When outsiders started commenting on a dramatic uptick in the organization’s talent, management took notice. That’s what happened for Bill MacPherson, of the Mercer Celgar pulp mill and 30-year veteran of the pulp and paper industry. While working for a previous employer, Bill received positive feedback from customers, vendors, and suppliers who noticed a remarkable shift in talent at the organization. What brought about the transformation? Game-changing employee selection. Instead of outsourcing the recruitment and hiring process to a consultant, the organization took ownership of the process.
‘You Can’t Outsource Thinking’
“You can’t outsource thinking,” is one of Bill’s principles. Consultants play a role in certain scenarios, but not in every circumstance. Definitely not in hiring. Instead, organizations gain the most by using the talent, leadership, and teams inside their walls to own their problems and solve them together. Organizations should be as engaged as possible in attracting and hiring talent. In Bill’s experience, employee performance was noticeably better a couple years after implementing the 15dots® hiring techniques. New hires were naturally acclimated to work in an environment that was collaborative, team-based, and problem solving. Very quickly, people inside and outside the organization began to see a shift.
Employees as Interviewing Experts
The 15dots® Selection Process trains employees to be interview experts. Employees gain the knowledge and tools to repeatedly and reliably choose the right match(s). There’s nothing more important than selecting the people who are going to be your teammates and colleagues. 15dots® helps organizations eliminate bad hires and performance nightmares.
Developing Leaders Ready for Promotions
By engaging in the hiring process, organizations create a development opportunity for their people. Interviewers learn the skills necessary to become future leaders and managers. Learning how to hire in a complex 21st Century manufacturing environment is an important skill to acquire. Leadership skills are even more critical due to the massive retirements occurring in the pulp and paper industry. Whereas it previously took 20-25 years to go from entry-level to top-level position, now it happens in 4-5 years. Employees’ rapid rise requires an enormous amount of learning. To advance in the organization, employees must be active learners and problem solvers. The previous generations didn’t have the pressure to advance as quickly. So, that’s another huge reason to use an effective and reliable selection process. Organizations don’t want to mismatch people and set them up for failure in the workplace.
Cost-Effective Alternative to Recruiters
In addition to maximizing human potential, the 15dots® Selection Process is cost effective. Bill estimated that hiring cost about one-quarter of the expense of outsourcing. Recruiters and consulting agencies typically charge high-priced retainers. Plus, by outsourcing the hiring process, organizations let somebody else do all their thinking. Finding the right talent lays the foundation for an organization’s long-term success.
