This is Part 2 of my interaction with Bradford Wilkins. For part 1, click here.
There is one question that I ask without fail when I interact with HR experts - the famous question about the friction between Hiring Managers and Talent Acquisition teams.
This is what happened when I asked the same question to Brad.
Brace yourself, this is interesting.
Me - “Brad, do you think that the conflicts between Hiring Managers take place because of the low accountability of the Talent Acquisition team?”
Brad - “Let me answer it this way.
Recruitment has 4 levels.
Level 0 is where there is no communication between the 2 departments. No candidates are hired, and all the positions are open for a long period of time.
Level 1 is reactive… you get a requisition, and you fill it.
Level 2 is somewhere between reactive and proactive.
‘Oh look, we hired these kinda people. Going ahead, we will need more such people. Let me start building on it.’
Level 3 is the highest level of recruitment. At this level, the Talent Acquisition department doesn’t take the recruitment requirements from the Hiring Manager. Instead, they understand the problem. And then they offer solutions.”
The bottom line is this - The Talent Acquisition department needs to graduate from Level 0 to Level 3. Level 3 is the most empathic. That is the greatest service that the Talent Acquisition team can do for the Hiring Managers.”
Super intriguing stuff.
“Most HRs are accused of not understanding business. But the reverse is also true - Most businesses don't understand HR”.
Bradford Wilkins
Brad explained further -
So the TA team can then find out how much this problem is costing the business.
For example, the Hiring Manager says that they want to increase the efficiency of the department by 15%. The Talent Acquisition team should then figure out the cost that would be saved if this problem is solved.
Let’s say if its 5,00,000 dollars.
The team can then come up with 2 solutions.
For example -
Now, the Talent Acquisition team can compare these solutions and see which resources are readily available in the market. Alternately, the Talent Acquisition team can also roll out an upskilling program.
So, it's less about filling a position and more about solving the business problem.
