I liked your article and I think that every executive that ever touches HR/Recruiting should have to read and understand it.

With the ever present rush to adopt new technologies and global strategies, most HR/Recruiting leaders forget that if they don?t do the basics well, they will not be successful, regardless of the technology or strategy. They seem to think that if it?s new, it must be better. Sometimes the simplest answer is the best answer. Every couple of years, when the economy turns a little, there is the instantaneous cry that companies can?t find enough good talent. Well, I will tell you a secret, it is always hard to find good talent! Especially in cutting edge technical areas, are large grow areas. It has always been this way, and it always will. New technologies and methodologies can make large scale searches a little easier, but if you don?t have the basics down, you are going to have a hard time. And I think that is why so many companies have a hard time recruiting. I have been in the business for about 12 years (I started with a phone and a fax machine). And most of the companies that I have worked for or have seen close up on the in side, just don?t do it very well. Either they think that you should be able to recruit with for little or no money, or they throw money at it without getting the processes and methodologies in place first. They never seem to ask the people that will actually be doing the job what they want and what will make their job easier and better.

The other problem that I have seen repeatedly, is that companies tend to have an over inflated view of themselves. They think that if you are not standing in line to come work for them, something is wrong with you. They have very little idea about what their real recruiting brand and reputation are. They all talk a good line, but when it comes right down to it, few will admit that they are not the best place to work.

With a little effort on the basics and simplification of the process, most companies could improve their recruiting efforts with little or no additional money. As well as make their Recruiters much happier!

David

Many companies that previously had successful Recruiting organizations implemented all or most of these steps. Sadly, many dropped these basics when faced with the tough economic times post 9/11 and are in fear of the repeating (or worsening) economic conditions of today. Blurring the lines between Sourcing/Recruiting/HR probably looks good on paper, but each role requires a dedicated, full-time professional.

Holding the talent bar so high that companies only consider the top 10% in the industry but then compensate based on market averages is a joke that has definitely gone on too long.

May I be so bold as to suggest a 6th ‘Basic’? Recruiting as a Key Business Partner.

The points you make are so appropriate one doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry…

I’ve recently talked to colleagues about companies engaged in global recruiting who are not satisfied with results and thinking about RPO or rebranding their entire recruiting enterprise when they have not even seriously engaged the benefits of video interviewing and reducing their time-to-interview from 3-6 months to 6-7 days anywhere in the world. Resulting compressions of video interviewing would allow an organization to reallocate more resources into sourcing–put more in at the top–get more out at the bottom. …and they think RPO or rebranding is the answer…

funny.

Best…
Bryan St.Laurent
HireVue

A modest suggestion to rectify some of these problems:
Ask everyone involved in hands-on recruiting work (from the scheduling coordinator to the sourcers to the recruiters or the one person who does it all, perhaps as part of their duties) what three things could be done to make their own work more effective and efficient. Then: implement these suggestions.

I know it’s quite unusual to actually ask the people who do the work about how to improve it, but drastic times call for drastic measures.

Cheers,