Jon Hull: Take the power and run with the opportunity
19 July 2016
Jon Hull: Take the power and run with the opportunity
Fri, 22 July 2016 | By Jon Hull
FROM AUGUST 2016'S RECRUITER MAGAZINE
‘War for talent’. ‘Strategic resourcing’. ‘Should HR have a seat at the table?’ ‘Do Generation Y and Z have vastly different needs to Generation X?’ Article after article peddles the same fears and the same myths about talent shortages.
It all amounts to the same thing: a shallow understanding of internal resourcing. Worse, it belittles the great work that in-house resourcing teams have done in the last 15-20 years. The time has come to mount a defence of our place in the world. The real power of an internal resourcing function is measured by its ability to break down organisational silos and enable collaboration across the divisions.
Once the foundations of fulfilling recruitment orders are solid, resourcing is free to become a change agent and enabler. When I was first at Deloitte many years ago, we realised that the supply of newly qualified accountants in the UK would never match the true demand. We suggested scouting trips across South-East Asia and India to fulfil our needs, knowing we would find equivalent qualifications and standards, as well as good language skills. So far, so normal…
But the obstacles were the organisational silos. Several regions feared the big cities might get an over-supply and that they would miss out. The prize was fostering collaboration between these teams to improve the organisation. Through presentation of the data and stakeholder engagement, this could be achieved. Crucially, resourcing was the only department with this view of the business: we could see the situation from 10,000ft above of what was happening on the ground.
We see this now in Carillion. The competitive landscape for certain skills is seen to be a business limiter. Money spent on external searches, wasted hiring efforts and almost distressed hiring was the norm. But by analysing the market and internal data, we can influence a different way of approaching the behaviours of hiring managers both within and across functions.
This has some interesting effects – outcomes change, costs are driven down and wasted time is reduced. More importantly, a proper discussion starts to take place, as well as the sharing of ideas and talent. Because the leadership isn’t fighting fires any longer, there is a more considered view of what the needs really are, allowing quality and timing to come to the fore.
In addition, hiring managers across functions can take a view of ‘what is good for the business’, such as where skill sets might fit, rather than fighting the next recruiting crisis. One of the biggest headaches of modern business is finding relevant talent in the right timescales.
Seeing the problem from the point of view of recruitment can also help to spot organisational design flaws. For instance, failed hires can expose structural flaws in certain areas if they are asked the right questions. Candidates that have the right skills could be prevented from operating at their full potential if the organisation is poorly designed.
Whatever slick consultants say, there is no other way of doing this sustainably and efficiently unless the organisation takes control of hiring centrally and, crucially, delivers insights back to the organisation.
I have this to say to my consultant friends: until you understand the organisational landscape, you are thinking within the silos of your own product or service; this is exactly the sort of behaviour our beloved function is trying to mitigate. In resourcing, where more is expected with less, where insight is king, the smart thing to do is take the power and run with the opportunity.
Jon Hull is head of resourcing at Carillion
FROM AUGUST 2016'S RECRUITER MAGAZINE
‘War for talent’. ‘Strategic resourcing’. ‘Should HR have a seat at the table?’ ‘Do Generation Y and Z have vastly different needs to Generation X?’ Article after article peddles the same fears and the same myths about talent shortages.
It all amounts to the same thing: a shallow understanding of internal resourcing. Worse, it belittles the great work that in-house resourcing teams have done in the last 15-20 years. The time has come to mount a defence of our place in the world. The real power of an internal resourcing function is measured by its ability to break down organisational silos and enable collaboration across the divisions.
Once the foundations of fulfilling recruitment orders are solid, resourcing is free to become a change agent and enabler. When I was first at Deloitte many years ago, we realised that the supply of newly qualified accountants in the UK would never match the true demand. We suggested scouting trips across South-East Asia and India to fulfil our needs, knowing we would find equivalent qualifications and standards, as well as good language skills. So far, so normal…
But the obstacles were the organisational silos. Several regions feared the big cities might get an over-supply and that they would miss out. The prize was fostering collaboration between these teams to improve the organisation. Through presentation of the data and stakeholder engagement, this could be achieved. Crucially, resourcing was the only department with this view of the business: we could see the situation from 10,000ft above of what was happening on the ground.
We see this now in Carillion. The competitive landscape for certain skills is seen to be a business limiter. Money spent on external searches, wasted hiring efforts and almost distressed hiring was the norm. But by analysing the market and internal data, we can influence a different way of approaching the behaviours of hiring managers both within and across functions.
This has some interesting effects – outcomes change, costs are driven down and wasted time is reduced. More importantly, a proper discussion starts to take place, as well as the sharing of ideas and talent. Because the leadership isn’t fighting fires any longer, there is a more considered view of what the needs really are, allowing quality and timing to come to the fore.
In addition, hiring managers across functions can take a view of ‘what is good for the business’, such as where skill sets might fit, rather than fighting the next recruiting crisis. One of the biggest headaches of modern business is finding relevant talent in the right timescales.
Seeing the problem from the point of view of recruitment can also help to spot organisational design flaws. For instance, failed hires can expose structural flaws in certain areas if they are asked the right questions. Candidates that have the right skills could be prevented from operating at their full potential if the organisation is poorly designed.
Whatever slick consultants say, there is no other way of doing this sustainably and efficiently unless the organisation takes control of hiring centrally and, crucially, delivers insights back to the organisation.
I have this to say to my consultant friends: until you understand the organisational landscape, you are thinking within the silos of your own product or service; this is exactly the sort of behaviour our beloved function is trying to mitigate. In resourcing, where more is expected with less, where insight is king, the smart thing to do is take the power and run with the opportunity.
Jon Hull is head of resourcing at Carillion
