For those of you unfamiliar with Doctor Who, he is the hero of the world’s longest running sci-fi show. Although the show is only 50 years old, The Doctor is 2,000 years old. He is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, has two hearts and travels in a spaceship that looks exactly like a 1950’s British police box that is called the TARDIS. TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. This allows the Doctor to travel backwards and forwards in time and to other worlds.
It can get quite lonely traveling through time and space, so The Doctor usually asks one or more human companions to join him.
Just like recruiters, The Doctor must choose his companions wisely. Adventures in time and space are fraught with danger. The Doctor’s only weapons are his wit and a sonic screwdriver.
So, how does The Doctor always seem to recruit the right companions?
• Dig Deeper
The Doctor takes a scientific approach to every new situation he explores. He doesn’t take things at face value and understands that the most interesting stuff is just under the surface. He investigates by asking the right questions and through keen observation.
You emulate the Doctor by asking questions that require more than a yes or no answer. In HR-speak, these are called “behavioral interview questions”.
The Doctor wouldn’t ask his companion, Clara, “Did you enjoy meeting Robin Hood?” Instead, he would ask, “How do you think Robin Hood keeps his band of merry men so happy?” This leads to a robust discussion about leadership and management styles.
• Have a heart (or two)
The Doctor always gives people, including his enemies (and other alien beings), a choice. He gives them a chance to decide if they want to go down a path of redemption or self-destruction.
Have a heart for your candidates. It’s not uncommon for candidates to completely revise their resumes and agonize over a cover letter for days just so they can apply for your opening. It can also take well over an hour to apply for a job through a web-based applicant tracking system.
So, don’t discount your candidates. Review their submissions and see if there’s another choice for them. Perhaps your location isn’t hiring, but one nearby is. Maybe the candidate isn’t the right fit for your opening, but they’d be a good fit for another position. Make the extra effort. It’s the right thing to do and it also enhances your brand. Don’t forget that today’s candidate is also tomorrow’s customer. Be sure to follow up with them or they will fall into a black hole. People who fall into black holes usually don’t have nice things to say about the folks who put them there.
• Use Your Sonic Screwdriver
Long before MacGyver, there was The Doctor. The Doctor is a genius at tinkering with broken machinery until it’s fixed. He can also build advanced equipment out of junk. Just look at his dog, K-9. He’s built out of scrap metal and his ears look suspiciously like plastic strainers, yet he is a chess master.
Use your imagination to tinker with your processes. All too often companies implement systems that don’t serve their recruiters, hiring managers, or candidates. So, tear those systems apart. Experiment. Diagram your processes and remove roadblocks and bottlenecks. Carefully implement new technology as it usually won’t fix underlying problems with your process. Above all, make your process mobile-friendly. Remember, the Doctor can use his sonic screwdriver on cell phones, so your next candidate may be applying from a galaxy far, far away – or a new talent pool – that you have yet to explore.
Allons-y! (English: Let’s Go!)
For those of you who are just discovering the Doctor, it’s true: you never forget your first Doctor. Your candidates will similarly never forget their experience with your recruiting process. Make sure they always associate your brand with respect by recruiting with two hearts and a sonic screwdriver.
Are you curious about the Whovians behind HR Virtuoso Company? Or would you just like a free recruitment process assessment? Either way, please contact us at info@hrvirtuoso.com, where we still think bow ties are cool.