Aiming for a Unicorn Employee: How to Catch Top Talent for Your Team
We’ve all seen the job descriptions of companies looking for those magical unicorn employees; those rare beasts who create masterful designs with ease, write code proficiently, are amazing at managing people, are best friends with the clients, can grow accounts, all while being incredibly organized.
If you’re able to hire one of these rare gems, then kudos to you! 🦄
However, if you’re finding it increasingly hard to find these unicorns, especially in our competitive hiring landscape, keep reading. The reality is these perfect candidates can be very hard to come by and you’re likely setting yourself up for failure by trying to hire a master-of-all-trades. Setting up realistic expectations is key to hiring the best talent and creating a work environment where they thrive.
Step 1 - Look at the requirements thoroughly
When we set out to find that master-of-many-trades, we are often looking to fill quarter-time positions. If you think you need one person that can be a part-time bookkeeper, part-time client relations specialist, and part-time office manager, you’re probably rolling too many responsibilities into one position. Identify clearly what the company needs and then think about splitting those into more than one role. It might have a financial impact, but I recommend weighing the options. Is it worth it to wait to find your unicorn or split the role and invest in two people? Chances are, if your company grows in the future, the role will need to be split anyways!
Another way to split the responsibilities is to ask if there is anyone on your current team who could pick up some of the tasks! Investing in your own people is a great way to foster growth and communicate trust. See if anyone is interested to learn any of the skills needed and invest in books, workshops, and classes to get them up to speed. You might be amazed at how your team steps up to the challenge.
Step 2 - Identify if you need outside help
Once you’ve identified which tasks can be absorbed internally, you’ll have a list of surefire responsibilities as you attempt to hire. Consider that hiring a single individual might not be your only option! Here are a few things your agency could do to cover those responsibilities:
Form a partnership with other agencies that occasionally have open resources. So often we can write them off as the competition and miss out on the meaningful work we can do together. A great example of this is partnering with an agency that aligns with your values, but has a different set of skills. Mutually beneficial arrangements are typically the best. Remember collaboration over competition!
Be open to working with contractors/freelancers. The landscape of our workforce is evolving and many people are no longer looking for 9-5 jobs. You can complement the full time employees with a few specialized contractors and take your team to the next level!
Outsource specific tasks to a specialized agency or consultant. Hiring this expert resource is an investment in that department. These engagements can help you get over a temporary hurdle, like being understaffed, or help reenergize the team with inspirational work. Some consultants or agencies may even be able to train members of the existing team to take on the responsibilities.
Step 3 - When to hire a recruiter
Once you get to the end of the journey, you will have a great idea of what’s missing from your organization and how you can fix it. Sometimes you’ll still need some extra help hiring a great employee, and you should consider hiring a recruiter or even a contract recruiter. If you decide to go this route, make sure that whoever takes on this role is willing to invest in getting to know your company inside and out. Making a great hire requires knowing the culture and goals of your team!
Whichever step works for you, know that the mysterious unicorn employee is more rare than you might think! Help yourself by creating realistic expectations for employees. Who knows? You might just hire someone who becomes that magical, irreplaceable unicorn. 🦄
