Agile HR – Recruitment and Selection

by Riia O’Donnell

Are you an Agile HR Department? Should you be? Agile principles started in software development over a decade ago. Frustrated developers, wasting time sending concepts, corrections, and solutions up and down the corporate ladder for approval, input, and determinations created the agile method. Agile smashes the notion that process is more important than people or product. It emphasizes working in creative and adaptive teams to solve problems, focusing on continual elimination of waste. Agile visualizes work flow, identifying and removing barriers to success.

There are several types of agile in use: three main versions are scrum, which focuses teams on solving complex problems;  concentrates on removing process waste; and kanban focuses on planning and standardizing workflow. While scrum is widely used by software developers, an inventory control department may work better with kanban.

Can Agile HR Work for You?

Agile focuses on people over processes. The notion that the process itself may be a barrier to success may be radical, but it can often be the case. We can apply the agile principles to the recruitment process. The standard method:

1. Opening is posted, typically based on the job description

2. Applications received

3. HR screens applicants, choses 1^st interview candidates

4. Hiring managers perform 2^nd interviews

5. Qualifications verified

6. New hire on probation to prove capabilities

If/when there are glitches in the process, it begins again.

Using Agile HR to Improve Processes

The agile method hires as a cooperative effort, rather than in single, slower steps. Applying agile in recruitment brings all stakeholders to the process: developing current, accurate criteria for the hire before the ad is placed; reviewing and meeting with applicants cooperatively. The team develops a recruitment strategy, participates in the process, and corrects, when necessary.

Finding inefficiencies in the process can reduce time wasted and enhance time invested. Involving hiring managers in developing criteria and pre-screening could streamline the search. Verifying qualifications before a hire would make the process more efficient. Using agile to re-think recruitment is an idea worth considering. Adding a smart tool like Rankdone assures agile will work for you.

Rankdone works seamlessly with agile principles to disrupt traditional recruitment and replace it with a new, more effective paradigm at every step in the process:

1. Planning: managers and HR collaborate on hiring criteria

2. Screening: Applicants complete qualification tests before being screened

3. Interviewing: only top candidates chosen for interviews

4. Verifying qualifications: eliminated. Rankdone verifies each candidate meets the minimum qualifications before you screen or interview.

Rankdone and agile processes bring recruiting to the 21^st century. Eliminate steps that waste time and can lead to a poor hire. With Rankdone, HR and hiring managers stop wasting precious time on applicants that don’t meet their needs: hiring managers set the criteria and skills are verified before you screen. Rankdone takes you directly to the most qualified candidates for the best recruitment result.

As demands on HR professionals continue to increase, using agile to rethink your processes could be a great time saving tool. Adding agile and Rankdone to your recruitment strategies assures it will be.