Why Isn’t HR Evolving?
Whether it is to keep up with changing market trends or the growing demands of their customers, businesses are evolving, and rapidly. Processes that were once paper-based and slow are now automated and more streamlined, and the rise of big data is giving companies more insight than ever before into their business and what they need to do to survive and thrive.
At the heart of all businesses lies the human resources (HR) department, responsible for looking after personnel and for managing and maximising their potential and contribution to the business. But, is HR evolving and keeping up with changing business needs? HR definitely has a more strategic role now than ever before and, if run effectively, can be instrumental in making well thought out business decisions. But, even with technology, automation and access to ever-increasing amounts of data, many HR departments are sticking with old practices and not evolving to their full potential. The continued reliance on CVs to make recruitment decisions is the perfect example of this, as they are now out-dated and often result in people making decisions based on instinct or gut feel rather than fact, which is likely to be less successful in the long run.
What’s stopping HR from evolving?
There are many reasons why HR departments are hanging onto old processes rather than fully embracing new ones, but one of the main ones is probably mindse. Processes have been in place for decades and still do they job, so why change? Decisions are often made by people higher up in the company who don’t see or understand the difference new technologies could make and as such are reluctant to invest time and money into HR, an often-undervalued department. Furthermore, whilst data is at the core and the key to running a successful department, having large quantities of it doesn’t mean you can use it effectively. If it is not combined in one place or in a format that is easy to analyse, potential is limited, which is also the case if you don’t know what to look for, what the right questions to ask are or where your focus should be. Other reasons could include the lack of effective HR management or the fact that many HR personnel are not appropriately qualified and lack personal qualities required to do the role effectively.
HR and recruitment
CVs have been at the heart of recruitment for a long time, but they are out-dated – a thing of the past. For one thing, what they can tell you is limited; they are easy to embellish and nowadays often written by professional copywriters. They also only really tell you about experience with no indication of aptitude. They are devoid of personality and give little indication of behaviour and values, all of which have a proven impact on job success. And, furthermore, the shortlisting process is slow and laborious. HR departments simply don’t have the time to spend hours sorting through inboxes full of CVs.
It is time for recruitment to evolve and there are plenty of applicant tracking systems (ATS) available that are helping to do this, but e-Talent has gone one step further. Applicants apply online by answering qualifying questions so that you can quickly eliminate those people who don’t meet your minimum qualifications. And the process includes psychometric personality and behavioural tests; giving a much better indication of how suitable a candidate is for the job. With e-Talent, recruitment is quicker, more streamlined and far more likely to generate the right candidate for the job.
