In a world of fantasy, animals are beautiful, magical creatures capable of bringing good luck and charm. Everyone loves them. In the world of professional recruiting, being asked to find purple squirrels is every recruiter’s worst nightmare.
The term “purple squirrel” emerged in the recruitment sector in the early 2000s. It implies finding an ideal candidate for a specific job. They will have all the highly specialized qualifications, skills, experience, and salary expectations for a position. Of course, they’re also interested in the company you’re hiring for. But they’re hard to find. (Do they even exist??)
Then comes the “unicorns.” The ever-elusive unicorns possesses an arsenal of desired qualifications and skills, a natural drive and ambition, natural flair for leadership – all of which combine perfectly to make a star performer. If you haven’t been able to find that one unicorn, it’s because most are happily engaged in the job they do and not actively looking for new positions.
What is it about purple squirrels and unicorns that make them every recruiter’s worst nightmare?
It’s a herculean task to find purple squirrels and unicorns. But these extraordinary individuals do exist. It will, however, take the right recruitment strategy to get them on board with your proposal.
PURPLE SQUIRRELS AND UNICORNS
Even when you find one, it’ll always be a passive candidate who is considering for a certain position, but not actively seeking a new position. If they’re interested in what you have to offer, you must woo them in order to get them to agree to an interview with the company you’re hiring for.
In most cases, purple squirrels and unicorns know their worth. If you’re interested in hiring one, you’ll have to set aside plenty of time and be willing to shell out a substantial amount from your company coffers.
Apart from time and resources spent in the lengthy and arduous hiring process, purple squirrels and unicorns don’t come cheap. We’re not talking of compensation and benefits here.
Purple squirrels and unicorns are aware that they are as rare as the bluest moon and will often make demands such as housing and travel expenses. Some might even ask for the hiring authority to make policy changes in order to create a work environment to best suit their needs. This might not always be in the best interest of the company.
If you’ve been task with finding a purple squirrel or a unicorn, here are some ways you can implement to save time and resources:
- Enhance the company’s brand image to draw the attention of purple squirrels and unicorns.
- Work closely with human resources to track training and development. Keep an eye out on employees with skills with are hard to find.
- Create an employee referral program and encourage rewards for finding people with specialized skills and qualifications.
If you work with an organization that regularly hires people with specialized skills, it would be advisable to create a plan to action which will help you have easy access to the ideal candidate. Most of the time, purple squirrels and unicorns are out there, but they’re simply hard to find.
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