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Coach K Recruiting

I’m a sports fan. Beyond enjoying the competition of individual games, one thing that I’ve always been impressed with is the continuity of success at certain schools. Although Duke doesn’t win the NCAA championship every year, they always seem to be in contention when it comes time for March Madness.

To me, the success of these teams boils down to one simple thing: recruiting. The coaches know what type of player will likely do well within their system and then they work hard to scour the nation and sometimes the globe to convince these players to join their team. In the athletic world, there is recognition about the importance of recruiting to the success of the program so they have more than enough resources (time, money, and talent) to meet their needs.

At companies, there is a disconnect between the impact of talent on an organization and the associated resources. Just take a look at how Google was punished by Wall Street for investing in the talent they need to make their company stronger moving forward.

However, all is not lost. I think that social media and social networking are creating a virtual environment that enables employers to simulate the success of their more financial powerful peers in athletics. So, what can employers do to build a social recruiting powerhouse?

1. Hit The Streets

When Coach K is seeking his next class of freshman, he doesn’t sit around Durham waiting for these players to stumble into his gym. Instead, he and his staff are out traveling around to where these prospective recruits spend a majority of their time. When he is on their turf, he gets busy telling them all the reasons why Duke would be an excellent place for them to spend their next 4 years.

2.  Know What You’re Looking For

The recent Fab 5 documentary seemed to highlight a bias in recruiting for certain types of prospective recruits. Jalen Rose (University of Michigan) took offense at this. Unfortunately, each organization does not meet the needs of every recruit. The sooner you figure out what type of prospective candidates fits your organization, the clearer your messaging and attraction strategy will be.

3.  Public Sharing

Schools make a big deal about when new recruits sign on to their program. The public sharing of information makes it progressively easier to recruit other candidates who are seriously considering employment at your organization. Imagine if prospective candidates who are weighing your organization see that someone with respected credentials joins your company. They are more likely to accept so that they can have the opportunity to work with a respected peer. Social media provides a great environment for the oversharing of relevant information to reinforce your value proposition.

4. Continuous Recruiting

After the offer is accepted might be a time to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. But, Coach K realizes that top recruits have options. If he isn’t meeting their needs they can transfer to another school or achieve financial security by heading to the NBA. So, he reinforces the reasons why they not only chose Duke but should continue to remain Blue Devils. Prospective recruits who are just beginning to consider their collegiate playing options see this and begin to have preferences for the programs that seem to take the best care of their current players.

5. Own Local

In athletic recruiting, a big deal is usually made when one of the top-ranked recruits elects to leave their state for another institution. For many programs, this is unacceptable. The main reason is that they have had more time and access to convince these recruits about their value proposition. If local players who know the state don’t think your program will meet their needs, then it will be much harder to convince those who will have to relocate from another location. Often local talent will be your best recruiting asset as they can better speak to the intangibles of why a prospective candidate should choose your company.

Although, you might not have the resources to pull out all the stops the way a leading athletic program can, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be as successful with recruiting prospective candidates. Emerging social media and social networking tools allow you to discover, interact, and connect with target candidates regardless of constraints.

-Omowale Casselle (@mySenSay)

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About the Author: Omowale Casselle is the co-founder and CEO of mySenSay. We help top companies and future leaders make better employment decisions.