BEYOND RESUMES: BUILDING TOMORROW'S WORKFORCE WITH HOLISTIC RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES

 

A holistic recruitment strategy is an all-encompassing and comprehensive approach to talent acquisition that goes beyond the traditional focus on filling immediate job openings. It considers the entire employee lifecycle and considers various interconnected aspects of recruitment, from aligning with business goals to ensuring a positive candidate experience and ongoing employee development. A holistic approach recognizes that recruiting is not just about finding the right candidates for specific roles but involves creating an integrated and sustainable process that contributes to the overall success and growth of the organization.

“This means that companies that choose this method focus heavily on their values and the values of the individual. They want their new-hire to align with their values and to have worked in companies with similar perspectives to keep their employees on the same wavelength.” (Schur, 2019)

To implement a holistic approach within the organization, we need to be mindful to evaluate the candidates beyond their CV and academic achievements. If you are placing someone in an organizational position, we need to consider their entire life in order to align our HR related processes to that particular candidate from the point of hiring to end of their career in our organization.

For example, we can consider the fact of having young kids in order to provide them with flexible working arrangements. Also, if a person’s motive is to settle down with this job it is a necessity to provide them with progression opportunities and good remuneration.

As per the case studies and research references up to 2022- companies like Google, IBM, Netflix, use this holistic approach in their recruitments. Also many companies in all over the world have started to use this approach.

Important factors in holistic recruitment approach

Workforce planning- This involves a strategic and comprehensive approach to managing an organization's current and future workforce needs. It goes beyond simply filling immediate job openings and extends to understanding the organization's long-term goals, identifying the skills and talent required to achieve those goals, and planning for the dynamic changes in the workforce landscape. Intake meetings are crucial at this point as HR can understand the needs of the hiring managers to identify the ideal candidate profile.

Candidate sourcing- This basically means implementing a proactive approach for recruitment. In this the organization does not wait for the right candidate to come to them but they go to the right candidate. Candidate sourcing can be started from internal recruiting. Other than to internal recruiting an organization can develop a talent network which will help to find the right candidate. Holistic candidate sourcing involves utilizing various channels to reach a wide and diverse audience. This may include job boards, social media platforms, professional networks, industry-specific forums, and recruitment events.

Gather the applicant data- A common place establishment to find candidate data. This is a database which amalgamates all candidate data into one place where easy access is available in decision making. From this database we can identify the applicants who are already engaged in the company work.

Use of matching technology- This plays a crucial role in holistic recruitment by leveraging advanced algorithms (AI tools) and data analytics to identify the best-fitting candidates for specific roles within an organization. This technology goes beyond traditional keyword matching and considers a broader set of factors, aligning with the comprehensive nature of holistic recruitment. Some of the examples are skills and qualification matching, cultural fit assessment, predictive analytics, semantic matching etc…

Candidate experience- This means informing the suitable candidates about the job and keeping them engaged for the process. Whether they become employees or not. In holistic recruitment, the candidate’s experience extends beyond the application and interview process to consider the entire lifecycle of the candidate's interaction with the company. Candidates’ experience can be improved through transparent communication, user-friendly application process, timely feedback, employer branding and post-interview engagement.

Interviewing process- In a holistic recruitment approach, the interviewing process is designed to be comprehensive, strategic, and aligned with the organization's overall goals and values. The goal is to go beyond assessing technical skills and qualifications to evaluate a candidate's cultural fit, soft skills, and long-term potential within the company. It is better for an organization can develop interview questions to suit to every candidate and organizations can sell their job among candidates by discussing about career growth, company culture, benefits, work life balance etc…

Importance of having a holistic approach for recruitment

1. The process can be aligned with the overall strategic goals of the organization with implementing a proactive effort for recruitment.
2. Allows organizations to build and maintain a strong employer brand which will help the organization to attract and retain top talent.
3. Considering diversity and inclusion in recruitment leads to a more varied and enriched workforce with more skills, innovative ideas and better problem-solving abilities.
4. Finding an employee who is a good cultural fit to organizational values.
5. Building and maintaining talent pipelines ensures that organizations have access to a pool of qualified candidates when needed.
6. Utilizing data and analytics in recruitment allows organizations to measure the effectiveness of their strategies, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.
7. Ongoing training and development for recruitment professionals keep them updated on industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies.
8. When candidates have a good experience, whether they are hired, they are more likely to speak positively about the organization, enhancing the employer brand and potentially becoming advocates for the company.

Challenges in implementing holistic recruitment in organizations.

• Demands more time and resources for comprehensive assessments.
• Raises concern about data privacy and compliance requirements.
• Ensuring consistent evaluation of cultural fit and soft skills among different interviewers is a challenge.
• Integrating holistic practices with existing HR systems can be challenging.
• Lack of understanding among involved parties may need comprehensive education efforts

Conclusion

In summary, a holistic approach to recruitment not only addresses immediate hiring needs but also lays the foundation for sustained success by aligning with the organization's strategic goals, fostering a positive employer brand, and building a diverse and talented workforce. This approach is essential for adaptability, competitiveness, and long-term viability in today's dynamic business environment.

Madusha Perera

2023

References

Builder, C., 2022. [Online]
Available at: https://resources.careerbuilder.com/employer-blog/holistic-recruitment-strategy#:~:text=A%20holistic%20recruitment%20strategy%20focuses,top%20talent%20for%20your%20business.
[Accessed 15 December 2023].

Schur, K., 2019. Applicant One. [Online]
Available at: https://www.applicantonesource.com/blog/holistic-recruiting
[Accessed 15 December 2023].

Scott, C., 2023. Linkedin. [Online]
Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/recruitment-beyond-cv-importance-holistic-approach-charlotte-scott/
[Accessed 15 December 2023].

Virag, K., 2023. Linkedin. [Online]
Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/introduction-holistic-hiring-stoix/
[Accessed 15 December 2023].