Meeting the challenge of recruiting top HR professionals

May 5th 2022 | Posted by Phil Scott

The HR recruitment market is experiencing a period of buoyancy right now. This situation has created a candidate-driven market in which many companies are finding it difficult to secure top talent for roles.

As businesses continue to recognise the need to have high-performing HR teams in place in order to optimise people recruitment, engagement, and performance; challenges around finding the right HR professionals are likely to increase. In this climate, it’s vital for organisations to meet these challenges head on by adopting recommended practices into their recruitment routines.

Using psychometrics tools as part of the process

There has been a lack of direct human connection in recruitment processes in recent years due to pandemic restrictions. Top companies know that reinstating this type of connection is essential to finding the right people to fill their vacant HR roles.

One way of doing this, while still completing the recruitment process speedily, is to make use of psychometrics tools. Doing this helps the business to develop an understanding of the natural traits of an individual and compare them to the requirements of the role. Having this understanding facilitates a more meaningful discussion during the interview process.

Having a strong employer brand

Having a strong employer brand is more important than ever given the current candidate-driven market in HR recruitment. Organisations have a responsibility to display a forward-thinking brand with investment in people at its core.

Ensuring this is the case makes it easier for businesses to attract top talent to their organisation. It also makes it more likely they will retain this talent in the longer term.

Diversifying recruitment routes

While there is a still a role for traditional job adverts, fewer candidates use them to find and apply for job opportunities. For this reason, companies that want to optimise the talent pool they have access to understand the value of diversifying recruitment routes.

For example, approaching specialist agencies and mining networks are approaches that can deliver successful outcomes.

Having an open-minded approach

Ironically, given the HR role within an organisation, there is sometimes a lack of flexibility when it comes to recruitment in the sector. Ambitious companies have a more flexible approach to HR recruitment. For example, they recognise that professionals who have been employed in other sectors often add a fresh outlook so excluding them from consideration is not beneficial.

In the case of less senior HR roles, it’s not always necessary for an individual to have previous HR experience. Often, having the characteristics and skills to enable them to forge a successful HR career is more important.

These practices all have merit when it comes to assisting an organisation in meeting the challenge of recruiting top HR professionals. Adopting each one as part of an overall recruitment process makes it more likely that a business will attract professionals who are a good fit for HR vacancies at a senior level and retain the individuals who they successfully recruit.