Recruiting and Retention Archives - Page 3 of 77

Quick Shots for #Recruiting and #HR Pros – Google Hire Edition

June 1, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

In case you missed it, Google has introduced a new product called Hire. As the name implies, it’s focused on recruitment. I heard people talking about it during the TAtech Spring Congress as well as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Talent Management Conference. It’s still very new, but worth keeping your eye on.

Personally, I’m always a little torn when I hear about new offerings from Google. And this is no exception.

There’s been very few specifics released about Google Hire. I did find a couple of articles like this one from Mashable “Google tests Google Hire, its own jobs tool”.

Workology put together a round-up of information titled “What You Need to Know About Google Hire“.

If you Google the term Google Hire, you’ll discover that the launch had a bit of a challenge. This article from Fortune “Relax—Google Won’t Share Your Browsing History with Employers” explains what happened.

My hesitation with Google is their tendency to abandon projects. Computer World put together a list of products and services that have gone to the Google “Graveyard”. I believe recruiters want to build long-term sources. Searching for a new talent source takes time and resources. Short-term sources are fine, but it’s important for organizations to establish a clear sense of brand.

That being said, I don’t want to be a complete downer. There are some definite advantages. Let’s face it, Google is already in the search and advertising business. Not to mention, candidates start their job search on Google.

It could also be helpful to understand how Google Hire will impact the recruitment industry.

In the end, it’s possible that Google is going to use Hire as a way to share resources. Similar to their blog re:Work. I found this article on Inc. Magazine further emphasizing Google’s willingness to share information – “Here Are All the Documents You Need to Hire Like Google (for Free)”.

It’s no secret that recruiting is a challenge. New companies are going to enter the market. Existing companies – like Google – are going to offer their services. Regardless of our feelings, we have to do our research and possibly give them a try. They could be exactly what we’re looking for.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby during the SHRM Annual Conference in Washington, DC

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How to Find Bottlenecks In Your Talent Acquisition Process

May 25, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 2 Comments

Being able to deal with constraints is an important part of business. Constraints are stages of a process that causes the entire process to slow down, be less effective, or stop completely. In the book “The Goal”, Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt outlines The Theory of Constraints as well as how to identify and manage them successfully. It’s a good read that HR pros should have in their library.

A logical first step in successfully dealing with constraints is identifying them. We know in problem-solving that, if you only deal with a symptom then you never really fix the problem. Same applies here. It’s about getting to the root cause of the constraint. Take talent acquisition as an example. When the talent acquisition process is broken, everybody knows it. And in my experience, everyone blames everything on recruiting being broken.

“We can’t finish the project on time because we don’t have enough employees.”

“We can’t deliver good customer service because we don’t have the right employees.”

“I really need to fire Leonard, but if I do I’ll never find his replacement.”

Problems (or constraints, bottlenecks etc.) in recruiting isn’t something to ignore because finding top talent is essential to the business. The question becomes, how do you identify the constraint?

Let’s continue using the recruitment example and focus specifically on resumes and applications. Since talent acquisition is a process that involves multiple people: human resources, hiring manager, payroll, and possibly other individuals, we can start with an analysis of how the process works. Does your organization who is responsible for each part? When it comes to resumes and applications:

Who should spend the most time reviewing resumes? Should it be the hiring manager? Or HR?
What does each person involved in the hiring process actually do with a candidate’s resume? More importantly, what should they be doing?
Does each person know their role and responsibility? Do they know what the other members of the recruiting team are responsible for?
Is each person capable of successfully completing their role in the process?

In order to identify the potential constraint with applications and resumes, these questions must be answered. Organizations need to know that the process they’ve designed on a white board is the process that actually happens. They need to know that each person involved in the process knows their role and is capable of doing it. And that each person knows their role in the context of the other people involved in the process.

To minimize constraints, organizations might want to consider making investments in developing high-performance recruiting teams. Many companies invest in team building for departments. Sometimes in team development for project teams. According to Dr. Eduardo Salas, companies that invest in team training can see as much as a 20 percent increase in team performance. Recruiting teams are the group tasked with identifying and selecting the individuals who will service customers, create the next company innovation, and become the future leadership. It only makes sense to create a development initiative for this team.

