Newsletter

November 2005: Staffing Leadership
Mission / Objectives / Strategy

"The person who knows "how" will always have a job... The person who knows "why" will always be his boss." Diane Ravich In the search for better recruiting and hiring strategies I am always on the lookout for the "silver bullet" as it were... The practices that will help each on of you function at your best, and thus enjoy and be more productive in your professional and also your personal endeavors.

This month I had the pleasure of hearing Scott Pitasky (VP/GM of Human Resources, Microsoft) at a Seattle EMA (Employment Management Assoc.) seminar. I have to tell you up front that Scott had that "off-the-wall" confidence that made him extremely interesting to listen to. He did not provide us pages of pre-printed papers or graphs and charts (ho-hum), but instead dove right in with slides and insightful observations on staffing leadership. They say that writing things down is one of the best ways to retain what you are being taught; maybe that was his plan. I for one was writing furiously!

This month's newsletter is a compilation of a few of my gleanings:
Enjoy!

Talent Deployment = Business Strategy. Simple, and yet so profound. Who could argue that the talent that is deployed, the "drivers" behind our products and services, shape not only the public's perception of us but also our purpose, objectives and business strategies as an organization? There is no way that the one does not directly influence the other. That said, how important is this talent deployment (selection, development and implementation) in your organization?

Hiring and positioning talent needs to be taken very seriously. The cost of mis-hires or bad positioning of current employees runs in the thousands of dollars for each incident. Implementing a staffing strategy to win is critical for helping cut these costly mis-matches. This should not be some generalized objective but a very specific plan of action with a specific goal to be achieved Attract, identify and hire the best!

As a staffing leader it is important to identify: Who should we target in our search for talent?

What are we trying to accomplish as an organization? Be specific!

Does the candidate we are considering have the specific requirements for the organization in general (cultural fit), and also for the job position in particular (skills, behavior)?

Have we adequately taken the time to identify these requirements? How?

Scott finished up his presentation with two lists. The first list identifying, what qualities make a great staffing leader:

1. He / She understands the business; not just through the recruiting lens, but through the over all objectives of the organization and the industry. This enables him or her to help make the right call when it comes to talent.
2. He / she can put the pieces together through quantitative (accurate measurement) and qualitative (quality) analysis.
3. Develops a connected strategy to win vs. a spreadsheet with volume commitments.
4. Can crisply communicate the plan, progress and partnership. Communication is critical between successful staffing and management.
5. Must see talent as profit pools waiting to happen. Able to identify potential.

The second list is a more personal look at what it takes to be a great staffing leader:

1. Understand variance (how did I do this year versus last year? How am I doing versus the market?) and segmentation US / global.
2. Realize that analysis is only as good as your understanding Continue to educate and increase your understanding of the industry/marketplace and also your organization.
3. Never present data you don't trust. Be your own worst critic (be the reality check).
4. Share rather than sell In other words be a persuasive leader, not an annoying sales person.
5. A good story always has a moral. Ask yourself, "So what?" after every presentation or every piece of communication. What are you really trying to communicate? Did you do it?
6. Have a game plan that is both offensive and defensive. Concentrate on the offensive whenever possible. Become pro-active instead of re-active. Have a purpose, an objective and a strategy.
7. Work to engage the leaders you work with and for, and thus gain the potential to influence.

In conclusion the most important thing to incorporate between recruiters and hiring managers is communication, specific job descriptions and a clear understanding of the organization's standards and objectives.

Remember... mission / objectives / strategy!
Lindsay

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lindsay@windridgeconsulting.com
Windridge Consulting LLC