What is Purple Squirrel and why is it important? | HRMantra

What is Purple Squirrel and why is it important?

6-8 minutes

Purple Squirrel Definition

The term ""purple squirrel"" is used by most recruiters and HR managers to refer to a candidate who not only suits the basic description of the vacancy but, in addition, has outstanding qualities or specialized skills that set the person apart from others. It is actually a bundle of skills, industry knowledge, and nice personal features.

Advantages of Hiring Purple Squirrel

• Adds value to the organization: The ideal candidate with the qualification, skill, experience and knowledge can add much value to the company''s value and also enhance their work environment.
• Inspires Colleagues: Employees may get inspired because of this squirrel and may strive to compete with that kind of candidate. Hence, other employees will be motivated to work.
• Less need for training: Since these ideal candidates are already skilled and qualified, there is time and cost required for their training unless specifically requested or necessary by the candidate.

Strategies to Hire Purple Squirrel

The approach will be a bit different when it comes to attracting and selecting such candidates, in comparison with the process of recruiting regular candidates. The things to consider at this stage include reassessing whether you really need such a highly qualified candidate and, also, how to minimize the risks he could create.

Here are five important tips to consider:

1. Define clear goals—formulate your strategy: Research is necessary before any project or task is started. Get familiar with whom you are targeting as candidates; their background, expectations, and preferred work environment. Different recruiters might have different definitions of a candidate. Therefore, Candidate Personas help in understanding your talent acquisition needs better.
2. Brand your business: A recruiter knows and understands the importance of marketing and promoting his or her company brand. Some amount of advertising is involved with recruitment since it''s a way to attract talent. Only if your marketing efforts stand out in their areas of interest, purple squirrels will take notice of your job postings and career sites.
3. Avoid descriptions when posting a job position: Instead, showcase the company culture. Generate online visibility of the brand of the business across all digital channels. Utilize social media sites, email marketing, content marketing, job alerts, and drip campaigns.
4. Differentiation between desired skills: In looking through resumes, consider if all of the skills listed are truly needed. Prior to selecting whom to hire, ask yourself what the critical skills necessary to perform a particular job are. Focus on those abilities. Exclude any rarely used or trainable skills.
5. Develop a workplace culture: A work culture is essential both for the workers and also the potential candidates. All employees should be respected. There has to be a balance between creating competitiveness and offering activities because the candidates, more so the highly skilled, appreciate this factor.
6. Consider all applicants: Availing of exceptional candidates or outstanding competitors does not mean that recruiters and hiring managers have to brush off applicants. The search for the match gives value to your company. That doesn''t mean other job seekers can''t do the same. It should be a two-way process, not one-sided.

Is It Worth All the Hype?

If you''ve weighed the pros and cons carefully you already know that the answer is both yes and no. There is simply no denying the fact that for a recruiter finding the perfect fit, for a role can feel like falling in love for the time. But what when all employees working in that role are exceptional? Who will you train? Who will benefit from learning experiences?

Moreover, how do you take out the risk involved in relying on candidates? Such a risk taken won''t really build a work culture.

You have to aim at only those types of candidates who are willing to work with lots of dedication and interest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this purple squirrel concept all about?

A ""purple squirrel"" is a term used by recruiters to describe that elusive job candidate who has the perfect combination of education, experience, and skills for the particular job at hand.

How can one be the person business is looking for?

You need to become the type of candidate businesses are looking for, and for that, it''s cardinal to enhance both of your timeless skills. On the other hand, if you have a talent for communicating with people, influencing them, and persuading them, it''s something you should keep honing.

What are some of the challenges HR professionals come across in the quest of attracting and retaining ""purple squirrel"" talent?

Simplistically, recruiting a squirrel is akin to climbing Mount Everest. What recruiters need to understand is that they have to reach out, rather than waiting for everything to come to them.

Quality Management – Meaning, Importance

Sonia Mahajan | 5-6 minutes | 11/17/2023

Quality Management Definition

Quality management refers to control over the activities and tasks to be implemented and achieve a desired standard of excellence.

Quality control is the means by which you will ensure better satisfaction for the customers and a constant improvement in the long run.

And here, something vital comes up: how exactly does this process work?

What is Quality Management?

Quality management involves a set of tasks and policies facilitating quality improvement in the company. To put it in simple words, all the activities and processes from HR managers or employers are reviewed to ensure a good quality product.

The Importance of Quality Management Process

Quality management is continuous quality improvement. No doubt, it''s an important feature as it provides an objective way to differentiate market competitors.

Stages of Quality Management

• Plan: Under this stage, you are supposed to either determine the objectives and how they can be achieved, or specifically, the objectives and the resources to achieve them. In relation to this initiative, you may be expected to identify the prime stakeholders and inputs and outputs that facilitate the delivery of quality products.
• Develop: In this stage, you are expected to plan for the arrangement of resources and proceed to carry out work that is intent on achieving the objectives set. In the meantime, you are also supposed to ensure quality assurance in the light of ensuring process improvement.
• Examine: Measure the level of critical quality objectives that have been achieved in the analysis step with tangible performance measures.
• Improve: Put in place the lessons learned during analysis in order to improve the quality of future work by taking effective corrective action.

Benefits of Quality Management

• It leads an organization towards ensuring consistency in all the operations
• It enhances productivity, reduces errors as well as saves time
• It is a significant boon for attaining higher customer satisfaction.
• It helps achieve right marketing of the business effectively
• It simplifies the introduction of new people
• There remains constant increment in systems, functions as well as products.

Quality Management Principles

1. Customer Focus: The root of the quality management principle is that it retains the internal quality benchmark while facilitating customer requirements.
2. Leadership: The process establishes an environment wherein every person gets a chance to contribute to the success of the organization. This way, it promotes unity at every level.
3. Engagement: Quality management is also reputed to foster a professional setting where it is ensured that every individual is capable, entrusted, and motivated to take a step ahead and give in high-quality results.
4. Approach to Process: You must also get a clear idea of how your business achieves desired results. Doing this is no rocket science. All you need to do is measure the efficacy of every operation. From the overall time taken and total costs to outcomes, check everything. After this, you can also do a process analysis and use your

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