A Transactional Recruiter Picks the New… Batman
Dear Mr. Recruiter
As you may already be aware, Ben has hung up his cowl and we’re left with no choice but to find a new actor to play the lead role in whatever car-crash of a Batman movie we decide to make next.
We need someone who is convincing as an eccentric billionaire, believable as a masked vigilante, and won’t ditch us just because we’re struggling to replicate the success of the MCU.
Our poor actor retention rate is becoming something of an embarrassment so it’s very important that we get the right person, who will commit to at least five future movies. Marvel got Robert to do Iron Man for over ten years, so don’t tell me this isn’t a realistic goal.
We’re considering a number of different recruitment firms for this job, so please begin by outlining your recruitment plan.
Regards,
Harassed Warner Bros. Executive
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From: <Transactional_Recruiter@RecruityMcRecruitFace.com>
Subject: Batman Candidates Shortlist
Dear Mr Warner Bros. Exec
Thank you for this opportunity. You’ll be pleased to hear that we’ve done a quick scan of our database and we appear to already have a number of actors who would be perfect to play the world’s greatest superhero.
Let me know if you’d like to interview any of the following candidates:
Tom Cruise – He might be a little short than is traditional for Batman, but that’s nothing a little CGI can’t handle. Tom is still smarting from the failure of The Mummy so I reckon he’ll be well-up for this.
Brad Pitt – A good box office draw. The only snag is that he insists on a clause in his contract that he be eating something in at least one out of every three scenes. But that’s something your writers should be able to fix. Maybe Batman is on the Atkins diet and he has to eat protein at least five times a day?
Jennifer Lawrence – This is an out-of-the-box suggestion, certainly, but she’s good with a bow and arrow and you’ll earn lots of “equality in the workplace” points.
Let me know if you’d like to interview any of these stars and we’ll try and set it up.
If none of these sound like a good fit, it’s not a problem. We’ll just email everyone in our database and see if anyone else is interested. We’ll also ask for referrals in exchange for a finder’s fee. People love the opportunity to do our job for us.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Yours hopefully,
Transactional Recruiter
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From: <Consultative_Recruiter@i-intro.com>
Subject: Batman Recruitment Campaign
Dear Mr Warner Bros. Exec
Thank you for reaching out to us. We’ve reviewed your requirements carefully and below is an overview of how we would plan your campaign:
1) We would begin by asking all the decision-makers to complete a short survey. I’m sure you’d agree that casting one of the most iconic characters in movie history is not an easy task and it’s important to us that we have a full understanding of stakeholder expectations.
This will help us to find the best candidates for your consideration and will also keep your decision-making time to a minimum.
2) Because finding an actor that you can retain for many years is a priority, we consider it essential to discuss your long-term plans for the DC franchise. If you’ll forgive our presumption, we’d like to suggest that the problems with retaining actors has less to do with the performance of the cast, and more to do with a lack of quality and consistency in the writing.
You may find it beneficial, in addition to recruiting a new Batman, to look at hiring some new writers, and possibly even a long-term director to assist with planning future storylines. We will, of course, be only too happy to help you with this recruitment.
3) Once you are satisfied with the parameters we’ve created for your recruitment campaign, we’ll begin the search for qualified candidates. In addition to hunting for established, experienced actors, we’ll also be on the lookout for individuals who may be able to make the shift from other genres.
Let’s not forget that Michael Keaton’s background in comedy led many to assume that Tim Burton’s, Batman would be a goofy disaster, and yet his performance led the movie to a huge box office success.
An underrated actor chiefly known for goofy vampire movies, for instance, may unexpectedly turn out to be a very good fit.
4) After compiling a shortlist of candidates, we’ll review each individual using behavioural assessments. This will help us evaluate whether or not they’ll be a disruptive presence on the set and whether they are likely to have a strong rapport with your chosen director.
We’ll also ask each candidate to prepare a short video monologue taken from their favourite Batman movie (in other words, nothing from Joel Schumacher).
5) It is likely that this will give you enough information to screen-test just two or three of the shortlisted actors, rather than having to interview everybody. If required, we offer additional consultation at this stage to help you prepare a thorough series of tests for the candidates.
I hope that you recognise the benefits of a carefully-planned recruitment campaign. We’re confident that our methodology will help you find the right person who can lead your franchise for many years to come.
If you’d like to see a working example of an i-intro® recruitment campaign, I’l be happy to visit the studio and deliver an in-depth presentation.
Kind regards,
Mr. Consultative Recruiter
P.S. – We heard you’re going to recast Suicide Squad. Let me now if you want to chat about this.
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Well, that was fun. But please don’t miss the important take-aways:
- A professional campaign that meets the employer’s needs should be consultative and not reactionary.
- Establishing the employer’s requirements requires a full understanding of their long-term business plans. Not only does this increase the accuracy of the eventual placement, but it can also lead to additional work or even a long-term partnership.
- Saving the client time and money, and ensuring maximum possible retention, means getting more involved in candidate assessments and the interview strategy.
Look out the next article in this series: A Transactional Recruiter Picks the New… England Football Manager