Recruiting Is a Contact Sport

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Recruiting Is a Contact Sport

By Desiree Grace

You think boxing is tough? Wrestling? Try recruiting in today’s labor market.

Recruiting in a tight labor market is tough. Recruiting for an industry that flies under the radar is tougher. When you work in the B2B space, you need to be a tough, creative recruiter. Don’t try to snag another company’s A player and spend big bucks. Instead, investigate the worlds of retail and hospitality.

Why?

Retail and hospitality professionals already do the hardest part of customer-facing work. People in hospitality and retail have the skills you need: interpersonal skills, the ability to stay calm under pressure, and adaptability.

Interpersonal skills:
They know how to look people in the eye. They can quickly assess mood and personality. They can smile, be friendly, and lift the customer’s mood. This matters.

Stay calm:
When people have experienced the worst, such as being stuck in a snowstorm and missing their meeting or vacation, they can become stressed and short-tempered. Plans may change. Keeping your cool and not absorbing the stress is a transferable skill.

Adaptability:
Retail and hospitality professionals have learned to pivot quickly. They develop a high adaptability quotient. When the customer can’t get the room they want or the size is too small, these professionals know how to pivot and adapt. “This room is closer to the pool.” “This brand runs small.” Thinking on your feet is valuable, regardless of the customer sector you serve.

You can teach product knowledge. You can teach your industry. If a candidate has soft skills and a strong desire to learn, they can develop the hard skills of wiring devices, lighting design, and motor control centers.

So get creative and think outside the box. Consider retail and hospitality the next time you need talent. The tough get going and get creative. They don’t settle for easy answers and obvious candidates. Neither should you.

If you’re rethinking how and where you find talent, River Heights Consulting can help with recruiting, interviewing, and development strategies that work in today’s market. Let’s start the conversation.




TL;DR

In a tight labor market, stop chasing competitors’ talent. Look to retail and hospitality for adaptable, customer-skilled candidates you can train.



Author Bio

Desiree Grace steps into the ring for River Heights Consulting, ready to take on the toughest recruiting battles in today’s labor market. With a hard-hitting, no-excuses approach, she throws out the playbook that doesn’t work and delivers strategies that go the distance when hiring gets tough.





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