(By Joel Raab) Frustrated brand managers are often heard saying, “I can’t find anyone,” or “The same candidates keep applying,” or “As an industry, we have done this to ourselves.” While it’s true that the pool of available air talent has shrunk (and that’s another article), there are creative ways to discover the best talent.
Here are eight ways to breathe new life into your search.
Possessing talent is more important than possessing experience. You can teach people how to do radio, but you can’t teach them to be talented. Find people who are outgoing, love the lifestyle, have a great sense of humor, know the music, and can well represent your station.
Who at the radio station who is not on the air has the best personality? I once asked this question in a market in which we had an opening. The former receptionist is now the top personality in that market.
Wherever you go, any day of the week, you may meet someone whose great personality strikes you. On a recent market visit, while dining, the PD and I encountered a waitress who just seemed to have “it.””That woman became a great part-time air talent.
Scour local comedy clubs. Are there local comics who would kill for a chance to be the second or third chair on your morning show?
Create meaningful internships. What does this have to do with air talent? When Mike Krinik (now an EMI regional rep) was PD at WGGY in Wilkes-Barre, he would give any intern who worked a certain number of hours a shot on the air. From that exercise, he found more than one part-time or full-time air talent.
Check with local colleges’ media departments. There are over-the-air and online stations within your community where you may be able to find funny, talented people.
Mentor to discover new talent. Programming meetings like CRS and the Midwest Conclave have mentoring breakfasts. I’ve met some excellent up-and-coming talent at these meetings — who eventually ended up in prime positions.
Offer a cash reward/signing bonus. I have had some success offering cold hard cash for tips leading to a talent who is hired. You can also offer a signing bonus. This tactic has netted significantly better resumes and airchecks.
Once you’ve identified candidates, be clear about what is offered and what is not. While you want to paint the opportunity in the best possible light, there should be no surprises for the prospect if you want to keep him or her. Check non-listed references. Those folks might be more honest about the individual you’re asking about.
Finally, and I can’t stress this enough: Talent is more important than experience. New people may be rough at first, but as an industry we will have to train and build our next generation of players. There are no shortcuts. This will take time, care, and plenty of attention. But the payoff will be magnificent.
Joel Raab consults 30 Country radio stations in large, medium, and small markets. He can be reached at [email protected] or 215.750.6868.
The “Next Great Big Talents” won’t be found making nice at the grocery store. Nor will they come from those zany folks who are ad-libbing at the cab stand.
Even the already stultified people who are on-the-air now, so far as that goes, will have to be schmoozed, motivated and then taught to be professional communicators.
The question are, however: Taught to do what, specifically and by whom, specifically?
Without those components, anything else is just about wishful thinking.
Anyone ever hear of Jeremy Leahy?
I don’t know if he’s a paid member of the morning staff (I would think he is) The Link in Charlotte has a guy named Lamar who called up the “Bob & Shari” morning show and started doing movie reviews. It’s now a regular feature. Lamar is funny, and does an, honest, entertaining review. Involved listeners could be your next talent too!
The thing that hampers radio is the “shut up and play the music” mentality, outside of morning drive.
Last station I worked for I was told not to ad-lib. That’s why it was the last station I worked for!
“Check with local colleges” … if only they cared about radio as much as Radio INK readers. Too many college radio operations are unsupervised playgrounds like WVUM at The U in Miami. Maybe Entercom can connect with Donna Shalala once that fancy new studio is built up in Little Haiti