The problem with naming your Staffing Agency, Rockstar Recruiting, is the reality that you do not always need a Rockstar. It doesn’t matter if you call it a Purple Squirrel, Wizard, Unicorn, Superstar or Rockstar we all have a term for that 1 in a Million hard to fill role that is going to take our company to the next level. As recruiters that is what we got into the business to do but the reality is that most roles just don’t require someone that special. For most roles, Good is Good Enough.
Every company has a role within their organization that is super important but it is not super important who fills that role. For example in our Mechanics Division (Rockstar Mechanics) we get a lot of searches for Preventative Maintenance Technicians. These roles are incredibly important especially for Truck Fleets, these are entry level Diesel Mechanics who are doing the basic repairs and maintenance that keep the trucks on the road. A good preventative maintenance schedule can save a lot of money by keeping the trucks in peak operating order and preventing the need for larger repairs and breakdowns. So the job is incredibly important but it is not a job that requires a lot of skill. Any Diesel Mechanic straight out of trade school or with a year or two of experience can do the job.
In these situations it is important to remember that Good is Good Enough. When hiring for these roles remember what you are going to be asking the person to do and select someone who has the basic qualifications to do the job required. You do not need to find someone with 10+ years of experience or all kinds of certifications. What you need more than skills and experience is someone with a good attitude and the willingness to work hard and follow the rules.
Another time we often see companies looking for more than they actually need is when it comes to shift. This particularly comes up with our Millwright division (Rockstar Millwrights.) Many Millwright openings are on the night shift, while there are some individuals who do prefer the night shift it is not common. Usually you find someone who is willing to work nights not necessarily someone who wants to work nights. With this in mind you have to manage you expectations and instead of looking for a Rockstar who is going to be the highest skilled tech you have ever hired, instead look for someone who is competent and available for nights.
What many successful companies will do is shift work around to match the teams they have. For example if you do have a number of highly skilled individuals but they are all on your day shift and your night shift is made up of less experienced staff who are only capable of more basic to intermediate work then try to schedule the more complicated work for the day shift and leave the basic work for the nights. Sometimes you have to work with the staff that you have as opposed to the staff you wish you had.
A third area that comes up often is seeking employees with more qualifications than you actually need. At Rockstar Recruiting this is most seen in our HVAC division (Rockstar HVAC.) Certifications for HVAC Techs are different in every State and Province but typically you will find certifications that cover Residential work and a separate set of certifications that cover Commercial work. We will often have a client call in saying they want a Tech that has both sets of certification even though 90% of their work falls under one of the classifications. In these types of situations, you need to ask yourself what certifications, education, training, experience etc. is required and what is more of a nice to have.
It is important that while nice to have is nice it is not required. Think of hiring like buying a car. If you are choosing between a Mercedes and a Mazda obviously the Mercedes will be more appealing to most but is also a lot more expensive. How many of the bells and whistles do you need and how many are nice to have? If you are on a budget and need something that will take you from A to B then choose accordingly. Similarly when hiring, choose what you need. For our HVAC friends if the vast majority of your work is residential then focus on hiring a residential tech, if they happen to have commercial tickets that is a bonus, not a requirement.
Why does this matter?
Most companies want it all. We want the super experienced, highly qualified person at a budget rate. This is just not realistic and there are 2 main reasons why it is important to focus on hiring Good Enough.
- Time
There are not a lot of Rockstars out there but there are a ton of qualified people that can get the job done. If you are holding out for a Rockstar when what you need is someone that is more average you will be wasting a lot of time trying to fill the role. Lengthening your time to fill for a position can be very expensive and there are genuine costs of having a vacant position.
- Boredom/Turnover
If you get lucky and you do find that person that ticks off every box there is a good chance they are overqualified for the role you just hired them for. If this is the case they may get bored quickly in this role and will not be hanging around long. Often you are better off hiring someone who will be challenged and will be working hard to achieve as opposed to someone who is overqualified and not stimulated.
I fully understand and support that hiring is incredibly important and I would never suggest just hiring whoever comes along. I am recommending that for certain roles Good is Good Enough, we are not suggesting that anyone is Good Enough, Good still comes with many criteria. They must have the basic qualifications and more importantly must be a fit (good attitude, fit with your company culture etc.)
Even for entry level roles, the tendency is to want to hire someone who will be promotable but remember that most companies are shaped like a pyramid. There are more people at the bottom with lower level skills than there are people at the top. Not everyone that you hire needs to be promoted, also every time you promote someone you have to backfill the role you are promoting them from.
Going back to our Preventative Maintenance Technician example, a trucking company will always need PM Techs and hiring someone that is happy in that role and wants to stick in that role is a great thing.
Lastly, yes we can still help you with your Good Enough roles. While we love the thrill of the Rockstar Search our bread is buttered from the Good Enough roles. Don’t settle for Average but it is ok to settle for Good.
For all your Millwright, Mechanic and HVAC Tech roles you can trust Rockstar Recruiting. Give us a call at 1-833-937-3546 or e-mail us at info@rockstarrecruiting.ca.
