Human Resources (HR) teams have never been so busy. From dealing with the fallout from the awful pandemic, to supporting businesses keen to deliver on their 5-year plans. In the high growth London, Cambridge, and Oxford golden triangle, the skills function has been acute – thus compounding the problems for many HR teams. It’s predicted that this region will continue to grow at pace and the London-Oxbridge region will need to continue to attract high quality talent.

HR department plays a crucial role in the recruitment process of an organisation. They are responsible for attracting, selecting, and hiring the best talent for the company – even if it’s not actually them who do this themselves. They may employ talent acquisition, or work with external recruiters, but either way attracting the best talent within budget is a key part of their role.  If involved in the actual process, as many are in SMEs (that’s SME’s with sometimes mid-hundred-million-pound turnovers), they get involved early right through to onboarding. The process often looks like this:

1. Job Analysis: HR is responsible for conducting a thorough job analysis to determine the skills, knowledge, and experience required for a particular role. This information is used to develop job descriptions, job postings, and selection criteria
2. Recruitment Planning: HR develops a recruitment plan that outlines the steps, resources, and timelines required to fill a vacancy. The plan may include advertising the job opening, using employee referrals, attending job fairs, and partnering with recruitment agencies
3. Sourcing and Screening Candidates: HR is responsible for sourcing and screening job applicants to determine their qualifications and suitability for the role. This may involve reviewing resumes and cover letters, and conducting pre-screening interviews
4. Selection: HR coordinates and participates in the selection process, which may include conducting behavioural and technical interviews, conducting assessment tests, and making final hiring decisions
5. Onboarding: Once a candidate is selected, HR is responsible for ensuring a smooth onboarding process, including orientation, training, and assimilation into the company culture. Fast integration is often key to successful performance!

HR are the glue that binds a firm, and the conduit often between executives and teams. In a rapidly changing world, the demands for them to deliver on outstanding talent will only intensify.