Find the bottlenecks in your talent acquisition processClick To Tweet

Which brings us back to constraints. Is it possible that, if a company asked themselves those four questions, they would find the source of their constraint? Once the constraint is identified, then it can be appropriately managed. Here are three action steps that could correct the bottleneck:

Role reinforcement. Make sure each person who has a role in the process knows their tasks and accepts responsibility for their completion.
Training. Any individual who needs skill development should be provided the opportunity to become proficient.
Process communication. To make sure that steps in the process are not being duplicated or accidently forgotten, the process can be communicated to all stakeholders.

If organizations want to hire the best talent, they have to create effective processes and troubleshoot those processes to keep them the best they can possibly be. It starts with the recruiting team.

Image of Sharlyn Lauby captured while speaking at the Flora Icelandic HR Management Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland

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INTERVIEW: Dave Ulrich on How To Win the War for Talent

May 21, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

The term “war for talent” was first used in 2001 in a Harvard Business Press book by the same name. It refers to a competitive landscape in recruiting and retention. Given the recent shift to a candidate-driven market and other indicators like low unemployment, the use of war for talent seems very appropriate.

Dave Ulrich and his colleagues have a new book out on the topic titled “Victory Through Organization: Why the War for Talent is Failing Your Company and What You Can Do About It”. I feel like he needs no introduction in the HR world. But that just wouldn’t be proper. Dr. Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at The RBL Group, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations and leaders deliver value.

I had the chance to chat with him a few years ago about the future of the HR profession. And I’m delighted he agreed to talk with me about his new book and the war for talent.

Dr. Ulrich, the very first sentence in your new book says, “HR is not about HR. HR begins and ends with the business.” On one level, I get it. But isn’t that just another ‘seat at the table’ reference?

[Ulrich] The metaphor of ‘getting a seat at the table’ is about HR having access to and influence on business results. This aspiration becomes somewhat trite unless and until HR actually contributes to business results. In our research with 32,000 people in 1,400 businesses (with 22 global regional partners), we found that the competencies required to get to the table are different from the competencies required to deliver real business value.

Getting invited to business discussions (seat at the table metaphor) comes when HR professionals are credible activists. But, once invited, HR professionals have to deliver value to key stakeholders both inside (employees, line managers) and outside (customers, investors) the company. Stakeholder value to those outside the company increases when HR professionals are strategic positioners. Then, to deliver real business value, HR professionals need to be paradox navigators. Gaining the seat is not necessarily delivering once in the dialogue.

Who should own the war for talent and why?

[Ulrich] We are quite clear that line managers are the ‘owners’ of talent. They are ultimately responsible and accountable. Qualified HR professionals are architects who create the systems and anthropologists who recognize the context. (Editor’s note: I wholeheartedly agree that HR pros are the architects of work).

The book shares an HR competency model with three core drivers: credible activist, strategic positioner, and paradox navigator. Over the years, we’ve both seen all the articles about “this is what HR needs to do”, etc. How do HR professionals know the best advice to follow?

[Ulrich] In the HR field (like other fields), there are a lot of opinions, generally based on good intent and personal experience. While each person’s experience is unique and valuable, it is useful to rely on large data sets to see trends individuals might miss. HR pros recognize and accept data based decision making to ensure that their personal experiences culminate in real success. In addition, we are convinced that it is NOT just the HR competencies, but their impact on key outcomes of personal effectiveness, stakeholder value, and business results. HR pros should use their personal judgment as informed by rigorous theory and research.

Where do you see the role of technology in human resources?

[Ulrich] We have identified four stages of HR technology in delivering value. We have proposed an HR technology audit as each of these stages enables HR to use technology to increase value.

Stage 1 is efficiency and technology enables more cost efficiency delivery of HR services.
Stage 2 is innovation and HR technology allows for innovation in staffing, training, performance management, rewards, and communication. Much of the machine learning, automation, and robotics exists to create such innovation.
Stage 3 is information and technology helps organizations source and act on external data that informs choices.
Stage 4 is connection and technology connects people to each other inside and suppliers, customers, and investors outside and connects people to their organizations.

Dave Ulrich: how to win the war for talentClick To Tweet

IMHO, the challenges of finding and keeping talent aren’t going away anytime soon. If HR could only do one thing that would have the fastest impact, what would it be?

[Ulrich] Talent continues to be a real challenge for organizations. We have seen that many organizations have learned where and how to source talent, bring talent on board, reward and motivate talent, and retain the best talent.

