In Periods of Transformation, Focus on Recruiting for Enduring Competencies
Caitlin MacGregor, co-founder and CEO of the company named Plum, exhibits a strong dedication towards empowering individuals to attain their full potential.
With the evolution of the employment sector, HR professionals and talent acquisition specialists have reconsidered their perspective on who constitutes an ideal employee. Traditional criteria, such as educational background and lengthy professional experience, are being supplanted by a focus on identifying certain job-specific talents.
Initially, talents were categorized as either hard or soft. Hard talents, encompassing skills like graphic design, grant writing, and Google Analytics, represent specialized competencies. Conversely, soft talents refer to more personal attributes, such as excellent listening abilities or a robust work ethic.
However, when business requirements alter, and various talents become indispensable, how can skills-centric and skills-based hiring tactics cater to long-term workforce planning? By introducing the concept of enduring talents.
The Importance of Prioritizing Enduring Talents
Historically classified as soft, enduring talents include capabilities like effective communication, teamwork, and learning agility on-the-job, in addition to people-oriented talents such as time management and goal-setting. These competencies help a workforce adapt, thereby retaining their worth regardless of factors like AI integration or decentralization. In contrast, certain hard talents may become obsolete or less significant due to technological advancements or significant disruptions. For instance, professionals who have mastered programming languages are now required to upgrade or learn new skills to accommodate the rise of GenAI.
Although both enduring and perishable talents are crucial, the importance of enduring talents is increasing in the business world. According to Deloitte, incorporating talents, human abilities, and motivations into a portfolio of projects and assignments fosters agility within the workforce and the organization as a whole. By fostering this level of talent adaptability and versatility, organizations can adjust to their objectives, ensuring that the essential talents necessary for success remain prominent. However, the challenge, particularly at the enterprise level, is devising methods to identify enduring talents in job applicants, allowing hiring managers to recruit flexible talent capable of thriving amid change.
Implementing an Enduring Recruitment Strategy
The following approaches can aid you in emphasizing enduring talents within your recruitment efforts.
Emphasize long-term investment, not risk minimization.
Hard skills' allure lies in their perceived risk mitigation. For instance, if you need an individual experienced in SQL, fulfilling that requirement helps mitigate hiring-related risk. However, this approach does not reveal other characteristics of the candidate. They might be proficient in only SQL. What happens upon its diminishing demand?
It's essential to view new hires as investments in your organization rather than potential liabilities requiring resolution. To achieve this mindset, reassess how you engage with hiring managers and the criteria for hiring new employees. Does success in a role depend solely on a particular degree and several years of experience at a similar company in a comparable sector? This is likely not the case. It's time to think beyond the checkbox.
Evaluate driving forces and draining factors.
Few possess telepathy or X-ray vision, so our genuine strengths are often overlooked. Each of us has distinct characteristics that set us apart from others. By designing a hiring process that highlights applicants' unique talents and abilities, we can recognize their motivating factors and what saps their energy.
For example, I tire after several consecutive meetings, while others in my team become energized by this level of social interaction. If the situation arose for an individual to attend a week-long strategy session and then present their findings to the entire organization, I might not be the ideal candidate. However, this is perfectly acceptable.
Demanding a thorough assessment of candidates from the outset can help identify their strengths (and weaknesses). By gaining this insight, your HR and TA teams can plan the workforce accordingly.
Seek productivity through purpose.
Skills-based hiring advocates productivity, but productivity is contingent upon purpose. Employing data-driven techniques during the hiring process, we can uncover the skills linked to engagement. Then we can match individuals to open roles. Monitoring this data over time can ensure productivity requirements are met while individual purposes are also satisfied.
By emphasizing and aligning around enduring talents, productivity goes beyond output and centrally revolves around overall engagement. Gallup refers to this as a strength-based company culture, which empowers employees to grow and fosters their sense of belonging. They're more likely to look forward to their work, thus improving team collaboration and performance, and propelling growth across the organization.
Furthermore, by recognizing the significance of enduring talents, we can create workforces that harmonize abilities, purpose, and quantifiable results. This will unquestionably contribute to the success of all involved parties.
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In the context of the given text, here are two sentences that include 'Caitlin MacGregor': Caitlin MacGregor, being the CEO of Plum, advocates for a shift in hiring focus towards enduring talents to ensure long-term workforce adaptability. Additionally, the Human Resources Council, led by prominent HR executives like Caitlin MacGregor, is paving the way for more inclusive and skills-oriented hiring practices.
