The 10 Touch Points of a Strategic Resourcing Review - A Rencai Paper with Nicky Bizzell

Réncái - Optimising Your Talent GrowthStrategyThe 10 Touch Points of a Strategic Resourcing Review

Produced In Collaboration With:Nicky Bizzell, Corporate Resourcing Specialist

Executive Summary:

Businesses operating in the modern world are impacted by continuous and unrelenting change. Technology, the economy, social attitudes, globalisation and culture are changing so fast, we dare not blink or we become obsolete. The change we are going through is unprecedented.

Some companies carve out and drive market change, others respond to it. Either way the focus is usually around commercial business, with the people aspects being considered after the main event.

What can be forgotten is that the approach to talent acquisition needs to be as current as the approach to business, What can be forgotten is that the approach to talent acquisition needs to be as current as the approach to business, particularly as the ‘talent’ is usually the business differentiator and the change agent. It can be hard to convince talent that you are a company worth investing in, when they are interfacing with practices that are a poor reflection of the business itself. This is key as we re-enter a candidate driven market.

A periodic review of resourcing processes, skills and strategy is a sensible way of ensuring that how you acquire your talent compliments and enhances your business. This is critical if your business is going through significant change, but still important if it isn’t. important if it isn’t.

Not all change needs to come with a high price tag. A thoughtful and mindful approach to the touch points of a recruitment strategy can have a bigger impact than expensive technology or fancy branding

The 10 things you should consider when reviewing your approach to recruitment:

This is not about the buzz word of last year: Big Data. Big Data is confusing and takes time to understand and translate. The focus here should be critical data points that inform thinking and document progress.

Data is the key to increasing the influence and effectiveness of the Resourcing and HR department; as well as making informed decisions. Every business will have different data streams or combinations that will be salient to their organisation and these will change over time. What is important is that you start to get a clear picture of where you are and what the data means to the business’ bottom line.

1) Critical Data Points

“No one in finance, supply chain, marketing would ever propose a solution without a plethora of charts, graphs, and data to support it, but HR is known to rely on trust and relationships. In contrast, Google’s success has to be attributed in large part to the fact that it is the world’s only attributed in large part to the fact that it is the world’s only data-driven HR function”

How Google is using people analytics to reinvent HR - Dr. John Sullivan

“If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine.”

Jim Barksdale, former Netscape CEO

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Annual critical data points:

• Number of permanent hires • Number of non-permanent hires • Vacancy numbers• Declined offers • First 12 months attrition • Source of hire• Recruiter to hire ratio • Time to hire • Hires by gender, disability and diversity

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2) Service

What is important to define is what level of service does the team want to provide and does that align with the expectations of the business; and does that then align with budget and headcount. This area links strongly to the sections on Business Alignment and Internal Brand.

The relationship between cost, quality and time is often The relationship between cost, quality and time is often discussed, but we should also consider another relationship triangle: service, budget, headcount. Above all the balance of both of these triangles should be on what creates the biggest positive business impact.

If the Board wants a high touch service for managers and If the Board wants a high touch service for managers and candidates then higher levels of budget and headcount are required. If they want the service but are not willing to invest, then it is arguable that the investment should always fall on the side of the candidate, rather than the hiring manager. That way a company minimises the impact of poor investment on its external brand.

Alternatively, if the budget and headcount are high, but the Alternatively, if the budget and headcount are high, but the service levels are poor then the skill set, culture fit and efficiencies of the recruitment team should be reviewed.

It is also important to remember that while the recruitment team provide the service a hiring manger needs to be an active and engaged member of the process. The best recruitment team in the world will fail to have an impact if recruitment team in the world will fail to have an impact if the managers don’t work effectively with them.

3) Business Alignment

Successful recruitment functions, whether internal or RPO, Successful recruitment functions, whether internal or RPO, can only be truly impactful if the team, strategy, frameworks and approach are aligned to the direction of the business. This does not mean that the function is a mere slave to the whims of the business. In some cases it could mean they are a thorn in the side of some decision makers; challenging judgments, questioning their approach and challenging judgments, questioning their approach and pushing them operationally and strategically to think ahead.

