Listening to “Into the Unknown” from Frozen got me thinking about how one approaches unfamiliar challenges. So, I’m curious to know, what’s your initial reaction when faced with something new and unknown?
Do you sometimes see it as an insurmountable mountain, making it seem larger than it is? Or do you confidently think, “How hard can this be?” I’ve often found myself revisiting the advice of one of my early career mentors*: cut through the jargon, break down complex problems, and dive deep into the data to find clarity.
One memorable experience that comes to mind is my first tussle with recruitment at Rayden Interactive. I had zero prior experience in this field, and my initial goal was to hire a daunting 100 people a month. We had a small talent acquisition team, no consultants, no applicant tracking system, and limited knowledge of the recruitment process. It certainly seemed like a challenging task at first.
However, I took inspiration from Mark Twain’s words, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog.” I regrouped and developed a straightforward, simple, and implementable game plan. We realized that starting with 100 hires a month was unattainable without the right processes or workforce in place, but we were determined to give it our all.
I began by calculating how many monthly hires were realistic and assessed the number of recruiters and consultants needed. I analyzed past data for better forecasting, established benchmarks, and monitored progress daily. I actively learned from our on-the-ground team, incorporated their suggestions, leveraged technology to automate tasks, and networked with industry experts for insights. I can’t over stress the importance of hiring the right talent which immensely helped us scale through this challenge.
While it took time to get things moving, with each piece falling into place, we not only achieved the 100-hire goal but exceeded it.
My approach to tackling the unknown has always been simple: simplify, learn, and improve. How do you approach unfamiliar challenges?
* Manish V Shah, thank you for being an excellent mentor!