Wow, this Pokemon Go thing has really taken off, hasn’t it? I totally get its appeal, and although I’m not yet addicted to the game myself, I genuinely feel for those who are. For ambitious people, there’s nothing worse than being surrounded by opportunities, unable to react. I can imagine it’s terribly frustrating having your phone sat next to you at work, silently begging you to pick it up and have a play. Time and place, time and place.
In these trying times, I bet you’re having to exercise the most self control you’ve ever known. Your self-talk is no doubt getting more intense as the days go by. “No,” you tell yourself quietly, “I must resist the temptation to shoot virtual balls at animated characters that appear to be near to me and real, but actually don’t exist. I must focus on my job like the adult I must keep pretending to be.”
For years you ignored all advice to take lunch breaks. Nowadays, thanks to Nintendo’s nostalgic comeback, the clock strikes twelve and you’re out the door, albeit eyes still buried in a screen. Hey, at least you’re up and moving. If only there was a way to channel this determination and commitment into your recruitment activity. You’d be the most determined recruiter on the scene, catching candidates left, right and centre, at all hours of the day. *Sigh*.
Let me Poke-stop you right there. If you’ve been struggling to find the Wigglytuff and Jigglypuff your client’s urgently needing, your struggle ends here. Watch out candidates, you’re all about to be caught. It’s time to turn your Pokemon Go obsession into recruitment gold!
Forget about all your other priorities
That’s right, you read correctly. Clear your agenda, cross off all those other important tasks and turn on your tunnel vision. Just like you do when you’re playing Pokemon Go, you need to focus 100% of your energy on the task at hand; catching great candidates.
Stop at nothing
It’s easy to spot you when you’re playing Pokemon Go in the street. You have that characteristic sway going on; your footwork is irregular and you’re intently staring at your phone. You’re completely unaware of your surroundings, and you will dart dangerously out into the middle of the road to to catch Charmander even if it means almost causing a huge crash. That’s the kind of commitment I’m talking about!
Size up the competition
Make sure you know who else is out there playing the same field. You need to know who you’re up against, how good they are and what their strategy is. When you’re playing Pokemon Go, you don’t let the guy next to you catch the Squirtle you’ve been eyeing off, so why would you let another recruitment consultant swoop in and steal your candidate right before your eyes? Go hard or go home. It’s time to mark your territory.
Hone cat-like reflexes
What have we learnt about speed from Pokemon Go? You snooze, you lose. You need to be quick to move, and be at the ready at any given moment. Let nothing or no one sneak up on you. Be prepared. It’s no different when you’re out catching candidates. If a new hot candidate uploads their CV on a job board, you need to be there. If a great candidate updates their profile on LinkedIn, pounce! How can you help them? Here’s how!
Keep your eyes on the prize
Don’t lose sight of the end goal. Sleep is for the weak. In Pokemon Go, if you close your eyes, you might miss the perfect Pidgey. When it comes to sourcing candidates, look all around you. Sure, job boards and LinkedIn are obvious go-to places. The key is to make sure you really rinse your internal database for existing candidates and exhaust your own network too, asking for referrals and leads.
Throw jobs like they’re pokeballs
In Pokemon Go, you don’t just throw one ball at the Metapod and then walk away when you miss, do you? No! If you have your sights set on a star candidate, don’t let them dodge your first attempt at getting them on board. You need to commit to selling your client’s vacancy, and not give up on the first failure. If it takes multiple messages, emails, calls to actually get a candidate on the phone, then that’s what you’re going to have to do. If they don’t want to apply for your urgent role, then at least offer them the chance to apply for another open vacancy you’ve got going. It’s a numbers game, to some extent.
Do these things, and your nickname will be Top Biller before you know it. Happy candidate hunting!
