{"id":13839,"date":"2012-11-26T10:38:31","date_gmt":"2012-11-26T17:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/?p=13839"},"modified":"2017-10-17T09:56:04","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T16:56:04","slug":"what-parenting-taught-me-about-hiring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/what-parenting-taught-me-about-hiring\/","title":{"rendered":"What Parenting Taught Me About Hiring"},"content":{"rendered":"

Parenting a toddler takes patience, consistency and a really good sense of humor.\u00a0 These traits help the hiring manager<\/a> or recruiter<\/a> when dealing with New Hires or Soon to be New Hires. \u00a0While most quality candidates usually don\u2019t behave like children, there are some similarities in negotiating that could make you wonder if as the hiring manager, you REALLY are everyone\u2019s parent or if toddlers are a lot smarter than moms and dads give them credit for.
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1. They need you:<\/strong>\u00a0 As the recruiter, you are kind of like their parent.\u00a0 You were their first introduction into the company<\/a> \u2013 in fact, you could say you brought them into this place.\u00a0 As a new hire, they might be a little on the clingy side, which is completely normal.\u00a0 They made the choice to come here much in part because they trust you, and letting them go and flourish into their role can be hard on them \u2013 and even you too.\u00a0 Just as mom has to learn to let go sometimes and let dad, grandma or daycare manage, you have to trust that your bundle of joy has the right foundation and skills to grow as employees without you always by their side.<\/p>\n

2. Providing incentives:<\/strong> Sometimes a sweet candy is the secret ingredient to lure an energetic kiddo into submission at big sister\u2019s music program.\u00a0 Get to know your recruits and find out where there passions lie.\u00a0 When negotiating the hire<\/a>, talk to them about your benefits which will mean the most to their personal situations.\u00a0 For example, if your recruit mentions she is covered by her husband\u2019s insurance, that benefit might not be one to lead with.\u00a0 But, you know her daughter\u2019s braces are something on the horizon so use the cafeteria plan as a candy when in the negotiation process.<\/p>\n

3. Giving choices:<\/strong>\u00a0 Giving choices is tricky business when dealing with a toddler or a new hire.\u00a0 But, the ability to make decisions is empowering to both parties.\u00a0 Guide them, provide advice, but ultimately let it be their decision.\u00a0 Even if that means it\u2019s the middle of winter and she is wearing a summer dress with a turtle neck, jeans and a tutu with ballet slippers to daycare\u2026<\/p>\n

4. Developing brand:<\/strong>\u00a0 Consistency is the hallmark of your company\u2019s brand development<\/a>.\u00a0 As the HR Manager<\/a>, you must routinely deliver on message.\u00a0 Similar is the parent of a toddler who requires a routine for smooth bedtimes.\u00a0 A rambunctious two-year-old knows bedtime when he puts on his pajamas, enjoys a cup of warm milk and reads a book.\u00a0 Next step is off to bed.\u00a0 It\u2019s the exact same routine and message every single night \u2013 even when there is resistance (and with a two-year-old, there\u2019s a lot of resistance).\u00a0\u00a0 He knows what to expect and that despite some worthy appeals, mom and dad aren\u2019t budging on this bedtime business.\u00a0 The same is with your message and the company brand.\u00a0 If you sway from it, your recruits and new hires will recognize it and they might question the company and even its integrity.<\/p>\n

5. Drawing the line:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u201cI hate you.\u201d\u00a0 Nasty, dirty words out of the mouth of a toddler.\u00a0 I don\u2019t tolerate these words and they are one place I draw a hard line.\u00a0 Everyone has to have a line they draw in life \u2013 whether work or personal.\u00a0 When those words emerged from the lips of my sweet little boy one evening, my jaw dropped in disbelief, but I acted swiftly and promptly and he got familiar with the corner during a timeout.\u00a0 As an employee, you need to know your own limits, clearly set your boundaries and stick with them.\u00a0 This rings true when dealing with new hires, candidates or even your own boss.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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At the end of the day, the experience of parenting has made me a better recruiter. Learn from the basics of childhood development, and let your\u00a0the patience,\u00a0consistency and humor play a role in each hire.<\/p>\n

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Jessica Miller-Merrell<\/a>, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She\u2019s an author who writes at\u00a0Blogging4Jobs<\/a>. Her 2 year old daughter, Ryleigh<\/a>, tweets about her love of kitty cats and Barney the Dino. \u00a0Photo Credit\u00a0<\/em><\/em>Rasmussen College<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SmartRecruiters<\/a> is the hiring platform with a market place of recruiting services.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Parenting a toddler takes patience, consistency and a really good sense of humor.\u00a0 These traits help the hiring manager or recruiter when dealing with New Hires or Soon to be New Hires. \u00a0While most quality candidates usually don\u2019t behave like children, there are some similarities in negotiating that could make you wonder if as the […]","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":""},"categories":[8,838],"tags":[13,460,78],"series":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"episode_featured_image":false,"episode_player_image":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Podcast-icon.jpg","download_link":false,"player_link":false,"audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/hiring-success-podcast\/id1472174987","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9oaXJpbmdzdWNjZXNzcG9kY2FzdC5jYXN0b3MuY29tL2hpcmluZy1zdWNjZXNzLXBvZGNhc3Q","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"soundcloud":{"key":"soundcloud","url":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/smartrecruiters\/sets\/hiring-success-podcast-1","label":"SoundCloud","class":"soundcloud","icon":"soundcloud.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/3bM8YzLjM2G9qJXLBBySaB","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/www.smartrecruiters.com\/blog\/feed\/podcast","embedCode":"

What Parenting Taught Me About Hiring<\/a><\/blockquote>