Confucius once said, ‘Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.’
It’s not just ancient philosophers that have something interesting to say on the topic of work. Today, some of the most renowned industry leaders have shared the most inspiring and truthful words about hiring and recruitment, all of which, if taken to heart, can help to drive any business forward.
‘Hire on attitude. Not just experience and qualifications.’
– Greg Savage, Global Recruitment Guru
The truth is that for almost every job you post, you will be bombarded with cover letters and resumes from individuals who look perfect on paper. As we’ve discovered through the years, the key to hiring the best talent is to look beyond the skill sets and knowledge of the individual and to delve into an individual’s personality and experience. After all, as notable author Anthony Bourdain once said, ‘Skills can be taught. Character you either have or you don’t have.’
‘People can be really smart or have skills that are directly applicable, but if they don’t really believe in it, they are not going to really work hard…’
– Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was recently awarded a 99.3 percent approval rating by his Facebook employees, and it’s largely because he has changed the way employee engagement is done. This young CEO appears to have employee retention all figured out, and he does it all by showing that he trusts and believes in his staff.
Here are three things he does differently:
- Just as his social media platform has opened up global communications, Zuckerberg also has an open door policy in the workplace and all communications are transparent.
- Zuckerberg has eliminated traditional workplace hierarchies, meeting with staff from entry level to leadership roles.
- He continually encourages creativity and innovation in the workplace.
‘If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.’
– Tony Robbins, Renowned Life Coach and Motivational Speaker
The majority of companies today are dissatisfied with their recruitment and hiring methods, but are too afraid to kick their old habits. The recruitment industry is constantly evolving and change must be embraced. From new digital tools and social media opportunities to cutting edge hiring strategies based on scientific research, the companies who get the best results are those who are willing to revolutionize their recruitment and hiring dynamic.
‘Companies need to change the way they manage and lead to match the way that modern humans actually work and live.’
– Brian Halligan, Hubspot CEO
A growing number of CEOs are beginning to recognize that a crucial element to success is to be willing to change the way they’ve been doing things. From the get-go, Halligan has credited the success of his innovative company Hubspot to be because of his employees. And much like Zuckerberg, he believes in what he calls ‘radical transparency’.
‘The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.’
– Steve Jobs, Apple CEO
As the old saying goes, a business is only as good as the people who are in it. It’s pretty evident that many of today’s leading CEOs, including the iconic Steve Jobs, have recognized that. It’s no secret that Apple took advantage of both internal and external recruiting services, and Apple only regularly used those that went to exceptional lengths and delivered what Jobs himself referred to as ‘A+ players’.
Steve Jobs was a firm believer that we only get around to doing so many things in this life, so those that we choose to do should be done to the highest standards. This is a great reminder for all of us in the business world to remember as we step out, take risks, and strive to thrive in today’s competitive and often heated business environment.
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Research Partners is a London based Research firm with a global reach. For more information visit our website or follow us @rprecruiting.
