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IN THEORY
REENGINEERING THE T H E C OV I D - 1 9 PA N D E M I C has upended
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
many traditional business practices. When
it comes to recruiting, the crisis has not so
much disrupted as accelerated shifts in the
The skills needed in many roles talent landscape that were already under
way, leaving many companies poorly served
are continually changing—
by their current hiring practices. In a period
of steep unemployment, it might seem that
companies looking to add workers would be
and sources of talent are too. in the driver’s seat. But job openings have
also been rising in recent months, meaning
Illustrations by TIM BOWER
Harvard Business Review
March–April 2021 17
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that competition for top talent remains
keen—and in uncertain times, bringing
on the right people is more important
than ever.
A recent study from research and
advisory firm Gartner examines those
shifts in the workforce landscape and
lays out a road map for navigating the
new one. The researchers identified three
trends that are rendering traditional
recruitment tactics obsolete.
First, the skills needed in many roles
have an increasingly short shelf life,
owing in part to more-frequent and
disruptive technological breakthroughs.
A 2019 survey of 3,500 managers found
that only 29% of new hires have all the
skills required for their current roles, let
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that in key functions such as finance, value proposition,” which might involve Hire for potential, not experience.
IT, and sales, positions filled today will anything from competitive compensa- The first step in adjusting to the new
require up to 10 new skills within 18 tion and benefits to career-development landscape is to stop thinking about
months. It also documents rising uncer- opportunities and a reputation for stellar hiring as a matter of replacing specific
tainty about what skills will be needed management. Talented candidates, employees, the researchers say. When
in current and future jobs as the surge particularly at high levels, are weighing looking to fill a vacancy, too often
in remote work sparks the redesign or opportunities differently. Factors such managers simply put together a profile
automation of many tasks. as meaningful work and proximity to mirroring that of the person who has left,
Second, the talent pools recruiters family have taken on added importance perhaps tacking on a few new require-
have routinely tapped are becoming during the pandemic. The freedom ments—the equivalent of saying, “I want
outmoded. Highly gifted candidates (often the imperative) to work remotely Sally plus these three other qualifica-
can now be found outside traditional and to manage one’s own schedule has tions,” the researchers write. At best, this
talent clusters, such as leading univer- increased employees’ expectations that yields candidates who are prepared for
sities and technical colleges. More and they can exert considerable control yesterday’s challenges but probably not
more people are acquiring critical skills over the design of their jobs. Especially ready for tomorrow’s.
informally on the job—or even in their in a period of high unemployment, Human resources leaders should
own basements. “Work lulls and layoffs the researchers say, when people are push hiring managers to look beyond
have driven a boom in virtual learning, reluctant to leave a secure position and the immediate needs of their business
giving workers new autonomy in devel- take a chance on a new one, companies units and consider what skills the larger
oping skills outside their day jobs,” the need to offer employee experiences that organization must acquire to succeed in
researchers write. candidates truly value. the future. “The first question HR asks
Finally, candidates are increasingly To adjust to these trends and build the a hiring manager shouldn’t be ‘Who do
selective about whom they work for, so workforces they need, companies should you need?’ The better question is ‘What
firms need a compelling “employment focus on two key courses of action. do we need?’” says Dion Love, a vice
18 Harvard Business Review
March–April 2021
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president in Gartner’s HR practice. “HR and looking to see how companies have IN PRACTICE
executives are positioned to drive this helped—or failed to help—their employ-
conversation because they should have
an understanding of long-term talent
ees find a comfortable work/life balance.
In a survey of 2,800 job candidates “We Are
Seeing
gaps at the organizational level.” conducted as part of the research, 65%
Hiring for skills presents its own reported halting the application process
challenges, of course, including design- because they found some aspects of the
ing assessments that reliably identify
potential. “Employers are asking, ‘How
job or the company unattractive. “The
increased scrutiny and workers’ demand Talent
can I test for curiosity? For learning
agility?’” says Lauren Smith, also a
for more influence…make it difficult for
recruiters to rely on their usual incen- Emerge in
Unlikely
vice president in Gartner’s HR prac- tives,” the researchers write.
