What does wooing mean?
Let’s start first with what “wooing” actually means. A few definitions include “to seek the favor, affection, or love of,” “to seek to win,” “to court,” “to seek to persuade, as to do something.” As you can tell from these definitions, wooing potential hires during the interview process is not unlike early dating or courting, where each party is showing off their best qualities and determining whether it is worth taking on a long-term partnership.
There are a few other business-related “wooing” definitions as well. If you’ve ever completed the popular StrengthsFinder assessment from the Gallup firm, you might also recognize the word Woo as one of their 35 CliftonStrengths themes, which stands for “Winning Others Over.” This phrase might be the most accurate synonym to “wooing potential hires.” There is also a highly-recommended book called “The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas,” by G. Richard Shell and Mario Moussa which employers have used for more than a decade to both learn and teach the skills needed for relationship-based persuasion with their employees, colleagues and potential hires.
Making a good first impression
Your first step in winning over a potential hire is making a good impression. If we want to keep going with the dating analogy, probably one of the top ways that people meet these days is on dating apps, just like one of the top ways that people look for jobs is online. Just like a dating profile, your job description should be well-written, transparent and explain as much about the open position as is possible in written form. And if your potential hires are anything like an online dater, they are probably going to google you before applying to your open position or coming to an interview. This means that your online presence should be appealing, with up-to-date social media posts and a high-quality website.
Keeping interest during the wooing process
Once you’ve got some potential hires who are interested in your company, it’s time for the big date — er, interview. Obviously, you want to continue making a good impression during the hiring process, but you also want to keep the interest of your potential candidates. You can do this in a number of ways: by telling them about the perks of the job, sharing your passion for why you love what you do at the organization, and by demonstrating the environment they can expect by introducing them to current employees. Also keep in mind that the best candidates are likely to have a number of suitors, or employers, who are also wooing them. Take advantage of every opportunity to show why you want them to pursue employment at your organization.
Continue wooing after a hire is made
Once you’ve hired the best candidate for your position, the hard part is over, right? Not quite. Just like in a long-term relationship, you need to keep the spark alive and continue wooing your partner. It takes time and effort to retain your employees, and you can think of it like continuing to date — or woo — them. First, make sure that your orientation and onboarding are a positive “honeymoon” for your new hires to get to know your organization even better and get to know all of the internal jargon and procedures they will need to know for a successful partnership. Invest in your workplace culture, be flexible in scheduling, and keep offering new and desirable benefits to current employees when you are able. You can also celebrate important anniversaries as another way to show your appreciation and woo them into remaining in your work relationship.
If you are looking for more assistance with wooing potential hires at your Central Indiana workplace, contact That’s Good HR today at 317-469-4141. We’d love to help “set you up” with a candidate who will make an excellent fit at your organization.
