Today’s question, is recruitment Agile?

For anyone not familiar with agile this is the agile manifesto:

We are uncovering better ways of developing
software by doing it and helping others do it.
Through this work we have come to value:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more.

So can these principles be modified to work in recruitment? I think they can and conn3cted/people have been actively using these principles and helping our clients achieve success quickly and effectively.

 In fact not a lot needs to be changed to the manifesto, this is our interpretation.

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools:

We absolutely value individuals and interactions, without our customers, both candidates and clients we do not have a business. We need to take the time to get to know our clients, understand their need to find team members that will not only be technically sound but work well in their team and have the right cultural fit. We want to know what companies our candidates want to work for and how they like to work. As a software house we understand the needs of both client and candidate which allow us that added perspective.

Talent & Passion over resume & LinkedIn profile:

This second point is the only part of the manifesto that needs modifying for recruitment. Obviously we are not shipping working software; we are however introducing the people who need shippable product (our client’s) to those talented individuals (our candidates) who can produce that shippable product. How do we do that and guarantee quality? We are a software house, we have recruited for these positions and we know what to look for.

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation:

Recruitment is not a one man/woman job; we don’t just get a position requirement and come back two weeks later with a bundle of resumes! It’s more involved and personal than that. You  need to work hard with your stakeholders to understand their reasons for hiring; the why’s and the how’s, to understand their needs; abilities and personalities and spend time with them on as regular a basis as they need to make sure everyone is committed to the same result. We suggest options to ensure the entire process runs smoothly and effectively and equally we encourage any ideas our clients may have. You need to work equally hard with your candidates to understand their skill set; the technologies they use and how they like to use them, to understand what they want from their new position/company; the type of company / team and working environment they enjoy and we want to know why they are looking; to progress, to move on or for a new challenge.

Responding to change over following a plan:

Whilst we all have a recruitment plan we can utilize for each new position, by incorporating the first three points of the manifesto we allow ourselves the ability to change with our customers’ needs and that of an ever changing market place. We can adapt to the ups and downs of the current and future market, the need for quick results on an urgent project or the need to completely change requirements based on stakeholder engagement.

So can recruitment be agile? Absolutely.

 Is the recruitment industry agile? I’m not so sure.

There are a large number of bums on seats and quick results infused organizations out there that seem to miss the point of recruitment.

This industry is not just about getting and filling job orders to earn commission, it’s about working with your customers, helping them to achieve their goals and being flexible enough to adapt at the drop of a hat. We help our customers make the right choices in their careers or hiring campaign, we aim to be the company they turn to for advice each and every time.

How Agile are you?