A perfect storm, shifting sands and all the other clichés apply as employers try to gain a grip on resourcing. Pressure on recruiters is palpable, talent is in short supply and the fear is, in stress scenarios, that mistakes, mismatches and failed hires are the very disruptions and expense that businesses could well do without. So, what are the protagonists in this challenging tableau and what are the key considerations in interpreting this new and alien landscape?

Often, when a new vacancy arises or someone resigns, managers assume that they must replace ‘like-for-like’, but this might not necessarily be the smartest move. In a much changed world, a new approach could be to challenge the role and candidate criteria and consider an alternative option. As there are many options available now to engage skills within a business, asking the right questions regarding the skill requirement has to be the starting point: What doesn’t help is that the terminology still in parlance, is an interpretation of the past and with the agility and fluidity that will be required in the future, what is needed is a reinterpretation of key terms and elements. A case in point is, temporary cover, does this refer to temporary need rather than a permanent position? Changes in demand, processes, automation or strategy might have an impact on the permanency of the role, so realising this might prevent the need for a redundancy or termination of contract later. Then there is fixed-term contract – is there any time limit to the skills required due to project completion, levels of funding or a product launch, for example? A fixed-term contract can be an efficient way to meet the changing demands of the business, but definition is required. A more recent addition to the resourcing lexicon is, job share – could this vacancy be offered as a potential job share arrangement? When implemented successfully, job share arrangements can offer the additional benefits of two complimentary skillsets and greater flexibility for sick or holiday cover.

Looking at apprenticeships as an option, is there an opportunity to use this vacancy to build lower levels of skill to minimise costs, while enabling succession internally from the grass roots? Apprentices can of course be a cost[1]effective and strategic route to grow skills and experience in the business. Similarly, internships, could provide entry level skills that can be passed on after a specified time period? This might be to help cover seasonal needs, holiday resource gaps or peaks in activity. Internships can also offer additional resource – in line with business needs – and offer opportunities to entry level talent. Looking at more senior position options and secondments – could this be an opportunity for a secondment into your business from a client or business connection? Could there be additional value that could be realised from a secondment? External source options too should be considered a versatile option in these changeable times, as are freelance services – is there a need for a specialised skillset that does not need to be supervised in house? Freelancers can add exceptional expertise and value, on a price-per-job or per-timeframe basis with lower overheads than in-house employees. Similarly outsourcing – could this skill requirement be better performed by outsourcing to a specialist provider? For example, a business may find it beneficial to outsource management of its social media around a new product launch rather than build this capability in-house. The support can be provided remotely and paid for by results. All of the options provide pros and cons – in terms of costs, flexibility and expertise – so opening this debate with the management team will enable you to identify where there might be opportunities that had not previously been considered.

The reality is, hiring processes are often chaotic and can be frustrating and time consuming on both sides of the courting process. Expecting candidates to jump through many hoops at short notice creates a negative first impression of the organisation and can come across as blunt and arrogant. So, the key questions to consider when reviewing your process are: How can the ideal candidate profile be aligned for this hire? This sounds obvious, but often a hiring teams seem to work out their differences of opinions regarding what are essential or desirable traits during the process, rather than before it. Also analyse with a critical eye how each stage of the interview process adds value. There is nothing more tiresome for both parties, than if the process basically asks the same questions multiple times, just by different people. Next, clearly defining what each stage will assess in terms of technical experience, skill and behavioural style and how this insight will be collated to make an informed assessment.

In all aspects of the process, it pays never to lose sight of the importance of engaging and exciting candidates. Indeed, the courting process provides ample opportunity to engage the candidate on an intellectual and emotional level. Using the different stages to provide value to the candidate is crucial. Could the stages include; a tour of the workplace, introduction to other colleagues and experience of services or products? The respect for the candidate that this demonstrates significantly increases the chance of another offer being accepted and provides a positive impression for all of those experiencing your brand. At every step, communication with candidates is an opportunity to galvanise the experience and build connection. Most candidates will appreciate that businesses will be trying to recruit as quickly as possible, but it is important to remember they will also usually be working elsewhere. Meanwhile, critical to integrity is knowing what stage the candidate is at and so diarising when contact and update engaged candidates will ensure that they don’t go cold and also enables planning ahead. Finally, at the closing stages, providing as much notice as possible is respectful to the organisation that is exiting the candidate.

All-too-often, managers are involved in the hiring process, without ever having been trained in interview techniques and how to assess suitability. This is not an inherent skill and needs to be developed in hiring managers, otherwise the process cannot be effective. It’s important that recruiters explore beneath the surface, rather than focus on face-value questions, usually elicits a run-through of a CV that you have already read. Instead, go beyond the “what?” questions and probe with the “whys” – why a project was successful and how the candidate resolved an issue? Or why they were selected to lead a project and how they determined if it was successful. Digging beneath the superficial answer finds out what makes the candidate tick. Learning to really probe brings clearer understanding of the depth of experience and motivations of a candidate. Interviewers need to ‘listen’ to what the candidate is telling them, but this goes far beyond the words chosen. Non-verbal communication provides 93 percent of the message, providing the recruiter is not too busy writing their notes. Listening to a candidate’s body language highlights when they become more animated, when their eyes sparkle, when they appear anxious or defensive, which is all indicative of their true feelings and this feeds into deciding where the interview should go next. Remember you are buying and selling – interviewers need to be cognisant of the fact that an interview is a two-way sales process. Arrogance and impatience can come in the way of ensuring that the interview provides value to the candidate and should seek to build engagement with them. Sharing more about the role – examples of employee career progression, opportunities to make an impact – can all be important factors when the candidate ultimately makes a decision to accept an offer or not. It is crucial that HR hones these skills and are able to coach it in others, as hiring manager capability is a key asset for any business that seeks to grow and needs to be cultivated throughout the organisation.

Sandra Porter is the author of How to be an HR Superstar Published by (independently published)

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