Peeling back the layers of recruitment

Someone asked me how I’d clear a backlog of multiple vacancies recently.  I wanted to respond, “with enthusiasm”, although my sense was that this might be interpreted as flippant.  Such a simple question, yet the solution is often complex.  There are so many contributors to recruitment campaigns which are behind schedule.  I tend to hit as much as I can (in the shortest time) to get to the root cause and that includes engaging the stakeholders.  This is not the time to derail a process but to influence key decision points.  Enter, the Masked Recruiter although let’s hope it’s not as hot as today – this is not the weather for fancy dress.

Once I’ve completed my due diligence, I review the data and consider where I can add best value:

·       What needs to change and by when?

·       What are the priorities?

·       What’s the plan?

·       What are my “quick wins”?

·       Who do I need to influence?

Here are some of my favourite discussion / decision points, although it’s unlikely I’ll get answers to all my questions in one sitting.

·       What’s the timeline – progress against need?

·       What’s the campaign status – offers turned down, telephone screening, interview?

·       Who knows about the vacancies – breadth and depth of campaign?

·       What’s the in-house support network – HRBPs, dedicated recruiters?

·       What’s the external market doing to help – recruiters, researchers?

·       Where are the vacancies being marketed – adverts, careers site, social channels?

·       Who are our biggest competitors for this skillset – what do we need to know?

·       How clear is the job description / person most likely to succeed?

·       How realistic are the requirements – how do they stack up with the role outputs?

·       Which trends have been identified – skills deficits, offers turned down?

·       What or who appear to be the blockers (or potential blockers) to date?

I often think of recruitment as peeling back the layers of an onion or throwing a pebble into a pool and watching the ripples.  The challenges get bigger the more you delve.  Today I’m opting for the cool pool of water (no surprises there given the temperature).  Once I’ve worked on these decision points, it’s time to tackle the broader topics like employer reputation and employer brand, candidate engagement and candidate experience.  Right now, the elephant in the room is most likely work location and there’s no golden ticket, as we’ve all discovered recently.  That debate continues.

I love the challenges which recruitment brings, and I doubt I’d still be writing about it if I didn’t.  I enjoy interacting with candidates and designing assessments or interview questions just as much as I get a thrill from creating the strategies for change.  I recognise that recruitment isn’t everyone’s favourite HR specialism, and many managers find it a chore.  Why not get in touch for a chat about how I can help you?  Let’s talk.