So you've been through a recruitment process once, twice or even more? Feel like the right person just doesn't exist? Here are some proven-to-work suggestions that may be of value to you.

1. Re-scope the role or re-map your own expectations. If you've you created a role whose combination of requirements makes it nigh on impossible to find the right person, merely going out to market again will not get you a different result. Re-scoping takes varying forms;
   1. Review the remuneration
   2. Modify the combination of responsibilities
   3. Restructure the team and their roles
2. Bring on a contractor for skills transfer. This is a two step process: Firstly, hire someone who has the right attitude, some of the requisite skills and an ability to learn.
   
   Secondly bring on an experienced contractor of the “knowledge sharing” mentality (rather than keeping to ones self) who will teach the fledgling all they know. For bonus points - maybe even tie in an early completion bonus for the contractor…
3. Promote and mentor – bringing people through the business shows a development mentality and encourages others to grow themselves, and ultimately the enterprise. With some structure, open ended questions and clear objectives to work towards, mentoring like coaching can provide rich rewards for both parties. See our external structured coaching.
4. Outsource – perhaps the most extreme of measures, but in reality are you the best person to manage an accountant or have your own helpdesk? What expertise are you missing out on by having a resource who trained in 1969 on a punch card computer? Some benefits realisable through outsourcing:
   • Managing costs downwards
   • Bringing in current expertise and knowledge
   • Easy access to project resource

These actions are all remedial not preventative, to ensure you look at this page only once, have personal development plans for each of your staff, not only the high performers. Ensure input from the individual and take succession planning from HR Strategy speak to delivery. In a quick plug I would of course encourage you to contact us.