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Recruitment Go Tech, Get Lean Keeping pace with state-of-the-art talent acquisition is simple: Work very, very hard. By D. Zachary Misko Let's face it, regardless of good or bad economic times, A-level talent is hard to find. The recent global recession has only exacerbated the situation. And while A-level talent has been riding out the labour market ice age in an office or a cubicle somewhere, technology and the Internet have been changing the game of recruitment at a dizzying pace. Technology and the Internet have made the job of sourcing A-level talent more complex, turbulent, and inconsistent than ever before. Take the overwhelming abundance of technology and online talent resources, and compound that with major lulls in global labour markets and hiring freezes across multiple industry sectors. The result: Companies are shell-shocked. So how are companies embracing and adapting to these game changers to recruit A-level talent? Truth be told, not very well, if at all. But that's not to say they aren't trying. So here's what companies must know in order to stay relevant and keep their talent pipeline brimming. A-level talent is already plugged into new technology. They are savvy and comfortable with using job-search resources via the web. It's not an exception to the rule. It is the rule. These folks are occupationally mobile. What does that mean? They are the living antithesis to traditional labour concepts. And as you read this article, they are already roving the Internet, tapping colleagues and looking for new opportunities. So how do you find and acquire them? The simple answer is: Get on the Internet. And that'll get you as far as a slapped face and bruised pride. The true answer is deeper and messier than that. You are going to have to fully commit to plugging into technology and the Internet to source great talent. In addition to technology—people in general have changed. People want personalised experiences in their job search, faster and easier methods to apply, and constant communication throughout the process. You are going to have to build a recruitment toolbox that exploits your website, job boards, social media and networking, online print media, and other online tactics, coupled with traditional recruitment methods including print, job fairs, cold calling, networking; recruitment is not accomplished through technology alone in your quest for A-level talent. It won't be easy. But by engaging these new mediums and tactics to source A-level talent along with the tried and true recruiting fundamentals, you will build the visibility and credibility of your employer brand. And when you do that, the tables are turned: A-level talent comes looking for you. Get Lean Efficiency within talent acquisition coupled with improved customer satisfaction and cost savings, are also key objectives, now more than ever. Those companies looking to find ways to achieve all three must understand and evaluate "Lean methodology" and how it can be incorporated. While the Lean movement within the back office remains nascent, its adoption by the manufacturing community has been ongoing for decades. Toyota, the global carmaker whose production system spawned the term "Lean," leveraged this approach to grow itself into the world's leading automobile manufacturer. The Toyota Production System (TPS) is so effective that an entire industry is now based on its study. Today, the Lean philosophy has been adopted by organisations around the globe, with thousands of trained disciples practising its methods. The benefits to HR have been documented. According to a study conducted by two researchers at Coventry University, Lean principles applied in a pilot project to improve candidate recruitment at the institution helped to significantly raise outcomes. Involving staff from the university's HR recruitment team, external recruitment agencies, IT services, customers in library services, academic faculty, and student services, the project netted a 20 percent reduction in overall time to approve and fill staff positions. More importantly, the exercise also SUMMER 2011 | www.hroglobal.com [35]

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