A recruiter’s job is to find the best of the best in order to build the strongest team, or to improve a team by adding a skilled new member. Once you’ve done the work of tracking down the top candidates, how do you convince them to join the team? In the spirit of San Diego Comic-Con, let’s take a few tips from the most high-stakes recruiting job out there–
Recruiting Superheroes
Marvel history is filled with stories where uniquely skilled individuals are recruited against all odds. Some are recruited from other teams, while others need a little guidance and support to find the right one. Convincing a superhero to join your team comes with its challenges. Usually, you can’t just call up a superhero on the phone, shoot them an email, or ask for a resume. You also need to build a relationship, learn their values, look past their most obvious powers and abilities and delve into their personal strengths. And in the dynamic and fast paced world of superheroes, you need to know who’s on your team. If you don’t, you can quickly get into the “we’re not a team, we’re a time-bomb” territory.
Three Times Marvel Recruiters Used Super Strategies
Spider-Man
As a young hero just starting out, the chance to join a team of your personal role models is an irresistible opportunity. However, Spider-Man had a few concerns that needed to be addressed before he could accept the offer from The Avengers. Spidey needed to know that he could continue to support his Aunt and pursue his hobbies. Most importantly, he wanted to continue his education. His recruiter actively showed him how they could support his goals by offering him a generous grant for school. With the salary he was offered, he could both fund his hobbies and support his Aunt. In addition to a competitive salary and benefits, his recruiter touched on the perks that came with the job. For a tech whiz like Spider-Man, the chance to work with the leading name in the field was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Tip: Understand your candidate’s deepest needs and desires. Build a compensation package around the candidate.
Scarlet Witch
Sometimes you have to convince the candidate you want to switch teams. Scarlet Witch has highly specialized powers (among them, reality manipulation) and strong values that drive her decisions. Hawkeye recruited her by recognizing how she works and offered a chance to work with a team whose values aligned with her own. A sense of belonging and a greater cause prompted this in-demand superhero to go work with a competitor.
Tip: Appeal to your candidate’s values.
Hawkeye
Hawkeye isn’t just a hero for hire; he’s also a husband and father. Work/life balance is Hawkeye’s major concern. His specialized skills were in high demand, but he wasn’t willing to sacrifice his family life for a position. The Avengers offered to go the extra mile to accommodate him. With the chance to work on-call, and a benefits package including housing and paid time off, Hawkeye agreed to join the team.
Tip: Provide flexible work conditions to attract more top talent.
You might not be out to save the world from imminent doom, but recruiting is always a serious business. Bringing together a group of remarkable people is what recruiting is all about.