Your Recruiting Team Needs Team Development
Mr. Bartender and I are fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). One of the things we love and laugh about Marvel is that we have to do “homework” before watching some of their movies and shows. Case in point, before going to see “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, we watched an animated series called “What if…” that suggests alternative timelines in Marvel movie history. One might think of those alternatives as parts of a multiverse.
Anyway, the reason I’m bringing up this longwinded mention of Marvel and the “What if…” show is because I read an article from Josh Bersin recently talking about how “Recruiting is Harder Than It Looks: 74% of Companies Underperform”. One of the reasons that I believe recruiting functions could be underperforming is because organizations don’t view the people who have direct contact with the recruiting process as a team. As a result, they don’t give them team development.
Think about it. What if the organization viewed the group of people responsible for recruitment as a project team? The team would include HR, talent acquisition, hiring managers, facilities, payroll, learning and development, etc. Because this group works together as a team. Their goal is to find, hire, and successfully bring into the organization the best employees.
Now that the team has been identified, what if we gave them the tools to be successful? Project teams often receive training in soft skills that allow them to excel as a group.
Communication: Recruiting teams need to effectively communicate in-person and in writing. It starts with communicating the job opening and requirements. Communication skills are necessary to conduct interviews and properly document interview notes. And communication is essential in discussing final selection and evaluation.
Decision making: Speaking of final selection and evaluation, the recruiting team needs to make many decisions along the way. Who will be screened? Who will be interviewed? Who will be extended the job offer? What should the organization offer the candidate? And how much are we able to negotiate? Is there a point where we need to walk away from the negotiation?
Problem solving: Recruiting teams are well aware of challenges. It could be from a sourcing perspective – not being able to find qualified candidates. Or candidates are ghosting the company along the way. Maybe the organization is having some problems getting candidates to accept the offer. The organization might also find themselves with problems related to new hires getting acclimated to their new role.
Consensus building: While not every decision involves building consensus, recruiting teams might want to come to agreement when they’re thinking about changing a process or a requirement. For example, some companies are eliminating the need for college degrees. Or they’re adding a background check. Or moving up a pre-employment assessment earlier in the process. It’s helpful to build consensus around these decisions.
Time management: Recruiting takes time and knowing how to manage your time effectively is important. It’s one thing to manage your individual time well, and it’s another for groups to manage their time well as a team. Organizations might want to give teams the tools they need to manage a big process – like recruitment. It could help individuals realize how their actions impact the group’s goal.
As Josh Bersin mentioned in his article, recruiting is harder than it looks. It’s a complex process with lots of moving parts. If the organization isn’t viewing it as a group activity to be managed, what if it’s time to consider it. Encourage the team to work together and support each other. Give the team the tools they need to be successful. Because we want them to hire the right people and set them up for success.
Image of a room divider captured by Sharlyn Lauby at the Waldorf Astoria in Las Vegas, NV
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