The focus here is to ensure that the recruitment function translates the business strategy and drivers and facilitates the delivery of those; though the successful hiring of culturally aligned and skilled individuals or teams.

What is also important to consider is that the business may What is also important to consider is that the business may not be ready to have its strategy interpreted in the ways suggested by the recruitment function. After all, recruitment is an area where everyone is an expert!

In these cases, the recruitment team will need to look at a phased, consultative, approach that brings the business with them over time.

Source: LinkedIn. Global Recruiting Trends 2016

Réncái - May 2016 Optimising Your Talent Growth Strategy


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4) Needs Definition

Firstly and most commonly thought of, is the Job Description. At recruitment’s most basic level, this is a critical aspect of good resourcing. It is the foundation for all good attraction, selection and ongoing management decisions.

Insufficiently defined skills and cultural fit requirements will Insufficiently defined skills and cultural fit requirements will lead to high interview to hire ratios, poor external brand perception, poor candidate and management experience, inappropriate selection decisions and high attrition. Attrition in the first twelve months is considered to be an indicator of poor recruitment practices.

Secondly, we should consider needs definition to be linked Secondly, we should consider needs definition to be linked to business alignment. Many functions are resourced and focused on Vacancies rather than Hires. If a function is resourced to accommodate large Vacancy numbers which do not convert to Hires, then they are limiting the overall impact that they can have on a business.

5) Strong Internal Brand

Most functions focus on the development and communication of the external Employer Value Proposition (EVP), however few will consider the internal business perception of their function. A strong internal brand, based on the successful delivery of high level recruitment services, will allow the function to have even greater impact services, will allow the function to have even greater impact and influence. It will also allow them greater strategic flexibility and better business case success.

When reviewing a function’s impact we should consider how the function is perceived internally, as this will impact on the level of success and influence. In cases where the internal brand is poor, it is infrequently because of the overall strategy, but usually because of the unsuccessful overall strategy, but usually because of the unsuccessful handling of the basics and the lack of alignment between service and business expectations.

Consistently meeting the basic business and candidate expectations within a recruitment process allows the recruitment function more scope to delve in to leading edge strategies.

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Source: hrbranding.org



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6) Balanced Resources and Efficiency

While some businesses continue to demand greater quality of candidates and faster response time, they can sometimes forget their responsibilities in the process. Few departments understanding the potential work flow fluctuations that a recruitment function experiences; particularly when a business is going through period of change or growth. Balancing fluctuating requirements and resource levels can have a negative impact on efficiencies and service levels. The business fluctuating requirements and resource levels can have a negative impact on efficiencies and service levels. The business and the recruitment function has an obligation to work together to ensure timely communication and appropriate resource levels.

High recruiter ratios may seem to be an efficient way of managing the team, but when the impact of this can be high declined offer and first 12 months attrition ratios it is a false economy.

7) Skilful Selection

As we know, a structured and fair selection process gives candidates a good experience. It positively impacts on the employer brand, as it gives a candidate an indication of what it is like to work in the company. A good candidate experience can ensure that top quality candidates choose to come to your company above your competitors.

Effective selection methods also benefit organisations in others ways. Employee engagement, sustained job performance, Effective selection methods also benefit organisations in others ways. Employee engagement, sustained job performance, employee retention and low turnover are some advantages of best practice in the selection process. All of these benefits have an impact on the company's bottom line.

The important balance here is to ensure that your hiring managers are as skilled in selection techniques as your recruiters should be. In addition, both should be extremely conscious of the risks and legal aspects associated with candidate selection, as well as their personal impact on the company’s external employer brand.

Lastly, it is important to consider what you are asking a candidate to do during a selection process. Selection process should Lastly, it is important to consider what you are asking a candidate to do during a selection process. Selection process should be streamlined, efficient, relevant and timely. Most are designed with the business and recruiters in mind, but what impact does that have on the talent.

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Source: Resourcing Insight

Source: The Talent Board



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8) Market Penetratrion

Market penetration and the communication of the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is why some argue that recruitment should now sit with the marketing team.

