At the SilkRoad Connections conference, IDC VP or HR and Talent Research Lisa Rowan discussed the differing expectations that recruiting and hiring managers have regarding HR-related issues. These disconnects matter because the all-important employee experience begins with the first candidate contact, and employees are at the heart of the customer experience.

In a 2015 study of 500 executives, IDC examined gaps in the following 10 areas:
 

• Gap #1: Corporate Culture: Culture is viewed as a shared responsibility with an emphasis on HR. Line of business managers want more HR involvement. The main issue for HR? How do you translate culture?


• Gap #2: Employer Branding: Managers want HR to do more here as well. If the brand is good, respondents feel that it sells itself. But if it’s unclear, how can we figure out the right message for candidates, and whose job is that?


• Gap #3: Leadership Development: HR professionals think the responsibility resides with them, while line of business managers think it’s a joint effort and would actually like more direct involvement.


• Gap #4: Translating Corporate Goals: HR professionals feel they should lead the charge here and line of business managers think it’s a joint effort. Both groups would like more involvement and collaboration.


• Gap #5: Recruiting Strategy: Both groups are split on whether this was mostly an HR or shared responsibility, but both also feel that HR should do more. HR would like a bigger role in the overall workforce strategy, which directly impacts the recruiting plan.


• Gap #6: Candidate Pipeline: HR professionals see themselves as mostly responsible, while line of business managers feel this is a shared activity. Both groups want more control over the candidate pipeline.


• Gap #7: Writing Job Descriptions: Sixty percent of HR professionals say this is a joint activity and 60 percent of line of business managers admit that they should step up and do more.


• Gap #8: Job Posting and Social Outreach: Line of business managers are vocal in wanting a bigger role. The survey was clear that they aren’t being asked by HR to tap their networks for promising candidates.


• Gap #9: Screening of Candidates: HR is frustrated by line of business turnaround times. These professionals acknowledge ownership but nearly all (98 percent) want managers to step up!

Key Takeaways

Overall, said Rowan, both HR and hiring managers are dissatisfied with how responsibilities are distributed. Line of business managers do not see themselves as primary owners of anything workforce-related. HR has a bit too much ownership, and more collaboration is needed all around.

Line of business managers seek more top level recruiting guidance from HR, while HR professionals desire more (timely) input from management on tactical matters like job descriptions and candidate screening procedures.

Hiring managers are clamoring for greater involvement in candidate outreach and promotion, and this may solve a problem for HR. The more involved managers are in the process, the more responsive they’re likely to be.

Rowan’s final point was that HR managers feel that HR as a whole is more effective than business managers think it is. Therefore, it’s essential that HR increase communication so business managers are in the loop from the beginning and have a full picture of all of the great things that are happening.

Are you on the same page with your hiring managers?