In his book ‘Work Rules’, Laszlo Bock (Google’s Ex-SVP of People Operations) writes,"Hiring is the single most important people activity in any organisation". In the Harvard Business Review an article, “How Recruiters Can Stay Relevant in the Age of LinkedIn” by Atta Tarki and Ken Kanara discusses following 5 steps whereby an organisation can gain a competitive advantage through their recruitment. Throughout my own experiences as a recruiter, the goal has been to make life easier for stakeholders I’ve partnered with, so I’m naturally interested in articulating why businesses should invest to drive better recruitment outcomes.
The premise of this article is COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE; how can we elevate Business Partnering from a supporting to an embedded role within a modern recruitment strategy. Put simply, how can organisations differentiate their hiring, be more effective in articulating their proposition and gain an advantage. This is particularly pertinent with the universal use of technology, such as LinkedIn, during / post-COVID and considering the wider implications of BREXIT. Whilst the challenge is broader than these three factors, I would like to address them briefly.
LinkedIn is a remarkable and an important tool, but by being universal, does it differentiate? The playing field has levelled; as new entrants have access to a transparent global database mitigating privately held data by companies and reinforced through GDPR. It’s logical to expect the emphasis shifting from search to engagement and exaggerated by the recent advent of built-in automated search functions. The current pandemic has created unprecedented levels of demand for employee flexibility as part of a compelling EVP. BREXIT has restricted the flow of resources from outside the UK even before taking into account ageing demographics, with fewer candidates and their increasing complexity, the battle for talent will become even more challenging. The pressure on hiring managers to deliver fair and effective assessment remotely, leading to successful conversions, will also intensify. Finally the cost-benefit analysis of who is hired and maybe more importantly not hired is well known and indicative of how successful the business will be.
As Recruitment Partners, the question is how should forward thinking business leaders respond and what steps can recruitment professionals take to try and seek an advantage? My instinct points towards a combination of capability and people striving for more productive outcomes within the hiring model. With Business Partnering as an active participant within assessment, the difference is two fold; (i) a true partnership and (ii) joint accountability with the business that is embedded in the interview process and each responsible for quantifiable actions. Tailoring to different requirements and can take a multitude of forms, however by adding the additional layer to traditional screening, qualification and recommendation, you are gaining efficiency savings and a closer insight into your candidate pipeline.
There are challenges to overcome, especially when most sectors are either in decline, stagnating or trying to recover through the pandemic. Typically businesses will tolerate inefficiencies as accepted service norms through a traditional recruitment lens, e.g. transactional in the whole, arguably a false economy underpinned by the prevalence of cost, and low barriers to entry doesn’t lend itself for high-value. Business planning for the short to medium term moving to a post-COVID model will have an array of competing priorities with recruitment fighting for space, especially when proposing change. Recruitment must present a business case, which responds to pressures impacting the bottom line or project(s) but also merits a greater investment in capability.
Developing capability, whilst retaining working relationships and enhancing trust through a ‘proof of concept’, is critical - scaling any change appropriately for business requirements. These can be overcome with executive sponsorship, a commitment from recruitment and middle-tier stakeholders to delivering better outcomes backed by reliable data. The current bar isn’t daunting within professional services – e.g. typically only a third of candidates that pass a first business interview will be successful at a deep dive assessment. The quick win is the knowledge that seasoned business partners are hard wired to make good objective decisions, they are invested in their brand and they have an unrivalled relationship with their candidates. If Laszlo Bock is correct in stating, “Hiring is the single most important people activity in any organisation”, then surely we can envisage, implement and realise a greater ambition for both recruitment and the business, not least by turning the ‘employer of choice’ from a cliché into a reality.
By empowering recruiting business partners to deliver and assess candidates more effectively, businesses can take advantage in two distinct ways. The first is relinquishing the burden to complete a preliminary business interview and to be afforded a scalable platform post assessment for converting successful candidates. The psychology of separating the ‘assessment’ from a “soft sell’ is based on logical reasoning and improving results by at least 15%. Engaging in a mutually beneficial conversation on a level playing field without undue stress ensures a candidate’s drivers are being acutely engaged - listening intently in an environment of calm, constructive and dare I say excited decision-making. In practice, the business has been given the ability to plan, personalise and articulate "What’s In It For Me” within the context of a compelling EVP.
How does this translate into a competitive advantage, because very few companies can scale a personalised process due to the inefficiencies throughout but particularly at the front end. By coming through this difficult period of uncertainty and unprecedented disruption, and repeatedly securing a higher % of top talent, through the lens of “Hiring is the single most important people activity in any organisation”. What if that leads to closer client relationships and competitiveness, an increasing project win percentage and better bottom-line performance, resulting in easier innovation, investment opportunities and growth?
“That’s a competitive edge”! I’m interested in engaging with business stakeholders who share similar aspirations and value the importance of hiring like Laszlo.
Paul Carter is a vastly experienced Talent Acquisition Professional looking for his next exciting career opportunity and is interested in engaging with Business Leaders who are looking to build and implement a compelling Talent strategy for your Organisation in a post COVID Market.
You can contact Paul directly at https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-carter-845b59/ where he would be delighted to discuss how he can join you and add value to your Talent Acquisition plans.