In the Salesforce ecosystem, the talent shortage is wreaking havoc on businesses trying to grow. Every hiring manager is under pressure to deliver, and many often feel held over a barrel retaining underperformers.
By making a few simple tweaks to how you hire, you can beat your competition, accurately hire top employees, and improve your company and career. Here are a few best practices and behaviors my top clients incorporate, which have led to their exponential growth during the talent shortage.
Tips to help you win the War for Talent.

1. Assume every other company wants the candidate you want, too.
   • Act accordingly with speed and strong offers.
     • To improve speed, block time on all interviewers’ calendars to prevent meeting delays.
     • Get budgetary sign-off before starting the hunt.
     • Have benefits and general offer paperwork pre-drafted.
     • Strong offers don’t have to mean more money, but they usually do. Unlimited PTO, fully remote work, and bonuses tied to business success and acquiring certifications are becoming commonplace. You’re better off paying for top employees and retaining them than flooding the floor with average employees.
2. Compare candidates to your top employees first.
   • These comparisons matter more than how they compare to other candidates. The days of talking to 3-5 candidates for comparison have practically vanished for certain positions. You don’t need to speak to 5 architects if you already have two good ones on your team and understand how to interview.
3. Get great at interviewing.
   • You probably don’t have 10,000 interviews under your belt, so here are a few shortcuts to having better discussions and making better decisions.
     • Allow candidates to ask all their questions upfront. You’ll not only learn a ton about what is important to them, but they’ll also relax, having had their questions answered. This tip is straight out of Recruit Rockstars by Jeff Hyman. 
     • Sell before you screen. Candidates should clearly understand what they can expect from you as a manager, the company, growth opportunities, employee investments, clients, projects, culture, and work expectations. Once they understand that, screen them carefully. Leaders often pretend there’s a line out the door to get into their company when there isn’t. Don’t be that person.
     • Review a candidate’s work history by starting with their oldest job on the resume within 15 years. A more natural story of their career progression will unfold, and you’ll get more reliable information. After all, an interview shouldn’t feel like you’re watching Memento or Pulp Fiction. Keep the timeline simple.
     • Focus on accomplishments and ask clarifying questions.
       • What are two accomplishments you are proud of at XYZ company?
       • How did you achieve it?
       • Who else helped?
       • What was the aha moment?
       • What did you learn from that experience about your role?
       • About yourself?
     • Set clear expectations on when they can expect to hear back from you. Always follow up promptly to stay top of mind and show you care.
4. Extend an offer to the first great candidate who makes it through your interview process.
   • Don’t wait for everyone else to finish. 1/2 of my clients hire the first candidate we present to them. The risk of losing a top candidate to a competitor or their current company is enormous. I estimate a 50% greater chance of a competing offer for top candidates this year than two years ago. Keep up with traffic, or you’ll get stuck in the slow lane.

When your business relies on top-performing professionals, recognize that hiring in this market is a competition. Play to improve your business and help your customers. Play to improve someone’s career. Play to improve your own. Most importantly, play to win.