9th February 10 - Recruitment Review

With plenty of unknowns allied to little certainty about future prospects, the temptation for those running businesses can be to say ‘wait and see’ when it comes to decisions about people and the need to recruit.  No-one need look far to find a reason to defer taking a decision.  Perhaps.  But perhaps just waiting for things to improve before deciding what to do isn’t the best strategy to ensure your future competitiveness.  There has been a shift in sentiment nad it has been gathering momentum since last autumn.  Increasing numbers of companies have concluded that the time has come to find a way forward, recognizing the determination and resilience needed to overcome the difficulties of doing so.

Challenge, challenge everywhere and no respite in sight!

Conditions are tough for many businesses and the consensus is clearly that we are going to continue to live in challenging times.  In such circumstances the need is to be able to move nimbly to take advantage of opportunities that do arise, or risk watching your competitors improve at your expense.  Those in leadership positions will be required to take decisions that are about more than the application of process, and will be expected to live with the consequences of their decisions.  People who can deliver results in ways that meet the commercial and cultural expectations of the business will be – rightly – highly valued.  Key decision makers need to be able to identify when change is needed and then have both the energy and the capability to lead the organization through the necessary adjustments.  This is matched by recognition that good process helps to ensure consistency of delivery, but can’t on its own ensure ongoing success.

Focus on the capacity to deliver

We believe that recruitment is about appointing individuals who can deliver the right outcomes in the right ways.  This goes beyond the sometimes narrow and unimaginative confines of role and person specifications to focus on what it takes to succeed in a specific organizational and commercial context.  What is the combination of character and credibility, as well as competence, that is needed?  A role description written prescriptively with a ‘safe bet, done it before’ candidate in mind runs the very real risk of ruling out high potential candidates, keen to develop their own careers as well as contribute to a company’s success, who won’t relish doing the same job twice.

So what are you trying to achieve?

This is where Heyman Woodworth and Cardinal Resourcing come in.  We are extremely effective consultants with a reputation for producing successful candidates who can grow and develop with the organization.  We are often valued for adding an extra dimension to our clients’ recruitment.  We believe this is due in no small part to our approach, which emphasizes an involved business partnership that extends well beyond recruitment transactions to understand overall objectives and specific organizational context.  We don’t deal in volume, but our approach does enable us to succeed in filling ‘one-off’ or ‘unusual’ managerial or executive roles where a proper understanding of the requirement is an essential starting point.

Moving ahead

As we advance through the series of challenges that will arise as 2010 progresses, we look forward to keeping in touch and – we hope – working with you.  In a rapidly evolving world it is often the case that consistency of purpose can only be delivered by consistently improving and enhancing the way that services are delivered.  We are confident that we can find the people to help our clients move forwards in these demanding times. Just tell us what you need to achieve.