Since our beginnings, recruitment has been one of our most crucial and challenging activities. Beyond a few conventional interviews, how can we ensure that we are embarking on a common and coherent path? In an occasionally uncertain economic context, we had to reinvent our way of recruiting...
At Fly The Nest, we have always placed great importance on the quality of our relationships with all our stakeholders. This is true for our clients (obviously) but also, for example, with the candidates in our recruitment process. From the start, each candidate is assigned a "stork" who accompanies them throughout the process. This person is their unique point of contact, from qualification to conclusion; whether positive or negative, we always take the time for a detailed debrief with them...
However, this practice—highly appreciated by candidates—found its limits during a period of financial drought. We were no longer able to give a definite YES or NO because we didn't know exactly when we could hire again. However, we still wanted to maintain our relationship with these candidates. So how could we continue to build together?
"One must learn to know, know to understand, understand to judge." - Narada, disciple of Buddha
Beyond these financial challenges, we had more and more candidates who were very autonomous—whether they took their time in transition or were freelancers and entrepreneurs. It's also to meet their need to get to know us better that we built our first acclimatization process.
The goal of this period is simple: to answer all the questions that each side might have so that we can make a conscious decision in the end. We are an organization with a very particular culture and way of doing things, so it seemed relevant to us to take the time for a candidate to acclimate to us, and for us to acclimate to them.
Before starting the acclimatization process, we already have a first series of interviews based on our purpose, values, and vision. If we are not aligned on the fundamentals of our organization, then there's no point in going further. Conversely, if we share a culture and a project, it's possible that we will find a way to work together. It's only a matter of context...
To maximize the chances of our planets aligning, we start the acclimatization with a framing of the period with the candidate. How much time do we give ourselves to make a decision? What are the conditions (financial, circumstantial, etc.) that would allow the final decision? What are the elements (see below) of acclimatization that seem relevant to us? What would be the right frequency to exchange about the situation between us? The answers to these questions set the common framework for acclimatization.
Once this framework is set, the acclimatization itself can begin. It involves a variety of activities to choose from that will allow us to get to know each other better. Some involve meeting a prospect or a client, others involve deep self-discovery. There may be work to be done alone, face-to-face exchanges or with the entire team, special workshops tailored to one's skills or experience, and a conclusion to the entire process.
Acclimatization is a phase where one engages their brain, opens their heart, hones their intuitions to assert their convictions. Above all, it's an exchange that should lead to mutual progression. Whether there is hiring or not, it is crucial that we and the candidate come out of the acclimatization period with the clear feeling of having created value! This is the essential condition for our relationship to grow without pretense.
The already visible result of this recent practice is the high engagement of those who have joined our adventure. Conversely, those who were not a fit for our culture naturally joined other projects during this phase. Gradually, we are thus trying to be able to cultivate a pool of potential candidates, high-level individuals who remain motivated to join us and whom we can activate at the right time. On their side, they continue to discover our innovative organization by gradually learning about our management practices.
Doing things differently on such a crucial subject as recruitment involves taking high risks. That's why we are very attentive to the needs of our candidates. The conclusion of their acclimatization is the improvement of our process to make it even better!
