Increasingly, recruitment professionals are expected to demonstrate strong commercial acumen if they wish to be regarded with credibility amongst senior executives. It is not enough to just talk about recruitment methodologies.
by visibly aligning their strategies with the wider business drivers, they will command a much greater influence
Businesses place great importance upon retention and attraction strategies, and the learning & development approach, all of which are closely aligned, and there is no reason why recruitment should not be a part of this cycle. When considering resource planning, recruitment professionals need to use the right terminology around the speed and cost to hire. To do this, it is essential to have good knowledge of the business drivers and the business community, and then use this knowledge to formalise and strategise your resource planning. In this way, you can demonstrate the problems associated with making the wrong hire, or taking a long time to recruit, which will help to build respect amongst the senior team.
Recruitment professionals who can demonstrate their understanding of business, and can speak in the same language as senior executives, will benefit in a number of ways. On the one hand, they will have a greater chance to climb the career ladder as they increase their credibility and standing, and become involved with the debate on a more strategic level. In addition, by visibly aligning their strategies with the wider business drivers, they will command a much greater influence and ultimately will be more likely to achieve their recruitment objectives as they have the senior team on board, understanding and working with them to achieve these objectives.
