In today’s HR landscape, talent acquisition teams and recruiters are frequently asked to “do more with less.” This is especially the case with lean or smaller talent acquisition teams.
While the instinct may be to demonstrate return on investment (ROI) through time or cost savings, focusing solely on these metrics may not effectively capture the broader impact of doing more with less on the organization’s larger goals and objectives.
In this article, we dig into the significance of connecting your recruiting strategy and business objectives to improve the efficiency and quality of hiring, specifically on lean HR teams.
Table of contents
Connecting Your Recruiting Strategy and Business Objectives
Key Takeaways
- Focusing on Business Outcomes: Reframe your talent acquisition strategies by emphasizing the business impact of hiring decisions, such as missed opportunities or delayed roles, rather than solely focusing on ROI.
- Empower Lean Teams: Lean talent acquisition teams can drive efficiency by prioritizing process improvements, empowering hiring managers, and fostering a culture of accountability for lasting impact.
- Small, Consistent Improvements: Implementing consistent, incremental improvements (even 1% changes) can have a compounding effect, boosting recruitment efficiency and aligning talent acquisition with broader business objectives.
Reframe Your Recruiting Strategy: Focus on Business Objectives Rather than ROI
Far too many organizations make the critical error of focusing strictly on ROI rather than making the connection between recruitment and overall business objectives.
Truthfully, it’s crucial to shift the narrative toward the consequences of inaction, highlighting the tangible impacts of not implementing certain recruiting strategies. By framing the discussion in terms of how changes (or lack thereof) to processes, resources, or tools contribute to overall business success, talent acquisition teams can garner greater support from stakeholders and hiring managers.
As an example, rather than emphasizing only the hours saved by implementing a new process, consider also highlighting the repercussions of not implementing it. Repercussions could include losing out on qualified candidates to competitors, facing delays in filling critical roles, or having to re-hire for a role you recently filled.
To make these strategies resonate with internal stakeholders outside of your talent acquisition or HR team, it’s essential to link them directly to overarching business objectives such as sales targets or company budgets. In an era where efficiency is paramount, talent acquisition teams must find creative ways to maximize resources.
The Benefits and Challenges of a Lean HR Team
While lean teams find that it’s much faster to iterate and make organizational improvements, one common challenge is time management. Despite achieving tasks, there may not be enough time to systemize these accomplishments for future use.
To address this, it’s crucial to focus on hiring process improvement and empower hiring managers to take ownership during recruitment. By creating a culture of accountability and involvement, organizations can achieve lasting efficiencies and ensure that every team member plays a role in the hiring success.
Additionally, teams that need to do more with less can use their speed and agility to commit to consistent, small improvements. Layering 1% improvements on top of each other throughout the year can have a compounding effect on the business.
Improved Hiring for Lean Talent Acquisition Teams
While demonstrating ROI is important, it’s equally vital to reframe your recruiting strategy in terms of its impact on larger business outcomes. By focusing on process improvement, team empowerment, and a culture of involvement, lean teams can overcome the unique challenges they face and drive sustainable efficiency in their talent acquisition efforts.
Interested in creating a more efficient and effective recruiting process to meet your business objectives? Spark Hire helps small to medium-sized businesses do exactly that. Request a demo today!
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