tice. “They are scanning résumés for In managing their employee value
indicators such as success in a variety propositions, organizations might take
of roles and for transportable rather
than industry-specific experience. It’s
no longer a question of ‘Is this person
a page from the playbook of consumer
goods companies. “Firms must under-
stand candidates’ expectations” and
Places”
As the global head of talent
credentialed?’” craft positions accordingly, “in the acquisition at health tech giant
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GX2FMS9WTV When hiring managers place less same manner in which they tailor their Philips, Cynthia Burkhardt oversees
emphasis on academic degrees, certi- products to customers,” Love says. HR the filling of some 15,000 positions a
fications, and formal experience, they departments at some leading companies year. She spoke with HBR about how
will naturally look beyond traditional hold focus groups to assess job seekers’ the company is adjusting recruitment
practices during the Covid-19
talent pools—the second course of expectations, benchmark their offerings
pandemic. Edited excerpts follow.
action. Recruiters should target the against those of competitors, and scour
“total skills market,” looking at in-house social media and job-review sites such How has the pandemic
talent with adjacent skills, candidates as Glassdoor to understand how they are changed the talent market?
whose skills are self-taught, and— viewed by current, past, and potential We’ve been talking for some time
especially with the ubiquity of remote employees. about the dispersion of skills
work—people in different geographic The pandemic is challenging compa- outside tech clusters, but Covid has
accelerated the timeline. People in
locations. Recruiting outside high- nies to rethink traditional ways of doing
lockdown have embraced online
priced talent clusters can reduce costs. business—thus providing an opportunity
learning, and now we are seeing
It should also boost diversity, because to reform outdated recruiting practices. talent emerge in unlikely places.
nontraditional pools tend to contain “In my conversations with clients, I’ve One example is a chef whose
more women and people of color than found that the pandemic has opened restaurant had to close, so she
are found in the usual recruiting hot their eyes,” Love says. “The world was taught herself to program in [the
spots. already transforming, but now the computer language] Python.
Move beyond Ping-Pong and free changes are much easier to see.”
How has this changed your
snacks. It’s critical that companies HBR Reprint F2102A
approach to recruiting?
understand how candidates view them, Our approach is different for
the researchers say, and if necessary, managers and business leaders.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH “Advancing
find ways to boost those perceptions. Recruiting’s Value Through Uncertain For business leaders, we try to
Prospective hires are scrutinizing orga- Times: Shaping the Workforce,” by Gartner speak their language and focus on
nizations’ responses to the pandemic (white paper) balancing quality with cost savings.
20 Harvard Business Review
March–April 2021
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We’ve created a tool that merges
HR, finance, and population
data, along with information
about the labor market, which
business leaders can use to build
various workforce scenarios.
What would happen if I hired 80
architects in Bangalore instead
of in Eindhoven? If I used contract
workers instead of hiring FTEs?
If we hired more talent from
universities rather than recruit
experienced professionals?
This data helps us question our
assumptions about the types of
workers we need and where to
find them. And as a result, we
aren’t as homogenous now. We’re
tapping into new geographies
and more-diverse types of
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And at the manager level?
We are fortunate to have relatively
low turnover at Philips. But that
means our managers are not
always aware of changes going
on in the talent market. We strive
to show them that the modern
practice of hiring for skills can
be more beneficial than hiring
for résumés. We try to help them
think more strategically, instead
of reflexively trying to find a
replacement candidate with the
same credentials as the person feedback. In doing so, the “battle cards” on companies software center of excellence
who previously held the job. We developers become adept at where we commonly look to rotate developers around the
say, “Let’s not talk about the job quickly spotting top talent. for talent. The cards provide business. That sets us apart
title; let’s talk about the objectives continually updated information from our rivals, and candidates
of the job and the skills needed to How do you hire differently about the companies—press have responded well. Speaking
achieve them.” in a candidate’s market? releases, Glassdoor and LinkedIn to candidates about corporate
We also use peers to help You have to be aggressive, content, stock price, and so purpose is also essential.
assess candidates in a program particularly with hard-to-fill roles. on—and highlight the areas in When the pandemic hit, our
called Bar Raisers. For example, You also have to tailor your which we are the more attractive work building ventilators and
managers may not have the recruitment approach and employer. the stories coming from our
technical expertise to evaluate communications to the position; For instance, software employees were inspiring. We
certain candidates, so they an engineer cares about different developers typically prefer to feel that our corporate purpose
partner with software developers things than a sales executive work on a variety of high-impact of improving lives gives us an
who test applicants and offer does. We equip recruiters with projects, so Philips built a edge in attracting top talent.
Photograph by WEBB CHAPPELL
Harvard Business Review
March–April 2021 21
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