THE ART OF REQUISITION. (from TheLadders.com)

The Art of the Requisition

By Patricia R. Olsen Do you remember the first job requisition you wrote? It’s probably a far cry from the ones you write today. The more you write them, the more you realize that it’s not the questions you ask the hiring manager; it’s the knowledge you’ve gained about the whole process that is so valuable.
Regina Angeles, owner of executive search firm Talent2050, has more than 10 years in the industry, and has a template that serves her, and hiring managers, well. But it’s what she does with that template, the expertise she’s gained over the years, that sells the managers.
Instead of a job description, recruiters need a marketing document, which is broader, she says. A good requisition not only tells candidates what the company does, but provides information like the role the position plays within the larger organization. If you’re thinking of keeping a requisition short and sweet — for whatever reason — don’t, she said. The more information, the better.
Angeles uses two main questions to draw hiring managers out and advise them.
1) What are the primary responsibilities of the role?
“Typically, [hiring managers] have a difficult time delineating this because they have a bucket list of what they want,” Angeles said. So she explains that a list of bullet points is not that useful and then educates them about how the req has to be more marketing-oriented to be truly effective.
Recently, Angeles completed a search for a new sales strategy position within a large advertising sales group. Some recruiters might have seen this as cut and dried, calling for nothing more than that bullet list. Angeles worked with the manager to define the strategic elements of the position, the interactions within the sales organization and the ongoing mandates the person would be in charge of. In other words, what initiatives would the person be expected to push through? The candidate was also expected to conduct competitive research.
2) What are the ideal characteristics of the candidate you’re seeking?
These are the specifics: years of experience, skills, degree, technology, platforms, languages and knowledge of various markets. Next are the softer attributes, such as “strong communication skills” and “leader.”
Angeles doesn’t include salary range because “it’s simply one data point,” and also because the cost of living varies from area to area, which would limit the pool when the business is doing a national search. Also, some candidates forgo applying when they see a range because they think it’s too low, even though it may be right on the money for their skills and experience. Finally, it’s a buyer’s market, Angeles notes. The recruiter knows the range and can benchmark it with the marketplace. “There’s no need to cite salary at this stage of the process,” she said. If the final candidates are worth more than the company is offering, she’ll tell the hiring manager that the company needs to “recalibrate” the salary range. “It’s a constant negotiation,” she said.

Filter Down

She finds managers who can’t verbalize what they’re looking for, who instead say, “I’ll know it when I see it,” frustrating, because it means they don’t know what they want. In a case like this, she suggests starting with a big funnel and then filtering down. “Keep filtering. But some [managers], especially in this market, have a wish list of 20 characteristics,” she said. In that case, she simply says that one person couldn’t possibly have that many attributes. “It’s a matter of educating them and pushing back,” she explained. She’ll say to them, “Now that I’m presenting candidates to you, where are you finding the skills that are more important? How are you prioritizing what was on our theoretical list versus the actual people you’re meeting?”
But prior to that conversation, and before presenting a candidate, Angeles has connected with candidates at three points: assessing their resume, talking by phone and meeting in person or by means of Skype. She not only has a professional view of each person, she knows what the candidate is like personally. Once again, her years in the trenches come through.
That is the value of experience.