Getting recruitments right

A post-summer holiday time is when many organisations ramp up their recruitment plans, having avoided the quiet period. It is likely that in September or October, one would see a spike in the number of recruitments happening as organisations seek to get their chosen candidates in place before the Christmas break, fresh for the new year, or at least to have identified them.

Recruitments, as in most organisations, would be led by the Human Resources or People & Culture department or team, who, over a period of time, would have arguably mastered the art of getting things right. But why do we get it wrong so often ? In many cases, the answer doesn’t lie in pointing fingers at the HR or P&C team but asking questions about whether the ‘recruiting manager’, i.e. the person who will eventually line manager the incoming person, has taken recruitment as seriously. And that is what I want to focus in this piece. Here are a few points that I have learnt or have observed as good practices, that have worked :

·         Working in partnership : It is really important that the HR person supporting the process and the recruiting manager work in partnership with a joint understanding about the person they are seeking to recruit, rather than leave it to the HR / P&C team to manage it all. The reason being – it is ultimately the responsibility of the recruiting manager to manage the person and hence they must have a very clear idea on the kind of person they want and whether the person specifications are clearly aligned to the job description. Once this is clarified, it is important to get clarity on who will do what as part of the recruitment process.

·         Clarity on the process : The recruitment process must be right for the role and the time / effort must be proportionate to the importance of the role. Hence, while it is really important that every person joining the organisation is aligned to the culture and values of the organisation, more thought may be need to be given for roles that in leadership / senior management positions, or technical specialism. It cannot be a one-size-fits-all. If it is a trustee recruitment, for instance, it will need much more engagement of some board members. A process may normally be a combination of formal and informal panels, written tests, psychometric analysis etc. but it is important to think through which of these are really essential for the given role, rather than have it as a standard template.

·         Decision making : I always believe that the ultimate decision making must be with the recruiting manager and therein should lie the accountability for getting the right people while also empowering the manager. That said, it is important that diverse perspectives are brought in to enable and support the line manager in getting to the right decision even if they ultimately own the decision. Do give thought to how many people should be on the panel and what their role would be. For instance, if a role involves financial management, it would be important to get someone from the Finance team to be on the panel, even if the role sits in another department. Diversity on the panel is really important and it should reflect, to the extent possible, the organisation’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. I would often advice the recruiting manager’s line manager to be involved in the process even if at the final stage, just to support the recruiting manager in their decision. In case of senior roles, I have found informal panels consisting of peers and potential direct reports to be very useful but with the role to only provide the candidates with information they need to prepare them better for the formal panel and respond to their questions, rather than asking questions themselves. Consider very carefully if there are certain roles for which you need to bring in a board member or an external panellist to help you make the right decision as they can add immense value and objectivity, which is particularly helpful if there are sensitivities involved in recruiting specific roles.

·         References : This is one of the most important and increasingly difficult part of the process that is often undermined. Employers are increasingly reluctant to provide anything more than a ‘factual reference’. It does make it hard for recruiting organisations to get more insights about the person that are relevant for the role. Personal references therefore would play a very important role and the recruiting manager needs to think carefully about obtaining it – but also, preferably, to make the call directly to the personal referees and have a conversation, focussing on a set of key questions that are relevant for the role and also on issues related to alignment on culture and values.

·         Information and communication : Irrespective of whether a person succeeds in the interview or not, it is really important that anyone applying for the role values the experience of the process. Candidates would understandably be disappointed in not getting the role they aspire for, but they will also remember how they were treated during the process, which is important for the reputation of the organisation. Hence, it is important to be responsive and respectful throughout the process – and once a decision is made, to make the effort and communicate it with sensitivity and empathy, especially in case of those who did not succeed. Isn’t it fantastic when someone comes up to you and says. “We met when you were on the panel for a role that I applied for. I was really disappointed not to get the role, but I have a very positive experience” !

Happy recruitments !

(Originally published by Third Sector, September 2019)