062 - Hiring TOP Talent

Joining me is Tonia Martinez. 

Tonia is the CEO and Founder of Career Transformations, a boutique recruiting consulting firm. Tonia partners with small to midsize businesses that have slim to no HR departments or no recruiters in place. 

Tonia brings a diverse background when it comes to working in a variety of industries and hiring for a wide range of positions on a national level basis. 

She delivers a holistic approach to the hiring process incorporating her HR knowledge. One of Tonia's goals is to give managers and owners up to 80% of their time back so they can focus on their business. 

To learn more, visit https://careertransformationsdenver.co

In this episode we will cover:

• Strategic Hiring & Diversity
• Qualifications & Growth Mindset
• Recruiting Method
• Psychological Well Being
• Engagement & Retention
• Working With A Recruiter
• Network Of Candidates
• Investment

Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. I appreciate you  :)

Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Feedback section.

Special thanks to Tonia Martinez for being on the show.

Transcript

Marisa Huston  0:00  
Welcome to Episode 62 on The Live Blissed Out podcast. Did you know that the talent shortage in the United States has more than tripled in the past decade? Hello, action takers! Welcome to Live Blissed Out. A podcast where I have inspirational and informational conversations with business owners and subject matter experts to help us get the scoop and the lowdown on a variety of topics. Tired of hesitating or making decisions without having the big picture? Wanna be in the know? Then this is the place to go. I'm your host Marisa Huston. Helping achieve bliss through awareness and action. Thanks for joining me. The information opinions and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only. And any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. This podcast should not be considered professional advice. Joining me is Tonia Martinez. Tonia is the CEO and founder of Career Transformations, a boutique recruiting consulting firm. Tonia partners with small to midsized businesses that have slim to no HR departments or no recruiters in place. Tonia brings a diverse background when it comes to working in a variety of industries and hiring for a wide range of positions on a national level basis. She delivers a holistic approach to the hiring process, incorporating her HR knowledge. One of Tonia's goals is to give managers and owners up to 80% of their time back so they can focus on their business. To learn more, visit www.careertransformationsdenver.co Denver's building code requires egress windows to be installed in basement bedrooms on all new homes or in homes where remodeling is being done. Denver Egress Window is the premier window contractor to call when it comes to installing egress windows, basement windows, window wells and walkout basements. If you're looking to install quality windows at affordable prices, no one beats Denver Egress Window. In a matter of days, Denver Egress Window can turn your basement into a bright, comfortable office, family room or bedroom. The natural light allowed in by egress windows also brightens your home, which enriches your home's value, both visibly and financially. Call 7206264221 for a free estimate or visit Denver Egress Window.com. Tonia, it's wonderful to talk to you today about our subject matter, which is going to be the five challenges of hiring. Welcome to the show!

Tonia Martinez  2:48  
Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Marisa Huston  2:52  
I'm excited to talk to you because you are a professional recruiter. You help people hire top talent for their businesses. And I know that the main thing that you help them with is making the right decisions that are going to be successful for them. Because business owners, they're looking for good people that are going to be able to contribute to their organization. So I wanted to start our conversation with these five challenges that you're seeing that people are going through and how you're able to help them.

Tonia Martinez  3:25  
Yes, such an important topic Marisa. First of all, and most important is when organizations don't have a vision. As a business owner and a hiring manager we sit around the table we define our vision and our annual goals and objectives. And it's a beautiful process that we go through that helped shape the organization. But we often fail to do this for our hiring objectives. And during this pandemic, we have learned that we need to be strategic in our approach to hiring and hiring for positions that are going to drive the organization forward is critical and defining what skills are required and where to find that top talent, starting with essential roles that we want to fill first and then those roles that are more imperative to fill prior to COVID and then moving forward with others to meet the business needs, if you will. Our second challenge is really hiring diversely. Companies that focus on building a diverse workforce are the ones that perform better financially and are more innovative. Diversity and Inclusion is vital to business growth. Creating that workforce that creates a sense of inclusion and belonging is really what organizations should focus on. And mastering the time that it takes and having that hundred percent backing from your executive staff is important and it's challenging at times and sometimes it's not successful, but when you have that executive buy in, you're more likely to succeed and it's important that all parties are rowing in the same direction if you will around diversity and Inclusion. And if you don't have that developed into business practices, I'd highly encourage you to go through a process to understand the importance and begin improving your practices. And it starts with job creation, and promoting of those jobs. You know it needs to be exciting. It needs to bleed the core values and really engage the reader from the very beginning, Then you have to take the time to effectively turn your management teams and internal and external recruiter team, you're outsourcing recruiting, you need to let them know how important hiring is as well, so they can confidently vet your candidates. And the remote working is becoming the new norm, so it's imperative to tap into that variety of markets to identify the proper talent for your organization and be creative in your search.