We believe that many of the top employees have enormous choice over where they work, and leading organizations are working to help employees find meaning and purpose from work (see Why of Work). In addition, our research convincingly found that the quality of the organization (however labeled … the systems, teams, processes, or capabilities) has 4 times the impact on business results as talent! This means that HR professionals should be at least as concerned about the technical competencies of the individuals as the social and cultural fit in the organization. Talent matters, but organization matters more.

My thanks to Dr. Ulrich for giving us a sneak peek into his new book, “Victory Through Organization”. If you want to read more, download chapter one (FREE!)

It’s no surprise that attracting, engaging, and retaining talent is a key initiative for organizations. This challenge – the war for talent – places a lot of pressure on human resources. We need to be tech-savvy, process-driven coaches for the business. While it’s a tall order, it’s also a great opportunity for HR to bring business value to the organization.

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What Do Employees Want – Friday Distraction

May 19, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 4 Comments

The title of today’s post is a question I hear all the time. “What do our employees want?”

The first answer that comes to mind is “If you don’t know, ask them.” But I do realize that’s easier said than done. It’s hard to survey employees. Organizations could be apprehensive to ask a direct question for fear of what employees might say. The last thing anyone wants to do is ask, “What would make you happier working here?” and then not be able to deliver.

So, sometimes we look to surveys as a starting point. And that’s okay. Surveys and reports can get conversations started.

I wanted to share with you a couple of new surveys that you can use to start the “what employees want” conversation in your organization. The first survey is a Harvard Business Review article titled, “The Most Desirable Employee Benefits”. What I like about the results is that the respondents were workers aged 18 – 81. It represents everyone in the workplace, not just a small cross-section of a generation.

The second survey was published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). It’s their 2017 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Survey. This survey shares how certain activities can contribute to job satisfaction. It has more than simply benefits, which is nice.

One of the things I look for in surveys is some sort of trend. That could be an indicator of where to start. I don’t believe you’ll find any surprises in these surveys. Employees want to be respected by their manager and co-workers. They want to be paid a fair wage for the work they do and traditional benefits like health insurance. Finally, employees want to have flexibility in their work schedules.

The good news for employers is that this shouldn’t be a surprise. What employees want isn’t some sort of wacky, out of the ordinary request. What employees want is a positive work environment, competitive compensation and benefits, and flexible work. But they want those things consistently and they want them executed well.

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Talent Acquisition Strategy: The 3 Tactics Your Organization Needs

May 11, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

I listened in on a panel discussion during this year’s SHRM Talent Management Conference when I hear a recruiter say, “My job is to fill openings.” And I thought to myself, “Hmm…no. A recruiter’s job is to fill the company’s talent pipeline.”

Now you might be saying to yourself, “Same thing.” But I’m not sure it is. Hear me out.

From a process perspective, organizations hire employees from their talent pipeline. So if the pipeline is full of quality candidates, the company will have people to fill jobs. Recruiters would make their lives easier if they keep the talent pipeline full because candidates will be there when the company has an opening.

But I think there’s an added dimension to recruiting that needs to be addressed. Not every job opening can and will be filled with an external hire. If talent acquisition is going to be responsible for finding the best talent, then they need to work with the learning and development function to develop employees from within the organization. They also need to work with compensation and benefits to determine if full-time jobs would be better as part-time or ideal for freelancers.

I recently partnered with Alongside to publish a series of articles on the three talent acquisition strategies that organizations should consider:

Using a “Buy” Recruiting Tactic to Find Talent

Filling Your Talent Needs with “Build” Recruiting Tactics

Leveraging “Borrow” Recruiting Tactics to Meet Your Staffing Needs

I don’t have to tell anyone that hiring is getting tougher. The only way companies are going to win the war for talent is by giving talent acquisition professionals the responsibility and tools to do their job. That’s not simply filling requisitions. It’s helping the organization keep their talent pipeline full, whether that’s with candidates, full-time employees, part-time employees, or freelancers.

Your talent pipeline is more than a bunch of external candidatesClick To Tweet

The talent pipeline is more than a pipeline of external candidates. It’s all of the organization’s talent. And that’s a pretty big pipeline. And today, businesses can afford to have it run dry.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby outside the Hard Rock Casino in South Florida

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3 Steps to Make Recruiting Your Competitive Advantage

May 9, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

Prior to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Talent Management conference, I was able to attend the TAtech Spring Congress. The TAtech event was super interesting and I can’t wait to share with you some of my takeaways over the coming weeks.

