What has not changed?
At the strategic level, the bottom line. Recruitment is the complex process of identifying and hiring the best people to fit in with your culture and contribute to the success and profitability of your business.
What has changed?
At the operational level the recruitment methodology process. In the 21st century, as with many other processes, technology has enabled a shift in business activities, tools and analytics to one that is fast, faster and fastest.
In recruitment terms this means that we now have fragmentation of the recruitment process into various technology software platforms, the shift from in house recruiting to outsourcing back to in house recruiting again as technology enables Fortune 500 to brand the recruitment process and create on- line job portals. Software driven recruitment technology is being used to source and select candidates, software driven recruitment companies are offering short cuts to recruitment on line, other social networks like Linkedin have created large, larger and largest methods of connecting with big, bigger and biggest candidate pools revealing all their details, which was once considered confidential.
What is not being achieved when hiring?
The personalised art and science of a skilful consultant to filter and understand the nuances of the candidate and the client by cultivating relationships, filtering, pre vetting, understanding those subtle differences or distinction in responses to ensure the right fit. This has now given way to technology, software and analytics driving people.While it may appear that progress has been made in the recruitment space evidence suggests it has not. It has become more frustrating and impersonal. Consider the following for example:
- The process has become more complex and time consuming
- Less accurate relying too much on interpretation of analytics for answers
- Has created more pain in the process of hiring
- Requires more people to manage overwhelm of data, drive technology, analytics
- Leaves behind candidate casualties with no responses to their applications
- Turned into numbers analytical game that is more stressful
- The process is less enjoyable
A company can only exist when it hires the best talent
Recruitment needs to become a strategic and personalised skill. The hub or essence of hiring the best people is the skill of relationships, selection and insight. Despite the rise of social networking, recruitment software technology, the huge increase in recruiters both in house and agency, the fundamental issues of hiring have not changed. To source, select and hire the right people, who are motivated, will fit into the culture of the company and contribute to its success requires human intervention. This requires people with highly developed higher order consulting and analytical skills in sourcing, interviewing, selection, and matching on the one hand, and, a deep understanding of business, the client’s needs, organisation vision, culture and environment on the other hand.
What needs to change?
Research shows that many managers do not value ‘hiring skills’ and believe it easy to develop but evidence suggests the reverse. Ask any executive in a multinational who has experienced the pain caused by a bad hire, not to mention the high costs involved and effect on the business.
Smart companies understand the underlying cost effectiveness of strategically partnering with the ‘right’ consultant, who has the ‘right’ knowledge, expertise and experience in sourcing the ‘right’ talent to help their companies be more successful and profitable.
A partnership with a professional, intelligent, seasoned, competent consultant “takes all the pain away from the hiring decision and placement process”, is experienced at forging the right relationships, finding the right people for your business and culture to drive growth for your company. Professional consulting is not a recruitment process. Recruitment consulting needs to evolve from an operational skill to higher level strategic consulting skill.
Executive Talent Consulting is a highly specialised talent consulting and contracting practice. Contact info@executivetalent.com.au