The continuing rise of segmented attraction strategies gives a resourcing function multiple channels to consider. Maintaining the right balance for a business and ensuring that the channels contain the right messages, and provide diverse and highly skilled candidates needs constant review, as does the level of market penetration needed for each area.

While there is a continuing drive towards direct attraction, we should not forget about the supplier base. A defined number of While there is a continuing drive towards direct attraction, we should not forget about the supplier base. A defined number of agents should always be considered in a resourcing strategy. Consideration should also be given to how the agents are communicated with and engaged. Agents, whether actively working on your behalf or not, are always communicating with talent in the market place. Their opinion of your company can impact on your reputation and EVP.

9) Candidates as Clients and Consumers

There is currently much discussion about candidate experience, and this links closely to point Ten: Technology experience, and this links closely to point Ten: Technology and Process. There is no doubt that candidate expectations of service and technology is higher than it has ever been and while it can be argued that this is only for Millennials and Gen Z, it can be suggested that it spans all age ranges. Technology has impacted on our expectations as consumers and this in turn has impacted the expectations of our candidates. candidates.

While any company that wants to stay in business will focus on the expectation of their clients, few follow this thinking through to candidates.

‘Candidates as clients’ is a philosophy that considers treating candidates with the same focus as a business would treat clients. It examines the touch points of a process and tries to clients. It examines the touch points of a process and tries to create a positive experience. The level of this experience will change dependent on the level of the role, but the core principles remain.

Some of the core principles:

• The same focus and commitment to candidates as to clients• Adopt the same principles of preparation and structure • Think about the ‘sell’•• How are we positioning ourselves• Invest a little time to get better result

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Source: Jibe

Source: iCIMS



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10) Technology and Process

Most recruitment technology is old and embedded, making Most recruitment technology is old and embedded, making changes hard to make. However, technology has moved on so quickly that the technology interfaces that we provide to our candidates seem archaic. Unless we have a lot of budget and a big project management team, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place and that is impacting on point Nine: Candidates as clients and consumers.

In addition we are designing processes with managers and In addition we are designing processes with managers and recruiters in mind, creating obstacles to keep away a volume of applicants because we don’t have the time or headcount to deal with lots of CVs. The usual impact of this is that we keep away talent that has better things to do with their time.

While each of these areas, and others, should be taken into account during a full review, benefits can be gained from looking at each area in insolation. However, it is important to bear in mind that these ten areas are interdependent, so tinkering in one area will definitely impact another. The important thing is to keep the appropriate balance for your business and to be mindful that this balance may change over time.

If you have no time to do anything else, always start with the data.

We hope you find this paper of value as you look to review and revise your best practice Resourcing model moving forward.

Should you have any questions or would value some complimentary advisory support on optimising your Talent Growth strategy, call us in the office or email and we’d be happy to schedule some time with Nicky and a Rencai Relationship Manager.

+44 (0) 20 3051 9077 [email protected]

When undertaking a resourcing review it is important to ask the following questions about your process and technology:

• Is the process step or technology for us or them?• Does this process step apply to all or just some?•• Do we make a decision based on the information we ask now or in the future?• Is what we are asking for relevant?• What is the benefit of the process step or technology?• What would make it more agile for all?• How does this impact on the candidate? What impression does it make?

Source: Symbolist 2013


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About The Author

Nicky Bizzell is a resourcing specialist experienced in aligning resourcing strategies to business drivers; ensuring that HR functions become the catalyst to business success.

Following leadership positions at Eversheds, AXA, Sainsbury’s and ESAB Following leadership positions at Eversheds, AXA, Sainsbury’s and ESAB Nicky now provides independent consultancy services to companies looking to maximise the effectiveness of their direct employer brand, streamline their talent acquisition processes and up-skill their business.

As well as strategy development and change management, Nicky also provides short or long term mentoring and coaching for Heads of Resourcing and Resourcing Managers.

Lastly, Nicky is the Co-Founder of Resourcing Insight. A platform that helps Lastly, Nicky is the Co-Founder of Resourcing Insight. A platform that helps companies understand their resourcing data and allows them to compare their performance against other member companies.


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The 10 Touch Points of a Strategic Resourcing Review - A Rencai Paper with Nicky Bizzell