Marisa Huston  5:52  
Tonia, I think that one of the things that can become challenging is, you're always trying to find this balance between how do I hire for values and work ethic, and that sort of skill set versus people who already have experience. We need both right? We need somebody who can fill a position based on what they know about that position but at the same time, the core values are so essential to their success as well, right?

Tonia Martinez  6:22  
100%. And the third challenge is that not just a warm body, you really want to hire, but more of a qualified and well thought out hire that's critical for the success of your organization. It's easy to fill a position with a warm body, but you get what you're paying for at the same time. So you'll end up replacing that hire quickly, most times. And once you do this enough times, and really do the math of how much it costs to the organization and more importantly, how your culture and morale of employees shifted because of turnover, you'll change your practices fairly quickly. So hiring based on those core values, and hiring agile candidates and hiring to meet the needs of our ever changing workplace is essential. And hiring all employees that have leadership capabilities, who can lead, inspire and motivate others is super important. We want engaging employees that work hard, that enjoy coming to work and they love what they do. One that embodies our organization is what it's all about. But along with that hiring talent that thinks strategically and already has a growth mindset that can quickly acclimate into the organization, be fully engaged with the culture and ones that are ready to foster what has already been built, those are the hires that you want. Our fourth challenge is that internal outreach for talent. It can really lead employees to feeling isolated and uncertain about their roles. LinkedIn data shows that 72% of talent acquisition professionals say internal recruiting is increasingly important to the company. Internal talent already knows what embodies the culture. They know the direction of the company and typically, they're all about supporting the company goals and leadership. So in return, what you get as an employer is you stand out above the rest. You offer longevity with the company, a career path that employees want.  They strive for that. And one of the number one reasons people leave organizations besides that management is because they found an employer that offered them a career path. People want opportunities to grow and expand their skill set, gain more education, hang their hat. And when you develop paths for employees, you'll see that retaining talent gets a little bit easier. Then the magic starts happening. So the internal employees start to share this growth that they have with their employers, and they share it with colleagues and they talk about all the good things that are going on and what you're doing for them. This company has built an impressive brand and following and people want to jump on shift because of all the hype. So it's not rocket science. But yeah, it does take time.

Marisa Huston  8:58  
Do you feel that there is more of a benefit to try and hire for positions internally. And then if you do not find the right person for that position, then that's the only time you actually turn your sights to an external option?

Tonia Martinez  9:15  
I think it's the best practice. They already have their feet wet. They already know about the culture. They know leadership, they know the goals and objectives and what's expected of them. So it's an easier transition. And they know the business inside and out. Our fifth challenge is building a recruiting method to hiring whether it's a hiring manager or an external recruiter like myself that you hire to find the right person for the right seat. Doing this efficiently and during a pandemic with tighter budgets than ever is critical. Nearly one third of 700 plus respondents that replied to an expert's fourth annual survey, they called it finding top talent as a significant hurdle. Among this group, 51% said they are extremely challenged in finding quality candidates. We are in a candidate driven market for sure and good people are hard to find with so many applicants you know applying for our job. And this is forcing HR and recruiting teams to really rethink their recruiting strategy by digging a little deeper into some of the following areas. And then by doing that, you've gained some traction on your hiring method of choice. And whether it's you pick one out there on the market, or you develop your own, it doesn't matter. But putting in the time is what's important. Hiring around core values and culture based hiring approach, which I talked about earlier, using a variety of search methods and always expanding that outreach, thinking outside of the box and taking the time to invest in other groups to hire talent, using an external recruiter like myself that's focused on this type of hiring, that's experienced and trained and knowledgeable around saving the company time by vetting out candidates for them. After you can't rush hiring and when you do, it's never a good thing. But also performing extensive keyword searches in your candidate searches, ensuring that candidates are well vetted and qualified. They can generally be found within a couple of weeks and because of having this type of process in place, that's scalable and a company using a hiring message can save a lot of time actually,

Marisa Huston  11:20  
You're absolutely right in the sense that if you do this, right, if you really plan it out and you use a professional, for example, like you that knows what to look for, and how to help the company achieve their goal, then you're going to have much better back end results and you're not going to be spinning your wheels, or making the kind of mistakes that are going to be costly in the long run. What are some of the other things that people need to consider when they need to step beyond these challenges?

