Summar 2011: In this issue...

5 Tips to Build Great Teams

By Ron Torch, CEO & Chief Marketing Officer - Torch Group Inc.

For over 15 years, we have focused on truly partnering with our clients to find the right marketing talent using behavioral interviews to identify candidate competencies. Using our collective marketing, recruiting, and HR expertise, we have counseled our clients on how to build great teams.

We would like to share 5 essential tips with you to help your company build a great team of marketing, sales, and communications talent:

1. Treat recruiting as life or death for your company.

Recruitment is the key to building an exceptional team and growing a successful company. Finding top talent is not always easy. It takes strategic planning and a well-defined recruiting system to yield positive results in your search for the right people. Your company's success will depend on who you hire.

2. Understand when you're selling and when you're buying.

The best candidates need to be sold. You need to do your homework in order to "buy" or win over your ideal candidates. Develop a compelling story about why candidates should join your organization. For example, talk about the importance of your company's longevity, stability, and growth in light of the recent economic climate. Be sure to get your team involved so they can deliver a similar and positive message to prospective candidates.

3. Once you find the right candidate, speed up the hiring process.

Keep in mind that time kills deals and the longer you wait to make an offer, the more likely you are to lose your candidate. However, fast doesn't mean easy or that you should skip imperative steps. Be sure to check references and conduct assessment tests, if needed. Also, be aware of the current market compensation for talent at this level or function. You will want to make a fair offer to expedite the hiring process.

4. Leverage recruiters when necessary.

In today's competitive job market, there are definite advantages to using a recruiter, i.e. when there's an immediate need to fill a job, the new hire is mission-critical, and when searching for that passive candidate not found in a stack of resumes or posted on a job board. A professional and reputable recruiter is well connected and is likely to have several qualified candidates already in mind. In addition, they utilize leading edge resources that enable them to quickly locate and land exceptional talent.

5. Embed a culture of recruiting.

It's important to understand that everyone in your company is a recruiter. Make it part of every employee's daily objectives. Ask recent hires to name the most talented people they know and make it a point to meet them. Treat every discussion as an opportunity to source for candidates. In addition, your team's participation on the Web (social media, social networking, blogging, etc.) can be a positive representation of your organization and therefore, drawing qualified prospective candidates to your company.

ABOUT TORCH GROUP, INC.

Torch Group, www.torchgroup.com, headquartered in Cleveland Ohio is a highly specialized staffing and talent firm that provides customized talent solutions to businesses, companies, non-profits and organizations across North America. Torch Group's services include executive search, professional interim staffing, contract consultants, outsourced projects, and career transition services. The firm specializes in providing its clients with highly qualified professionals skilled in strategic and tactical marketing including online, sales, creative and communication disciplines.

For more information about Torch Group, visit us at www.torchgroup.com.

Ronald S. Torch
President & CEO
Torch Group, Inc.
. . . your source for marketing talent