Fishing is a fun hobby for a good number of people, and today we’re interested in comparing the similarities between fishing (for fish) and fishing for people. While I personally love the passage, I don’t mean this in the way it is portrayed in Matthew 4:19.
Although I enjoy eating fish and going fishing, I often wind up buying my fish because I’m not the best fisherman. I’ve been to Falls Lake near where I live numerous times and most often, I have a relaxing experience but return with no fish.
I speculate that my lack of success is because I don’t spend enough time studying the habits of the bass that inhabit the lake. For example, I may be out fishing but using the wrong bait. Today, I learned that the best time to fish bass is before a weather front comes in and that the worst time to fish for them is thereafter. The reduced water pressure of a coming front makes the bass more active and when it’s pretty out, bass are less likely to bite.
Like a professional bass fisherman, professional recruiters study the best practices used to fish for people over many years of trial and error. They know which part of the ‘lake’ to fish, what type of gear to use, and the conditions that need to exist to lure the best talent.
But that is where the similarities end.
As I stated earlier, even after an unsuccessful day fishing, I’ve still enjoyed my day and can simply go buy some fish at the local market. On the other hand, if I’m fishing for people and I’m unsuccessful, my business suffers, my profits fall, and I might even be at risk of losing my job.
Of course, if I have the time and passion to learn how to find top talent nothing is stopping me from doing so, but I’d have to devote time to learning successful strategies and deploying them, which might take time away from other priorities. Alternatively, I could hire a seasoned recruiter to make my ‘fish’ to order. Irrespective of what strategy you choose to deploy, if you consider your fishing strategy, you’ll no doubt have more success.
If you’d like our take on exceptional strategies to fish for people, please feel free to sign up for our ebook; ‘Why You’re Losing The War for Life Sciences Talent’ and discover what matters most to top professionals here.