Job Search & Hiring

What Recruiters Can Learn From Jon Snow

Glassdoor Team

Glassdoor Team | Author & Career Expert at Glassdoor | Aug 9, 2016

Warning: This post contains Game of Thrones spoilers—proceed with caution if you aren’t caught up on the most recent season! Though a valiant swordsman, Jon would most likely be dead or a white walker without his team backing him. For someone who supposedly knows nothing, there are a couple of key takeaways that recruiters can learn from Game of Thrones’ latest King of the North, Jon Snow.

jon-snow-recruiting Be receptive to feedback

Before the epic Battle of the Bastards, Sansa Stark repeatedly told Jon that he was underestimating Ramsay Bolton. Sansa, who had witnessed firsthand Ramsey’s sadistic and cruel behavior, understood Ramsey far better than Jon and insisted that he should wait until he had more men before he went to battle. Jon, however, did not heed Sansa’s advice, and look where it got him.

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Thankfully, Sansa saved the day. Recruiters: not everyone is going to agree with your ideas, but it is important to always take their feedback into consideration. Candidates and employees may not agree with your company’s operations and most likely express their discontent in the form of a negative review on Glassdoor. Rather than ignore the negative review, recruiters should respond as well as notify the appropriate teams about the feedback. Don’t write off candidates who may not fit the job description perfectly To build their army, Jon and Sansa rode to the ruling northern families, asking for men to fight with them against the most hated character since Joffrey. At House Mormont, Jon and Sansa stood before the lady of the house, 10-year-old Lyanna Mormont. She proved that she was not to be underestimated for her age when she rebuked Jon for his request, recalling the slaughter of House Mormont’s army at the Red Wedding.

lyanna-mormont-game-of-thrones

Although Ser Davos Seaworth eventually persuaded Lady Mormont to support House Stark, the meeting proved that Lady Mormont was not to be underestimated. Candidates may not fit the mold of your job description, but be wary of pigeonholing your recruiting strategy. To find and acquire great talent, you need to be open minded. A strong employer brand pays off! Jon Snow is evidence of the importance of a strong employer brand. Despite being dismissed as the bastard of Ned Stark, he built his reputation by excelling in fighting. Additionally he established his honor and trustworthiness among both wildlings and the men of Night’s Watch by being consistently transparent with the wildlings after he partnered with them. And so, when the time came for the people to decide who would lead them, the northerners chose none other than the bastard son of Ned Stark, the true King in the North.

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Your employer brand matters because it allows you to not only build trust between you and your candidates, but also retain employees at your company. Every company has an employer brand, but in today’s candidate-driven market, a strong, well-define employer brand will allow a company to stand apart from the rest and attract top talent to your company. Brace yourselves, top talent is coming.

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Glassdoor Team

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What Recruiters Can Learn From Jon Snow

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