Recruiters need to start 'telling the truth'

Recruiters need to start 'telling the truth' says top HR think tank.

HR professionals and line managers at the sharp end of recruitment are at risk of undermining the whole talent management process according to a leading HR think tank.

At its latest meeting the Ochre House Network think tank, which includes over 650 major employers such as GE, IBM, NCR, PwC and Telefonica O2 pointed out the necessity of giving a clear and honest picture of corporate culture, even if this countered public perceptions. "The problem is that in recent years HR specialists and line managers have learned from professional recruiters to 'sell' jobs heavily," says Ochre House's Helena Parry, who leads the think tank. "However in many instances this has gone too far."

To prevent a mismatch between truth and perception line managers must be educated to deliver the right messages about the role and the organisation and must buy into this. Furthermore, messages should be simple and small in number to avoid miscommunication. HR and line management need to understand that messages cannot be delivered by one specific set of individuals - often the best 'storyteller' is a mirror of the potential recruit.

"Unless recruitment is effectively joined up to the rest of the talent management process it can actually end up doing it serious damage," says Parry. "Individuals need to get a clear and honest picture of the role, the organisation and its culture. Failure to do this can only lead to mis-match, staff attrition and poor morale across the board."

Source: Recruitment International

Posted by Recruitment International