Greetings fellow TWITS! It’s time to find out what happened This Week in Talent.
I was at a friend’s place last week and jokingly offered to help sort out their son’s playroom – then ended up feeling a bit overwhelmed when the gesture was accepted. There was enough Lego lying around to open a store. An hour into the cleanup mission, I thought to myself: why did I open my big mouth?
This got me thinking about the time I flippantly said that I wanted to implement a new applicant tracking system. My manager replied that they were looking forward to seeing what I could do – Remember people, once you’ve said it, you can’t take it back!
Here are some character-building lessons I learned from undertaking this project:
- Don’t let pride get in the way, it’s OK to ask for help.
- Nominate a project lead OR ask for someone to be seconded into your role.
- Plan how you will manage and communicate the change (the ‘why’).
- Focus on what the business needs, instead of what you think is ‘best’ (Do a SWOT beforehand!).
- Leave enough time to test – UAT uncovers so many things you’d never think of!
- Consider the pros / cons of a system you can configure versus customise.
- Don’t expect people to thank you – there will be a LOT of complaints.
If you’re anything like me and prefer to do things yourself: don’t let it get out of hand. I spent way too many nights up past 2AM.
Also, appreciate the managers who give you the time and permission to make mistakes. On several occasions I stomped into his office and said “why didn’t you warn me?” or “why did you let me do this”? He replied “what would that have taught you?”
I’d like to finish this week by taking the time to sincerely thank some amazing people in the HR / TA community. Navigating the job market has (at times) been demoralising and stressful. Thanks for helping me smile, checking in, and maintain perspective.
Here’s some food for thought I’d like to share with you this week:
The Ultimate Guide to Understanding and Hiring Fractional Talent
Want to learn the difference between freelance, fractional, and part time work? Traditional hiring models continue to evolve! Many organisations no longer have budget for full time overheads, nor the need for certain expertise / positions on a full time basis. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and get comfy, this is a long but insightful read!
Alternate careers for recruiters
Skills based hiring is often on our minds in TA, but how often do we consider our own transferrable skills? The world is big and there are many options out there if a change is on your horizon.
Scaling Back to Scale Up:
AKA ‘How to Strategically Scale Employer Branding Content’. Some very handy tips on how to do more with less – and create impact. Hot tips include focusing on quality over quantity and using the best voices that you have to amplify your reach – the employees of the brand.
AI by 2025: The Urgent Need for Training and Skilling
It’s not just about the tech, but the ethical considerations, too. How does your organisation plan to explore or implement AI? What new roles or learning / development opportunities will be created?
The 10 Best Recruitment Videos
Time for some inspo. My favourite is the first one by Fiverr. Hope you enjoy watching these as much as I did.
ATC2024 2nd speaker drop
Lastly, did you catch the 2nd speaker drop for ATC2024 this week? There are some amazing examples of Talent Teams thinking and doing TA differently; it sounds like its going to be an epic conference.
