entire career working in the staffing industry, I now realize how
insightful an expression it is. Expectations are the filter through which every
upcoming experience is calibrated. The more we expect, the more intensely we
judge the result. If you want consistently great outcomes, it’s critical to manage
your practices to the commensurate expectation.
At Elite Technical, we strive to exceed expectations. For
this reason, we actually go out of our way to disqualify candidates before choosing to submit them. And
while it sounds counter-intuitive, we sometimes decline to pursue business with
companies seeking to enlist our services. Why are we so selective about the
very contractors and clients we hope to serve? Because we set our own expectations
with a vision for great end results.
We base every future action on our ability to meet or exceed
expectations for our clients, contractors and company. We begin every potential
engagement based on those expectations. We then manage every action, including our
diligent qualification process, to ensure that in the end, we have served all
involved parties well!
So, imagine how disappointed I felt upon hearing recently
that an Elite Technical-submitted candidate had backed out of a placement after
being selected by the hiring manager. Fortunately, this rarely happens. But
when it does, it really hurts. That candidate missed an opportunity to grow
with a great company, that client lost critical time in the hiring process
during a peak season, and our team spent a lot of time on a placement that
didn’t work out. No party achieved their expected outcome, and we are ultimately
accountable for that.
Managing expectations is why we ask tough questions. We must evaluate more
than a candidate’s skill level,
experience and history to meet them. We also try to learn as much as we can about
the tangible and intangible characteristics of each client’s culture and
preferred candidate character traits. We must elicit the maximum amount of information
available, on both sides, to
assess the likelihood that a given candidate will accept the job,
assimilate into the client’s corporate culture and successfully fulfill the
technical and/or functional requirements of the position for which the candidate
is hired. When achieved, that result would meet or exceed even the loftiest
expectations of everyone involved. That’s our job.
What expectations do you have for your own work, relationships and processes? How do you meet them?
First, set clear expectations for actions and results needed when you engage in a project or business relationship.
We know there can be bumps in the road. We understand that sometimes we'll need a contingency plan. But, to ensure desired results, work
toward the best possible outcome from the start—by outlining expectations as you begin, and then managing your process to meet them. For example: At Elite Technical, we start candidate relationships by ensuring that our candidates consciously choose Elite
Technical. We execute Right-to-Represent Agreements with all our candidates.
As a result, our clients can trust
that each candidate we submit has
signed us as their sole representative for the position sought. In essence, they know what to expect at contract time when they choose to hire the person we submit.
Second, communicate clearly, concisely, consistently and comprehensively to make sure everyone understands all expectations.
At Elite Technical, we communicate to each candidate what it means to be
an Elite Technical contractor and tell them what they can expect from our team with
respect to the recruitment-to-placement process. We share information about our recruiting and hiring processes, benefits packages and educational opportunities. We let candidates know that,
if hired, they will become part of Elite Technical’s extensive contractor
network which helps them stay apprised of market trends and skill-building
opportunities, while making new contacts. We discuss contract terms and
provide professional legal agreements that clearly spell out expectations for both parties. We further inform our candidates so they understand what to expect
when they are on-boarded by Elite Technical and how to best prepare for a
successful engagement with the company contracting for their services.
Third, consider the expectations of all stakeholders and create a plan to address them.
At the start of each engagement, we set expectations not only with candidates but for and with our clients, too. We let our clients know exactly what to expect from Elite
Technical’s quality-managed team throughout the process and even after hiring. As a trusted
partner, we detail skills and also share what we learn from the rigorous
assessments and behavioral interviews we conduct with candidates. Our professional submittal
packages ensure that clients receive the information necessary for good hiring
decisions. We present what we can do for our clients, and also we let our clients know what we need from them to do the best job possible.
Fourth, evaluate how well you met those expectations and implement changes needed for continuous satisfaction.
Elite Technical has spent more than 25 years building our
reputation for upholding the highest standards of integrity and service to
clients, candidates and contractors. During qualification and contracting processes,
we dig deeply to help ensure that clients and contractors are delighted and their high expectations are satisfied. In the rare instance that an engagement
doesn’t work out to everyone’s satisfaction, our replacement program provides a
safety net. Upon client request, we get right back to our proven process for identifying
a candidate who not only looks great on paper and during interviews, but is
equally thrilled to meet our client’s needs throughout the project life-cycle. That's what you can expect from Elite Technical.
Want to know more about how we qualify candidates and plan
successful placements? Ask us.
Have a position you need us to fill? Tell
us about it.
Have skills we are searching for? Let us know / submit your résumé.
