We have started with a question from the EVP of HR around “Can we integrate best practices from sales into HR, especially when it comes to mission-critical roles, as we are essentially selling the jobs to candidates?”.  This is a fascinating question. When we started talking to organizations, we realize many companies are doing this, but may not have a structured process.  We also discovered that the HR technology landscape is changing dramatically.  In responding to this question, we have attempted to do three things.  First, map the key steps in hiring digital and mission-critical roles.  Second, map the technologies that are commonly relevant across all the key stages.  Third, highlight where sales (which is bringing various leaders into the recruitment process).  We thought this would be very fun to do.  Here is the summary of our results.

As you could see, the recruitment process has evolved significantly in the last 18 months or so.  The value chain of recruitment starts from a discussion between the recruiter and the hiring manager.  Post this; several new-age tools have come into the picture.  The tools given are not the exhaustive set of tools by any means.  (it is impossible to do that in one chart – even though we have all the data).  This chart will also help map out your recruitment process and see where you want to strengthen.  Different steps will also have other KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) around the same.  This chart’s utility value is to see the types of technologies used at different stages.

Going back to the primary question of how sales practices can be used in this process, as you could see, many companies have a pool of SMEs.  Senior recruiters train this team as to what can be discussed with the candidates.

Post the first screening; Recruiters can flag any star candidates and refer them to this team.  Based on availability, someone from the sales team (a group of SMEs who are preidentified) can connect and sell the job and the company.  (when I say sell, we mean providing more details and contexts).

Many companies have a second follow up with a senior person (VP or above) for the selected candidates.  This is to ensure that the candidate is not lost post the selection.  This can be just a 10 minutes call, but many companies report significant success

Our research also found that the awareness and understanding of certifications is a bit limited among recruiters. We are planning to provide a lot of insights around this.  Here is an example classification and programs trending high in each of these areas.  This is very crucial in entry-level roles, especially