Question

In his initial meeting with the HR team, a newly hired HR director hears a number of concerns relating to talent acquisition, including the new hire selection process. The HR director believes these concerns, as he personally experienced several questionable actions during his own hiring process.

In the current process, interviewers use an unstructured approach, where each candidate is asked different questions and interviewers use different criteria to evaluate responses. The HR director also learns that the company has a track record of poor hiring, inconsistent decision making, and lack of diversity in certain departments.
The HR team is not confident that the organization is hiring the best people. However, that is not a concern the rest of the organization shares. Each department believes that its hiring approach is effective. Historically no department has shown an interest in trying a new approach.
Which action should the HR director take to encourage department heads to use a new hiring process?

A. Conduct an audit of company-wide hiring practices to demonstrate internal discrepancies.
B. Present anecdotal evidence from similar companies that show the benefits of a centralized hiring processes.
C. Conduct a benchmarking study to compare the organization's hiring outcomes (diversity, etc.) to those of similar organizations.
D. Ask department heads what data they would need from a new hiring process.

Answer 1

The HR director should conduct an audit of hiring practices, a benchmarking study comparing hiring outcomes, and engage with department heads to solicit their input for a collaborative approach toward a new hiring process.

Step-by-step explanation:

To address the concerns and encourage department heads to adopt a new hiring process, the HR director should take a multipronged approach. Firstly, conducting an audit of the current company-wide hiring practices will provide concrete evidence of the discrepancies and inefficiencies in the existing unstructured interviewing process. This data can highlight areas of improvement and provide a fact-based premise for change. Secondly, the director could conduct a benchmarking study to compare the organization's hiring outcomes to those of similar organizations, especially concerning diversity and employee skill sets. This comparative data can be persuasive in demonstrating the benefits of adopting more structured and standardized hiring processes.

Lastly, directly engaging with department heads by asking what data they would need from a new hiring process could help address their specific concerns and foster a collaborative approach to revamping the hiring process. By using these strategies, the HR director can build a compelling case to convince the departments to consider and potentially transition to a more effective hiring methodology.