Mapping your recruitment results with your business objectives

What are the key skillsets your business needs to thrive?

I had no idea.

In fact, the word I would describe myself 15 years ago was naive.

When I landed my first job fresh from university – my own professional mission was to do ‘good work’.

Problem was, despite my good intentions, it wasn’t good enough.

When ‘good work’ isn’t enough

Here’s the thing. Good work is too vague to really mean anything.

It’s a buzzwordy like results-driven. And goal-oriented. And yes, even team-player.

What do those really mean?

Because unless you have a clear definition of what ‘good work’ (or results-oriented or [insert your buzzword here]) entails – then at best you’re ineffective.

Show, don’t tell.

So yes, a better definition for recruitment is in order.

Recruitment re-defined

In HR-speak, recruitment is the process of sourcing new people in your workforce to fill a vacant position.

But what kind of people are you enlisting? How do you know they’ll be effective in their new role? How do you define and measure their success?

Do you have a clear understanding of how their success will contribute to the success of your business?

Because if you don’t, chances are they won’t.

So, how about we define recruitment as:

‘The holistic process of attracting qualified new people to join your team.’

It’s holistic because this isn’t a sole function of HR.

Business owners, leaders and hiring managers need to take ownership as well.

Because hiring is your biggest business decision.

Your biggest business decision

Recruitment isn’t just an HR decision.

It’s a business decision.

Maybe even your biggest business decision.

Hiring the right person could propel your business forward. And the wrong hire could slow it down, or worse bring your business to its knees.

We can no longer afford to be complacent in today’s competitive global world.

As business owners, our goal is for our business to thrive, to make profit, to make payroll.

As employees, your goal should be to think like a business owner:

Think of ways for your organization to thrive.

Thinking like a business owner

For HR pros, you’ve got the unique vantage point of connecting with different disciplines and departments across your organization.

Your empathy, business-sense, and ability to connect the dots can earn you the role of strategic partner.

Some questions to ask, if you don’t have the answers already:

• What’s the biggest need of your business?
• What’s the biggest threat your business faces?
• Where is your business headed in the next 5 years?
• How can you ensure your business gets there?
• What key skillsets are needed to get your business there?

See, it’s not just about filling a vacant position.

Recruitment is about determining the crucial skillsets your business needs – and finding the person that has them.

What this means then, is you hire a person not to fill a vacancy…but to get the job done.

Maria Weyman was an HR Advisor before co-founding creditcardGenius – a free tool that compares 50+ features of more than 149 Canadian credit cards, using objective ratings and rankings plus detailed reviews. Follow Maria on Twitter and Facebook.