On recruitment myths and successful new hires

What stories don’t we hear about recruiting new colleagues? A quirky recruitment website, expensive HR marketing campaigns, loads of benefits ranging from yoga breaks to company bikes – there’s no end to the so-called solutions to the skills shortage. But do these massive efforts actually make a difference in reality? We discussed this with Zach Davis on our weekly programme „hsp live at 11“. An expert on topics such as effectiveness and time management, he is the managing director of the capacity management firm Simple First Consulting. The sought-after trainer, speaker and author spoke with hsp CEO Paul Liese about myths, facts and real solutions.

Having been self-employed for 20 years, he has come into increasingly frequent contact with the tax consultancy sector through client engagements in recent years. It therefore stands to reason that he has delved deeper and deeper into the issues that concern law firms. Zach Davis sees capacity – or, more specifically, bottlenecks – as the biggest problem facing firms. The problem, he says, is not the volume of work but the lack of resources to keep up with it. To tackle this challenge, tax consultancy firms have only a limited number of options at their disposal: limiting the number of clients, increasing efficiency and boosting resources.

The truth is that even an expert with decades of experience like Zach cannot conjure up new tax specialists out of thin air. The talk will focus on staying one step ahead in the competition for the skilled workers currently available. Paul describes this as a cut-throat competition, in which the shortage is simply shifted from one firm to another. When Zach is called in as a consultant to a firm, the question of staff turnover therefore naturally arises first. Specifically, the focus is on avoidable staff turnover, such as resignations due to dissatisfaction. Unavoidable staff turnover, such as pregnancies, illness and retirement, is – as the name suggests – unavoidable.

Many law firms underestimate the importance of their careers website

In theory, Zach would start by focusing on staff satisfaction within the firm and working conditions when dealing with a new client. Only then would he tackle the recruitment of new colleagues. In practice, however, the pressure is already so high that both steps usually have to be tackled simultaneously. Paul points out that it makes no sense to look for new staff without first establishing an employer brand. After all, if a firm has no story to tell, what is it going to say to potential applicants? Zach agrees and adds that simply replacing staff is not a solution as long as resignations continue to mount up. On the other hand, there are also law firms with no significant avoidable staff turnover. Their staff shortages usually stem from inadequate recruitment.

Zach Davis urges people to place great importance on having an attractive careers website. In concrete terms, this means that, for Zach, the website itself should score at least a 7 on a scale of 1 (unattractive) to 10 (perfect). Put simply, the website should be appealing rather than off-putting. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a 10, as visitors usually come to find out or do something specific. The jobs or careers page, however, should be a 9 or 10 – in other words, virtually perfect. This is where it is decided whether someone applies or not. If an HR initiative attracts many visitors to the website, it is only here that it is determined whether nobody applies, or whether 10 per cent or 40 per cent do. Ultimately, therefore, the effectiveness of all initiatives is largely determined by the careers website.

Satisfied staff are the best testimonials

But what does a 10 mean to Zach? Naturally, the basics have to be right: the site should look visually appealing, modern and friendly. What Zach really doesn’t like to see are stock photos – or pages devoid of people. It’s better to feature real employees, who ideally get a chance to have their say as well. It certainly helps, of course, if the employer ensures that the employees are genuinely enthusiastic. Satisfied employees, in turn, provide compelling testimonials that are irreplaceable.

Paul then explains how things work at hsp. Each of hsp’s departments offers a quiz for applicants. If the applicant completes the quiz successfully, they are given an appointment for a job interview. The method works very well. When it comes to the simplicity of the application process, Zach recommends minimising any hurdles as much as possible. This means it should be as straightforward as possible to apply to the firm. After all, tax firms rarely find themselves in a position where they receive too many applications. The approaches taken by firms vary. Some even allow interested candidates to simply drop by during office hours.

Which recruitment strategies work – and which don’t

Which recruitment strategies are becoming less and less effective? Zach begins his list with the obvious advertising channels, such as print adverts. But online job portals are also becoming less effective. And in recent months, the effectiveness of social media campaigns has declined rapidly. The reasons: there is more competition within social media platforms, as more and more companies have discovered their potential. This increased demand has also driven up the cost.

And which approaches work well in recruitment? First and foremost, you should make use of your network – that is, direct and indirect personal contacts. Zach Davis believes that the firm’s management should lead the way, utilising existing communication channels, acquiring the necessary communication skills and putting them into practice. In a second step, staff can be brought on board. Instead of paid content, Zach favours content marketing, whilst noting the high level of wastage.