A colleague writes:

“I am losing a great employee. And so, I’m in the market for a last-minute replacement…. Do you have any advice on getting a great replacement tout suite?” 

My reply:

Sorry to hear that. Losing good employees is not fun. As for suggestions, I don’t have any magic bullets for you. All the best ideas for recruiting great talent take time.

I can think of three things you can try right now. These have occasionally – though not consistently – worked for me:

1. If feasible, ask your customers. Make it the topic of a blog post. Invite readers to respond.
2. Call your colleagues and competitors. I know it might sound crazy to call a competitor, but I’ve had success with this approach more than once – and established a quid pro quo that worked nicely for years.
3. Ask your employees. Not all of them. Just the superstars. Birds of a feather flock together Smart people hang out with smart people. Creatives hang out with creatives. This has been the single best last-minute trick I’ve ever used. Try it. You may be surprised.

Good luck!