Tonia Martinez  11:49  
Very good question. Hiring during a pandemic brings another avenue of challenges to employers. A recent research that I read revealed that roughly one third of American employees now frequently experienced symptoms of depression as the pandemic continues. Organization might be leaving folks out there kind of on their own defense for themselves when it comes to nurturing their psychological well being. But with that just offering remote work is safer and can alleviate stress for many. Making mental health a top priority in your organization is critical and making sure that those resources are available for your employees when they need that support. revamping wellness initiatives that companies have in place and putting the focus on mental health is important. Don't assume that employees don't want to talk about it, you know. Talking to your employees, they typically won't shy away from a difficult conversation. And then going back to retaining employees, by making it a habit to regularly communicate with your employees, you create that environment in which employees feel comfortable sharing personal struggles with one another. But even more importantly, create that culture in which employees are eager to help one another overcome their struggle. And that's what's important. Also having all hands type sessions where you bring teams together for cost and collaborative conversations, making sure you have the right leaders in place to drive this approach forward and trust those leaders. Hiring externally with a recruiter like myself, if you don't have internal recruiters. HR managers or executives are doing the hiring. I encourage you to outsource it, because chances are their bandwidth doesn't allow the time that it requires especially when incorporating a hiring method. Again, I can't stress time here. If you don't invest the time you often misshire. Making sure that recruiters are being innovative in their search and bringing diverse talent to the organization. Don't be afraid to interview your recruiters externally as well, because they're taking the time to learn about you and the organization. So it's just as important for you to hire the right recruiter. And then lastly, hiring leaders into your organization, setting those high expectations of them and don't settle for anything less. Remember, it's a candidate driven market right now so you have a lot to select from but narrowing down that search can be difficult and external qualified recruiters and ones that deliver that HR approach to hiring will invest the time that makes more sense for the organization.

Marisa Huston  14:22  
Are there any trends that you're seeing with this situation that we're dealing with where people are now working from home? Do you have any tips in terms of that? Because things have changed in terms of how a lot of our companies are having to work and continue on with their strategy for their business. And so are you seeing any particular trends that we need to keep an eye out for with regards to that?

Tonia Martinez  14:46  
You know, I think just being aware of what's going on in your employees lives right now I think is really important. Retaining a lot of those folks. You hear stories of when employers aren't supportive of you working from home. And people will leave if you can't make some of those accommodations during a pandemic like this.

Marisa Huston  15:07  
I would just speculate that they're feeling a little isolated because they're used to the interaction. So I think that as an employer, you need to make sure that you incorporate ways for everybody to continue that dialogue and communication so that they feel like they're being heard. And they're also in tune with what's going on in the company, right?

Tonia Martinez  15:27  
Definitely. any opportunity, an employer has to engage and make it fun and interesting for employees and bringing them together. I think we have to do that more and more.

Marisa Huston  15:37  
If an employer, for example, was looking to, let's say, promote somebody internally, should they still be reaching out to somebody like you, or is that's something that they do on their own, and they only reach out to you if they need to look outward.

Tonia Martinez  15:52  
Internal would be handled internally.

Marisa Huston  15:55  
Let's say that they decided that there's a position in my company that I need to fill, and I've already looked at every possible candidate internally, but it's such a critical position that requires a certain type of skill set that none of the people in my organization currently have. So now I've got to look for some help. Talk to me a little bit about the process of how they find you, and what can they expect? What does this look like? How do they work with somebody like you?

Tonia Martinez  16:22  
What it really boils down to, for me is having a strategy meeting with the client to understand what it is they're looking for? What is the culture like? What is leadership like? What would do they value in? And then after we kind of go through that, I talk a little bit about benefits and try to really understand what is in it for the candidate? What can I sell to them? After that we take a dive into the skills and experience and education and everything that's needed from this person and characteristics and all of the good stuff. I really invest a lot of time in this strategic process, if you will, because it's important. If I don't learn that I can't hire the person, that's going to be the best fit for you. And I handle nearly 80% of the employers or management's job in terms of recruiting. So I would handle all of the advertising sources, screening, interviewing, scheduling interviews, I would extend the offer, I would also conduct reference checks, which nothing I do is canned. So everything is very customized, and individualized to each candidate, and each position and each employer.

Marisa Huston  17:35  
So from that perspective, after you've helped that employer get the right person for the position, are you then able to follow up and see how things are going after a certain amount of time of that individual working in the company?

Tonia Martinez  17:50  
Yes, just touch base, and send some flowers or a box of chocolates to my candidates to thank them for giving me the time and being able to place them with a great company. Same for the clients. I keep in touch and hopefully help them bring in more talent along the way. But definitely keep a good relationship and partnership with my clients.

