Also for all the HR Leaders and Recruitment Directors who cover off these steps, there are many who don’t and may need a little wake up call.

I take your point about other industries that may not have the same approach and write an article about such a subject, however no doubt they also have their own challenges and are trying to lift their game and recognition in other areas.

I think it is the stuff that intelligent Recruiting Directors aspire to do when they enter a new role.

Part of me wonders if the article itself is a reflection of aspiration for many in Recruiting. I say that only because, all too often, Recruiting is not given the same consideration as Supply Chain or Business Development. That is not an inferiority complex, rather, it is a statement of fact. Otherwise, why would non-recruiting professionals be put into roles of leadership within Recruiting? You don’t see that happen in Finance, IT, Supply Chain, Sales, R&D or other critical business functions - why is it done in Recruiting?

I very much believe that the end game is heavily influenced by whether or not the new Recruiting Director is from a Recruiting background or from some other AOE/COE.

I am in the midst of a significant transformational effort of the Recruiting function with my new employer. I consider myself intelligent, and certainly aspirational. I took this role very specifically because of the transformation work.

Let’s hope I am viewed as an effective, strong leader and that the team becomes viewed as a critical driver and core component of the firm’s execution against their strategic plan. Whether that makes our recruiting function either new or heroic is immaterial to me.

This is just the stuff the majority of intelligent Recruiting Directors do whenever they join a new company. It is no different than any executive role;
1. Analyze the department and key stakeholder relationships
2. Conduct gap analysis to identify areas of improvement
3. Make a clear statement of intent to enhance the function in the interests of the business overall.
4. Find some low hanging fruit to gain credibility (in my experience Management Reporting is one that often provides easy “wins”).
5. Engage the current team with the new vision.
6. Declare a bold new initiative to transform a weak element of the business and excite the team.

In my leadership experience I have met many Recruiting Directors who do all these things on a regular basis.

Is the fact that this article is written as if “HC” is an herioc innovator more a reflection of the ongoing inferiority complex that seems to pervade the corporate recruiting industry than a reality? Do you expect such an article would be noteworthy if written about an executive overseeing a supply chain or business development department?

If we do not take ourselves seriously as executives who will?