Recruitment Operations: What is RecOps?

There is no perfect formula for finding the right talent, but the job of Recruitment Operations is to help you find them as efficiently and effectively as possible. The task is complex, challenging, and at times frustrating. It is made all the harder by fierce competition for talent and the fact that by 2030, Korn Ferry predicts there will be a global shortage of over 85 million skilled workers.

One area that a growing number of organisations have focused on to find a solution to this problem is “recruitment operations”, also known as RecOps. This blog post explores:

• What is Recruitment Operations?
• Why is RecOps important?
• The impact of effective RecOps
• How to get the best out of Recruitment Operations

Recruitment Operations: A definition

There is no one, universally agreed definition for RecOps; organisations take a variety of approaches to fit in with their own circumstances. To put it simply it is all about reducing friction in the recruitment process and making it as effective and efficient as possible. This involves streamlining and improving the hiring process, removing bottlenecks and eliminating areas of duplicated effort. Key to this is collating and analysing the available data. 

Some organisations will include recruitment operations in the remit of talent acquisition, adding it to their existing responsibilities while others will create a separate position that focuses solely on operations. There is no right approach, the important thing is that businesses recognise the important benefits that it can offer and build it into their hiring process in a way that works best for them.

Why is RecOps important?

Hiring is a vital operation for any business and the cost of failed hires can be extremely expensive. A busy recruiting team can easily get engrossed by the day-to-day hamster wheel of filling vacancies without questioning what they are doing and why. Stepping back from the recruitment process and taking the time to evaluate each step can be incredibly valuable. It allows for proper scrutiny of the practices and tools being employed to examine if they really are the most appropriate for your hiring objectives.

With so much of the recruitment process now involving technology, there is a wealth of information available to organisations on how well their process is functioning. This data is hugely valuable, revealing what is working effectively and what can be improved. Making the most of this information, such as discovering the best channels for candidate quality or the application dropout rate can be powerful. It clearly shows, not just to the recruitment team, but to senior leaders and the rest of the organisation what needs attention and where the recruitment budget may be best spent.

The impact of effective RecOps

Getting recruitment operations right can be hugely valuable to any talent acquisition team, saving time and money and reducing costs. If it is to be as effective as possible, clear objectives need to be set and communicated. It is crucial that the talent acquisition goals of the organisation are agreed by senior leaders and the activity of the team or person responsible for operations is based squarely on these. A robust set of KPIs is essential to test the effectiveness of the activity, providing a sense of clarity and focus.

Getting recruitment right isn’t just important in terms of new hire performance or reducing attrition, it can significantly boost an organisation’s brand and reputation. As the talent gap widens, the candidate experience has become increasingly important. Communicating effectively with candidates, making sure they know what to expect from the process and when to expect contact is crucial. It leaves a lasting impression. 74% of candidates who rated their experience exceptional say they would be more positive towards the employer, even if they didn’t get the job. Building an effective and efficient process is an important factor in creating the best possible experience for job seekers.

How to get the best out of Recruitment Operations

RecOps as a function is still in its infancy and evolving rapidly, so taking note of the latest thinking and competitor activity on the topic is really valuable. Everyone is on a learning curve, so reviewing and reporting on activity on a regular basis is crucial to avoid being left behind.

It’s important to keep the following elements in mind:

• Set clear objectives – what do you want to achieve from your recruitment process?
• Get buy-in from across the business – all areas are involved in recruiting make sure you take into consideration the needs of every function and discover what they need from the hiring process.
• Quality data is essential – work with vendors, partners and third parties to ensure you have the data you need.
• Communicate is crucial – make sure everyone knows what needs to be done and the impact of changes made.
• Ask for candidate feedback – any hiring process has to work for those applying for jobs. Discover what they think works well and what could be improved. Just asking the question will show you care and improve the experience.
• Involve RecTech vendors of any software used in your process as much as you can – tap into their knowledge and experience so discover if there is a more innovative way you could use their tool.
• Continually monitor your process – this is not a once and done process, but always something that could be improved.

Final Summary

The future of recruitment is more uncertain now than it’s ever been. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the world of work was changing rapidly. Knowing what type of employee you’ll need now and in the future is not easy to predict. Recruitment Operations can help ensure your process is as prepared as it can be to adapt to whatever lies ahead.