I regularly speak to groups of CEOs’ who are primarily concerned about hiring. Invariably, someone will tell me that they can’t find the right people because the unemployment rate is so low. They talk about how there are “no good employees” out there and because they don’t have good employees, they can’t expand the way they want.

Do you see the slippery slope they just went down? Irrational thinking like the one I describe above is way more impactful on our hiring processes then any unemployment rates, regardless of how low they may go.

Here are some tips to get you out of the trap of thinking no good employees are available for hire:

• Create a great place to work. According to this recent article by Bloomberg News, people are leaving their jobs at a 17-year high. People are leaving jobs like they did right after 9/11, meaning they are looking for a place to work where their work matters. They want to contribute to something bigger than themselves. So very simply put, this is the perfect opportunity to sit down with your direct reports and have a vision conversation about the culture of the company and their roles within it. Ask them where they want to be, what they want to do and how they want to contribute. Then, make it happen for them.
• Focus on retention. According to this recent article by HR Dive , employees are 4 times more likely to be looking for a job if they work for a jerk. So, don’t be a jerk. And, don’t let your managers be jerks either. If you want good employees to leave your company, keep a jerk on your payroll.
• Have no fear. Don’t focus on the bad stuff. If you fear that you won’t find good employees, you won’t. Write your Ideal Candidate List for your best employee and read over it every day. Don’t settle. They ARE out there, probably just as frustrated as you are in trying to find you. Which leads me to my last tip…
• Create a candidate – friendly interview process. What does this mean? It means, interview fast. Call the candidates quickly, get them scheduled soon, and make an efficient interview process. Have your basic screening processes in place but do not be ridiculous in your requirements for applying. Then, give the candidates a clear deadline as to when they will have answers, and stick to that deadline. Say no politely, but firmly, and don’t leave people hanging. Candidates have lots of choices these days. Be a place that they want to be.

Warren Buffet says that money flows from the impatient to the patient. I say that the same thing happens with candidates: be patient, be thorough and be polite.

Happy Hiring!