Most recruiters don’t spend their days battling demogorgons, butchering mind-flayers, or foiling Russian spies (and if you do, you might want to look for a new job).
But it does entail fighting inefficiency and disengagement, among other challenges.
Eleven and the rest of the Stranger Things gang have a lot to give.
Keep reading to find out for yourself!
6 hiring lessons to take away from Stranger Things
With the 4th season of Stranger Things now streaming on Netflix, we’d like to discuss 6 major hiring lessons you can take away from this hit series.
1. Stick together like the gang
The boys were always there for one another.
Even when Will was imprisoned in the Upside Down, the other boys worked together to bring him back. They didn’t give up, even if it meant risking their lives.
This is precisely how a recruitment team should function. (Except the risking their lives part!)
It is not easy to find the right candidate, the one that fits into the company culture and has the best skills.
Picking a candidate is undoubtedly nothing close to dealing with a Demogorgon, but it does pose other challenges. So it’s critical to address it as a team.
For recruitment teams, effective coordination both within the team and with important stakeholders such as hiring managers is critical to make the best potential hires as rapidly as possible.
How can you do this?
Well, here are a few ways.
One way is to use an ATS + CRM software to manage the entire recruiting process and stay organized and connected at all times.
It is easier and much faster to coordinate with team members when all activities and conversations are placed at one single location.
You can also define team-wide goals. When everyone on your team is working towards the same objective, it’s simpler to keep their eyes on the prize.
Team-wide objectives may be related to particular hiring metrics you wish to achieve, such as reducing your agency’s time-to-hire.
2. Find the right technology to help you achieve your goals
In business (like in life), the goals we wish to attain and the obstacles we encounter are sometimes larger than us.
Dustin, Mike, and Lucas make a variety of technological discoveries to tackle frightening challenges that appear to be beyond their reach throughout the series.
Before acting, they always consult with their science professor to examine the possibilities and choose only the best method to adopt.
Finally, they employ technology to overcome dangers that might otherwise be impossible to tackle with force alone.
For example, when they create a handcrafted sensory deprivation tank to help Eleven find Barbara and Will.
In terms of candidate research and selection, recruiters must also make use of a cutting-edge recruiting software.
Using an ATS, recruiters can distribute job ads across several job sites with a single click, gather applications centrally, and spend relatively little time screening and selecting the ideal candidate.
But not all ATS’ are the same.
It is critical to understand your and your clients’ needs before investing. Just like the kids in Stranger Things! Before moving on to the next lesson, if you haven’t seen the series yet, you can binge-watch it on Netflix or download it for offline viewing. It’s really a must-watch series with a great source of recruitment lessons.
3. One toxic hire can ruin the entire group
As seen in Stranger Things, it only takes one person to be infected by the mind-flayer for everything to spiral out of control.
As soon as Billy becomes the monster’s agent, he begins to bring the entire community down with him. Yes, literally!
A single toxic hire might have a similar impact on your client’s business if not screened properly (minus the brain-enslaving and exploding into goo, of course).
Toxic conduct may take many forms, including bullying, entitlement, gossiping, and passing chores. It might also have several negative repercussions on your client.
The easiest method to avoid giving your client a toxic employee is not to hire them in the first place.
Most of the time, you can avoid hiring a toxic candidate through cautious recruiting methods like thorough screening and background checks.
4. Diversity is a superpower
One of the most beautiful things about the Stranger Things cast is how diverse they are; it’s what makes them such a terrific team!
Imagine the disaster if every character was like Hopper, Nancy, or Will!
Even Eleven, with her bizarre talent, requires the assistance and support of her pals. And who doesn’t like the option of cherry or strawberry Slurpees?
To maintain a peak performance, your client needs staff with the same level of diversity.
Diversity in ideas, experience, and background allows teams to operate more creatively and explore many points of view.
It is what keeps your client from failing when new obstacles arise.
For example, Steve, Robin, and Dustin required Erica’s help to access the secret Russian base. That one setback would have baffled the entire squad if it hadn’t been for her small stature and quick brains.
Read more: Imagine if Batman was a recruiter!
5. Friends communicate effectively
Diversity and inclusion are two components of the puzzle. The third is communication.
Stranger Things teaches us this lesson over and over again as we watch multiple groups of people working individually on the same issue.
Nancy and Jonathan, for example, are looking into missing chemicals, while Max and Eleven learn that Billy is up to something strange.
Everyone tried to fix everything within their groups and did not communicate with the rest of the gang until matters got out of hand.
Only by coming together and sharing knowledge were they able to solve the situation.
Read more: Imagine if Cupid was a recruiter!
The same applies to communication during the hiring process.
You must maintain effective and consistent communication with candidates throughout the process. Treat your candidates better and keep them informed at every stage of the job application process.
This is essential to provide a positive candidate experience.
6. Ask many significant questions
When Mike falls in love with Eleven, he introduces her to his group of friends and attempts to integrate her into the group. Lucas and Dustin are the most difficult to convince.
They are aware that adding a new member may upset the equilibrium.
So, how do they act?
They bombard Eleven with inquiries in search of proof of her loyalty.
It also takes time for Eleven to be welcomed by the gang.
Similarly, it is essential to carefully assess the fresh hire you’re introducing to your client.
The balance of an organization is always delicate.
It is critical that a new employee provides value and does not decide to leave the company too soon, as this might result in a significant financial and administrative setback.
7. Protect your clients from the upside down
It’s important to work proactively to make careful hiring decisions.
Don’t wait to figure out if a candidate is worth it until after they are hired.
In other words, don’t wait until the mind-flayer has grown to the size of the Starcourt Mall before taking action — start now by recruiting the right people. Your clients will appreciate it 🙂
Are you binge-watching #StrangerThings this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits: IMDb