Marisa Huston  18:09  
I would assume that you also have a network of people that are looking for positions. How do those people reach out to you and let you know that they are seeking certain types of positions that are going to be a right fit for them?

Tonia Martinez  18:23  
Great question. I'm constantly pipelining candidates and interviewing folks on the job market. And whether they follow up with me in emails or texts or phone calls, whatever it is, I stay in contact with them. And when positions come up, I'll reach out to them and say, Hey, are you still in the job market and get them interviewed for that particular role, even if I interviewed them for something previously that's different.

Marisa Huston  18:46  
if I understand correctly, it looks to me like you are a ideal liaison between an employer and somebody who is looking for a position and you're trying to match both sides to the best of your ability so that you can create a successful result for both the company and the individual that is seeking that position.

Tonia Martinez  19:07  
Yes, it's very important for me to have that same level of relationship with candidates that are on the job market. Because if I don't know everything about them, that I can, I can't place them somewhere. So for example, when I work with candidates, not only do we talk about their resume, but we talk about their references and their experiences and what makes them tick and what's absolutely something that they do not want to have in their next roles. You know, what kind of manager?  So I ask those tough questions to be able to place them in the right role.

Marisa Huston  19:40  
And are there any costs associated with the process? What should they know about in terms of when they work with you, what to expect in regards to that?

Tonia Martinez  19:50  
From a candidates perspective, there is no charge. I work with people all the time. I do some resumes support for candidates, I write resumes on the side, I help coach for interviews. So there is no cost for that unless you're doing intensive coaching. On the employer side there is either a flat based fee, or a percentage of salary. So two different avenues of how my fees work.

Marisa Huston  20:16  
We need to have a plan. The fact that you are a professional that knows what to look for what questions to ask, and all the things that need to happen along the way to make sure that it's a right fit, I think that using somebody like you is going to be a win win for everybody involved.

Tonia Martinez  20:33  
Yes. And it's so important to invest the time. I know a lot of companies that want to hire fast. They just need somebody in the role. And I get that. There's trucks sitting there that aren't being driven by plumbers or whatever the case is. There's an empty seat in the office. And I understand that. But at the same time, if you have turnover, and you're wanting to change that you need to invest time. And if you don't have the time, an external recruiter just make sense. And someone that has the experience behind a hiring method and someone that has the time to invest.

Marisa Huston  21:11  
Is there a limited number of employees, that a company needs to seek to hire you or can they just reach out to you even if they're looking for just one position?

Tonia Martinez  21:20  
Yeah, one position or 200 positions.

Marisa Huston  21:24  
If anybody needs to fill a spot in their company, then you're suggesting that they at least talk to you so that you can determine what their needs are and see if you're a right fit for them?

Tonia Martinez  21:35  
Most definitely.

Marisa Huston  21:37  
Tonia. How do people get ahold of you? Can you tell us more about what types of businesses you serve and how they can find out more information about what you offer?

Tonia Martinez  21:47  
I have worked in corporate America for 22 years and I have a pretty solid background in terms of corporate hiring. So I've built positions from entry level, B level, your executive suite, and I've also worked in the oil and gas industry, I've worked in the property management industry, the legal setting for a law firm. I've done lots of different types of hiring. But outside of that, I also began working in the trades industry, and hoping you know, to continue diversifying my portfolio, I like to be challenged and have an interesting job. Picking up a new client in a new industry that I know nothing about is exciting to me. My website is www.career transformationdenver com. You can find me there, you can find me on social media on LinkedIn, as well as Facebook and Instagram.

Marisa Huston  22:42  
I think the information that you shared today is super valuable. It really helps us understand what are the considerations and challenges that people have when they're trying to fill a spot in their company, which is very critical, because the lifeblood and success of any organization is the people. And so when we do a good job upfront, getting that position filled, then typically we can expect positive results and great interaction within the organization as well. And the company culture and the goals and everything that they stand for is a lot stronger when you're building the right team. Thank you, Tonia for sharing all of the things that are happening and what we should be thinking about with us today.

Unknown Speaker  23:25  
Thank you for having me. I appreciate it and glad to be able to help.

Marisa Huston  23:30  
That's all for this episode of Live Blissed Out. Thanks for listening and thanks to Tonia Martinez for being my guest. If you have a question or comment for a future episode, all you have to do is go to www.speakpipe.com/lbovm, or click the link in the show notes to leave a brief audio message. If you find value in our show please visit www.liveblissed out.com to reach out subscribe and share on social media. This show is made possible through listeners like you. Thank you. So long for now and remember to keep moving forward!