One of the big takeaways for me was a session by Jerome Ternynck, founder and CEO of SmartRecruiters. He was talking about making recruiting your organization’s competitive advantage. Here’s the bottom-line: If organizations want talent to be their competitive advantage… If they want a best in class candidate and employee experience… If companies want a kickass employment brand… then recruiting has to become a competitive advantage for the organization. So, how does that happen? Well over my time at SHRM Talent Management and TAtech, I heard three things:

Properly staff your talent acquisition team. If recruiting is marketing, then organizations need to start putting their money where their mouth is. I’ve never worked for a company where sales and marketing positions were filled using requisitions. When a great sales person was identified, they were hired. We found the budget. Sales was that important. If talent is important to the company, then start doing the same for recruiters.

Train the talent acquisition team. Everybody needs training. Everybody. It undermines the credibility of the talent acquisition function to look for candidates that are self-learners and then not do the same for themselves. Professional development can improve morale, engagement, and retention. Organizations should want the individuals selling people on working for the company to be as excited as the candidates.

Give recruiters the tools. New recruiting tools are coming out all the time, especially in technology. Recruiters need to be exposed to those new tools, so they can determine if they’re right for the organization. True – There are some old-school recruiting methods that are still very effective and those shouldn’t be abandoned. But recruiting sources should be regularly evaluated for their effectiveness.

If you want to hire the best talent, recruiting must be a competitive advantageClick To Tweet

Organizations don’t expect understaffed, untrained marketing departments with outdated technology to deliver high performance. Well, maybe some of them do…but I’d wager they don’t always get the results they’re looking for. The same is true for talent acquisition. If organizations want the best talent, they need to give the talent acquisition function the people, training, and resources to effectively execute the recruiting strategy.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after attending the Great Place to Work Conference in Austin, TX

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Stop Doing These 6 Things that Slow Organizational Momentum

April 30, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

Momentum is the strength or force that allows something to continue to grow stronger or faster over time. We tend to think of momentum in the context of objects – such as the rock gained momentum as it rolled downhill. But it occurred to me that momentum applies to activities – support for a project can gain momentum.

If workplace activities can gain momentum, then we need to be focused on how to increase it. Because that could be a good thing. Organizational momentum can be a powerful thing. It can increase morale and engagement, fuel creativity and innovation, and bring support for goals and strategies.

In turn, we should be aware of situations that can zap or decrease momentum. Because it can stall organizational progress. Here are six things that can keep momentum from moving the organization forward:

Operating the organization without goals or a plan. One of the reasons I included the definition of momentum above is because I think that “something” is a goal or plan. Organizations want momentum to accomplish something and, if there’s no goal or plan…well, you know the rest. There doesn’t need to be a lot of goals and plans. Or even big plans and goals. But they do need to exist.

Shortening the new hire “honeymoon”. I understand that organizations want new employees who can start contributing quickly. I’m sure a new hire wants the same thing. However, an employee’s introductory period is valuable. It’s the only time when they will truly have a set of fresh eyes on the organization. And that perspective could spark the organizational momentum the company is looking for. So, let employees have their introductory time.

Overlooking the need for organizational investments. Businesses must make investments in equipment, training, technology, etc. to remain competitive. IMHO, sometimes organizations are quick to invest in equipment and forget investments in people. The better companies are about investing in all areas of the operation, and the better their momentum will be.

Losing focus on products and/or services. At moments in time, we all get distracted by shiny new features or inventions. And that’s okay. It’s when those distractions start to change the way products are produced or customer service is delivered – and not in a good way. Momentum is about making the customer experience better. And when I refer to the customer experience, I’m talking about internal customers too.

Assuming employees know how they are performing (so there’s no need to give feedback). Everyone wants to know how they’re doing. This isn’t a Millennial or Gen Z thing. And it shouldn’t happen just once a year during an annual performance appraisal. Organizational feedback fuels high performance. And high performance creates organizational momentum.

Forgetting the value of employees (even when they are leaving the company). Employees will leave the organization for a variety of reasons, some of which have nothing to do with the company. Former employees can be raving fans of the organization. They can refer customers and candidates. At some point, it’s possible they will want to come back. Treating exiting employees with respect sends a positive message.

Organizations are going to start thinking about momentum as part of their employee engagement and retention strategies. They will want to create this infectious positive work environment. The results will be obvious – increased employee referrals, improved employee engagement, and decreased turnover.

Human resources professionals will want to start thinking about how to create a movement or momentum within the organization. And how organizational momentum becomes a part of the company’s employment brand.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the Flora Icelandic HR Management Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland

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