*system failure is imminent*

For many companies these days, hiring is slow…super slow.

Recent unemployment figures don’t look good, and many predictions think the worst is yet to come.

So what are you doing, Recruiters? huh?

I hate this question from business units.  Fortunately I have a great answer that will end up saving the company money.  You should too!

With hiring slow, now is a great opportunity to look at your recruiting processes.  Now I know, as much as I believe we’re not process driven and predictable, the fact remains that you need to have the RIGHT people, doing the RIGHT things, in the RIGHT way.  Hopefully this way is cost efficient, fast, and adaptable so when the market picks up, you’ll be ready for it.

If you can get a good, solid recruiting foundation, then you open up the opportunity for recruiters to really shine.

So what should you be looking at?

Look at your ATS – what improvements can you make?  Look at who does what – is there any administrative work in the process you can move somewhere else, so recruiters can focus on “higher level” staffing conversations?  What is your reporting and metrics process? (please say you have one) Can you centralize any part of the process?  Where are there opportunities to try new technologies?  Where are the opportunities to educate and empower hiring managers?

If you don’t periodically look at this stuff, you’re dooming yourself and your organization to failure.  Failure to plan is planning to fail…(insert any other over-used business clichés here)

Hopefully by doing some of this work, and publicizing it internally, you’ll earn some credibility in the organization (you’re trying to save $$ here people!) and you’ll be able to answer the question:  “So what is HR doing now that we’re not hiring?”

For those of you who have had the Radiohead song stuck in your head while reading this, you can find a neat video here

Good luck!