My Critique of The Unchanged Landscape of Talent Acquisition.

Here we are. Out with old 2023, in with new 2024. Welcome! 🖖

Firstly, I must express my regret for not maintaining this newsletter as diligently as I should have in the past year. Various reasons contributed to this lapse, but as we embark on a new year, I am committed to making amends.

For the inaugural article of 2024, I have decided to turn the lens on myself, examining my shortcomings in the realm of talent acquisition. Specifically, I will be critiquing my lack of innovation in this area over the past year.

And, this time, by innovation I really don't mean usage of advanced technology!

In truth, in 2023 I found myself disoriented amidst the multitude of tools I was experimenting with, each serving different functions and producing varied outcomes. This continuous experience somewhat clouded my perception.

However, deep down, I remain convinced of the enduring relevance of technology in talent acquisition - a domain to which, with all my heart, I have dedicated over a decade of my life.

To the chase.

Technology advanced and I still keep relaying on the old ways.

I lean on my personal networks and I see it is leading me to a cycle of confirmation bias and homogeneity in teams that I am helping to build. It is crazy, really, "Sad But True". More and more I see that this approach of mine limits the potential for new perspectives and hinders innovation.

Companies with diverse workforces perform better financially.

This challenge is not easy for me to combat. It requires more than standard methods. Google, for instance, employs 'blind hiring' to eliminate personal details from resumes, yet this doesn't fully address the root problem. I utilize structured interviews, ensuring uniformity in questioning every candidate. However, this alone isn't sufficient. My goal is to persuade hiring managers of the value in diversifying team culture.

It's a bit ironic – soon, companies might find their competitors employing more of their own former staff than they do.

My reflections thus far naturally lead me to a rather mundane yet absolutely vital aspect of my daily work. Cue the drum roll - the all-powerful Job Description. I receive them from Hiring Managers every time I am starting recruiting for new role. I really love and appreciate receiving job descriptions from Hiring Managers. Full disclosure - truth be told, first thing I do with such received job description is to run it by several tools (yep!). Always with the same purpose - to see alternative version, to be able to learn different inclusive wording, sometimes to alter the length or maybe change the job title.

But.

Job adverts are typically tailored for candidates with identical past roles, overlooking those with transferable skills.

I sucked because so far haven't been able to persuade my stakeholders, that our current approach not only narrows our talent pool but also overlooks candidates who could offer fresh insights, adaptability, and potential. It's a hard cold fact that, for example, Java and Javascript are different, and it's also true that not everyone with some Python knowledge can immediately build a complete test automation architecture. The job descriptions I'd love to create would encompass basic technical and, indeed, programming skills requirements, along with a clear outline of learning opportunities. I would love these learning opportunities to be at the heart of every job description, regardless of whether it's for a senior or junior role. ❤️

Salary in job ads will be subject of my next article, and don't wait for it - probably it will be as lame as you can imagine, if you are sane.

Regarding feedback,

Feedback is a common challenge in talent acquisition. Firstly, there is no technological solution that can fully automate it. Secondly,

the essence of feedback lies in its constructive nature.

When providing feedback, our primary goal should be to guide the Candidate AND Hiring Manager (deal with that) on how to improve, fostering a two-way communication for mutual benefit in the future(!).

I often find myself questioning whether I have effectively implemented communication channels and processes for gathering and conveying feedback from hiring managers after their discussions with my candidates in this spirit.

Enough critique.

Coming up next - Salary talk and transparency.