While at the gym Wednesday evening, I was in the middle of another set of leg presses when I overheard a young woman, in that classic Lawn Guyland, New Yawk voice, blurt to her friend, an equally 26-year old Lawn Guyland guy, “I just can’t save any money. I pay my credit cawds, buy gas for my cawh, go out pawtying – and my Dad yells at me for not saving any money!”
Had to stop the set – I was laughing too loud. Been there, done that.
When they walked by – still apoplectic over their inability to save money – I asked them, “Do you have 401k’s at work?” They both answered in the affirmative. Then I asked them, “Do you go out partying with your friends on Friday evenings?” (no, I didn’t say pawtying)
Again, affirmative answers from both. Now the fun begins. “How much do you spend every Friday night out?” “$150 to $250”, replied the guy. I thought to myself, “Houston, we may have a problem.” The young woman responded, “About $50 to $60.”
“Oh”, I said, “You let guys like Joe buy you drinks, right?” They both smiled and rolled their eyes.
“What if every on Monday morning you write a check to yourself in the amount of money that you spent going out on Friday night and deposited it into your 401k – do you know how much you’ll have saved up in just 10 years?” Lost deer in the lights look – until I told them the answer.
“Do you think you can do that?” In responding they looked like bobbleheads.
Sourcing candidates is no different…What if you didn’t have use of the Internet or job boards? How would you go about sourcing talent? It’s all about changing your perspective and viewing situations “laterally.” Use all the gray matter in your head; never say “I can’t” and never give up.
The Recruiting Inferno 