Many of the recruiters who have led the way through the challenges of the Great Reshuffle recently gathered in San Francisco (in person!) for LinkedIn’s Recruiter Reunion. They heard from talented leaders about how they can continue to help their organizations thrive in the face of economic upheaval.
There were many thought-provoking insights, innovative practices, and ideas shared at this first Recruiter Reunion, but three stand out for me:
- Rather than retreating to the past, embrace the lessons learned during the pandemic.
The ongoing pandemic has forced organizations and talent acquisition professionals to take a hard look at their processes and make meaningful changes. Though it’s been a difficult journey, it has yielded valuable lessons. As we move forward into a post-pandemic world, we must embrace these lessons and use them to build a stronger, more resilient workforce.
Some of the most important lessons learned during the pandemic include the importance of agility, adaptability, and creativity. Organizations that were able to quickly pivot and adapt their operations to the new reality were the ones that thrived. For talent acquisition professionals, this meant being willing to try new things and think outside the box. It also meant being open to feedback and continuously tweaking their approach until they found what worked.
During the pandemic, for example, video interviews became the new norm. Just because many of us are returning to the office and conducting in-person interviews does not mean we should. Early in the pandemic, many companies brought in new talent effectively and at scale, using hiring processes that they had overhauled on the fly.
- The necessary talent may be right under your nose (think alumni hires and internal mobility)
The necessary talent may be right under your nose. That’s because alumni hire and internal mobility are becoming increasingly popular among companies looking to fill top positions.
There are several reasons for this trend. First, alumni hire and internal mobility candidates already have a connection to the company. They understand the company’s culture and values, which can help them hit the ground running in their new roles.
Second, these candidates come with a wealth of knowledge about the company’s inner workings. They know how things get done and who to go to for answers. This can be a valuable asset when times are tough and decisions need to be made quickly.
Lastly, alumni hire and internal mobility candidates tend to be more loyal to the company. They’re more likely to stick around for the long haul, which can help create stability during periods of transition.
“Checking in and thinking about who are those alumni hires — those folks who left your organization and are now thinking, ‘Maybe the grass wasn’t as green as I thought it was,'” suggested Jennifer Shappley, LinkedIn’s VP of talent acquisition.
And it’s a strategy that LinkedIn has refined in recent years. “We do target campaigns for people we want to bring back,” Jennifer explained. “We’ve been doing alumni events for years, but we’re now expanding.”
- Instead of sparring with your competition, try collaborating with them.
Not surprisingly, pay and benefits are top priorities for job seekers. Nonetheless, talent acquisition professionals may frequently discover that it is one of the areas where they have the least influence. To make matters worse, recruiters haven’t always had the best relationships with their comp partners.
When Google faced their busiest hiring year yet in 2021, they tackled it head-on by rotating people from their talent acquisition team onto the comp team. “We got to a point last year where parts of our big hiring machine were on the verge of breaking down because we couldn’t get offers out fast enough,” Alice explained. We lent out some of our recruiting leads to go sit on the compensation team and help.”
Last thoughts
As the talent market remains uncertain, recruiting will continue to evolve. Embracing pandemic and Great Reshuffle learnings, looking for talent close to home, and developing empathy with your compensation team are just a few of the ways that talent acquisition professionals can thrive during this turbulent time.
As the panel came to a close, Liam Walsh, LinkedIn’s head of product recruiting, said it best. “Keep it simple,” Liam advised, and “return to what we do well: telling stories and connecting with people.” Take ownership of your role as a leader — you know this territory. You are the expert in the room, and you can apply that knowledge to your business comp partners, and hiring managers.”
