Human Resources (HR) plays a crucial role in any organization, handling between 6 to 12 functions depending on the company. Among these functions is the hiring and selection of candidates. However, the question arises: should HR be heavily involved in the recruitment and hiring process? And if so, what should their involvement entail?
Historically, management has often delegated this role to HR. But if you're building a team, wouldn't you want to have control over who you hire? Your success is largely dependent on your team, so why entrust this critical task to someone else?
Based on my extensive experience in various recruitment processes, I've observed that HR can sometimes slow down the hiring process, add unnecessary layers of communication, and potentially lead to missed opportunities for acquiring top talent. Here are three key considerations for hiring managers when it comes to HR's involvement in recruitment:
1. Expertise: If you're building a team with specialized skills, HR should not be the first point of contact or the ones screening resumes. HR professionals are not experts in fields like marketing, IT, or sales. Delegating this responsibility to HR can take critical recruitment tasks out of the hands of managers who are better suited to assess candidates. Speaking with an external Executive Search firm can provide realistic and up-to-date information on the current pool of candidates that might be available.
2. Communication Breakdown: The more people involved in the recruitment process, the higher the chance of communication errors. Having a more streamlined process involving just the hiring manager, the candidate, and a facilitator (like an executive assistant or recruiter) reduces the risk of communication breakdowns and delays.
3. Overburdened with Other Admin Tasks: HR does not have a personal stake in who joins your team. They are not compensated based on successful hires and are not held accountable for bad hires—you are. If a candidate is lost due to HR delays, it affects your team, not HR. Ensuring the right people are hired should be a priority for the hiring manager who has a vested interest in the outcome.
Over-reliance on HR for recruitment can lead to several issues:
- Lost Money: Companies spend vast amounts on job boards like Monster.com, which often yield low-quality candidates and miss out on passive candidates.
- No Rapport with Passive Candidates: HR may struggle with niche roles due to a lack of time and expertise in specific fields.
- Missing Out on Great Hires: Automated HR processes may filter out good candidates based on algorithms rather than quality assessments.
- Mistaking Quantity for Quality: HR’s high-volume approach can lead to superficial evaluations and missed opportunities for deeper candidate engagement.
- Over-Solicitation: High application volumes lead to a poor candidate experience, with many candidates receiving little to no follow-up.
- Lack of Accountability: HR’s separation from the departments they serve results in little accountability and incentives for quality work.
- Isolation from Professional Networks: Hiring managers may become disconnected from their professional communities if HR handles all candidate interactions.
- Wasted Time: HR's divided focus can result in inefficient hiring processes, causing delays and missed talent opportunities.
It's important to recognize the value HR brings in other areas such as benefits, training, development, and compliance. However, my experience has shown that the most efficient recruitment processes involve minimal participants and only involve HR at the final stages for offer paperwork and onboarding.
At C. Graham Consulting, we specialize in executive search and understand the importance of a streamlined recruitment process. We help organizations identify and secure top talent without the common pitfalls associated with traditional HR-led recruitment. Visit our website to learn more about how we can assist you in building a high-performing team.
What has been your experience with HR in the recruitment process? Do you believe they should be responsible for hiring and recruiting?
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