Project Management (PM) staffing style!!

One way I have found to be very successful as a staffing professional is to Treat every opening like a project and use the basic PM steps to ensure you do the job right. Step one is to do needs analysis. This is the same thing as your first meeting with your client to determine what they need, write the JD etc.. Then you go on to the next step and so on till the position is filled.

There are six main steps in managing a project.

1. Define the problem-Your client has an opening and you meet with him to determine the opening and write JD.

2. Develop Solution Options-you decide on whether this can be filled internally or externally and the process that will be used.

3. Plan the Project-You create a sourcing plan.

4. Execute-you execute on the sourcing plan, this includes interviewing, screening, etc.

5. Monitor & Control Progress-you do reporting and have weekly or bi-weekly meeting with hiring manager and team to discuss progress.

6. Close project-Hire made, and if time allows you and the Hiring Manager and team have a meeting to discuss what went well, and what could be done better.

Of course some steps take less time than others, and can be done at the same time. The key is communication and documentation. But when you treat each position like an individual project, and use PM techniques, it becomes much much easier.