As a CHRO, few things are more challenging than managing complaints about your Talent Acquisition (TA) team. When hiring managers or executives lose confidence, it often casts a shadow over the entire HR department. Instead of focusing on strategy, you’re forced to make excuses for the team’s underperformance, and the business expects you to fix it—fast.
Firing team members or outsourcing the function might seem like the simplest solutions, but that’s not always necessary. In many cases, the issue may stem from processes, resources, or poor communication. Before making risky changes, consider whether the team’s reputation can be restored. Let’s explore why recruiting teams lose trust—and how to rebuild it.
Unrealistic expectations from business leaders, coupled with limited resources, often lead to underperformance. To rebuild trust, the team needs to reset expectations or secure the necessary resources—and then deliver on them.
Sometimes, the problem is underperformance in key roles or ineffective leadership. Addressing incompetence requires a strong recovery plan, clear accountability, and, if needed, tough decisions about training or replacing underperformers.
Inefficient tools—like a clunky ATS—drain productivity and morale. Admitting that technology or process upgrades are necessary and charting a new path can make a dramatic difference in performance.
Toxic behaviors or a negative culture can undermine the team’s effectiveness. Addressing cultural issues head-on, whether through coaching, training, or even removing toxic individuals, is crucial for restoring trust.
Without clear performance metrics—like customer experience, time to hire, or quality of hire—the team operates blindly. Establishing metrics and a clear action plan when performance slips will prevent issues from reaching a crisis point.
Recruiters often fail to set realistic timelines with hiring managers. When managers delay feedback or take time off, recruiters are blamed for slow progress. Setting clear timelines and tracking where delays occur will protect the team’s reputation.
If recruiting is always caught off-guard by hiring demand spikes, it will struggle to keep up. Connecting talent acquisition to business forecasts ensures the team can plan ahead, instead of constantly reacting.
When complaints about Talent Acquisition start piling up, action is imperative. If you wait too long, the problem may become unrecoverable, leading to discussions about outsourcing or restructuring—which could make the entire HR function look ineffective.
Recruiting Transformations can help you diagnose the root causes of these issues, whether they stem from leadership, process inefficiencies, or resource shortages. We’ll create a plan to restore trust in your recruiting team and show fast progress.
Don’t wait until the situation becomes irreversible. Let us help you turn things around now.
Contact us for a free-no-obligation chat about what is possible.
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