Senior Talent Acquisition Professionals: Where To Find The Right Skill Sets, Jeremy Eskenazi

Jeremy M. Eskenazi is Co-Vice President of IACPR’s National Membership and Managing Principal of Riviera Advisors, the premier global human resources consulting firm specializing in helping organizations develop stronger internal recruiting and staffing capabilities. Working with organizations across virtually every industry, from start ups to Fortune 500s, Riviera Advisors blends an unparalleled and real-world depth of experience with specific expertise in the critical area of talent management. The blog below is taken from his latest book, RecruitConsult Leadership, The Corporate Talent Acquisition Leader’s Field Book, a guide to building a successful corporate recruitment function. Readers of this blog and IACPR members can receive a special 30% discount by going to Leader's Fieldbook Discount and using discount code 5WGTJTTZ.

 I’m a big believer that if you focus on a core set of skills necessary to

do a job, any number of people with varying backgrounds can fill the role (of course you’ll have to determine if they can fit your culture). Recruiters in the 1990s needed great relationship, communication, sourcing, searching and technology skills. Now to this, add in project management, social networking, teamwork and political savvy skills. 

So where do you find the talent acquisition professionals who will make a big difference to your recruiting efforts?  

There’s the traditional path, one that we all think of first. 

Recruiting in Other Environments. This includes third-party recruiting vendors (like retained search firms), human resource departments/internal recruiting and staffing teams and recruitment outsourcing firms. But make sure that the job you’re offering is one in which a recruiter gets to recruit. They really don’t want to deal with “administrivia”—coordinating candidate travel and interviews, running reports, dealing with applicant tracking issues and so on. Plus, structure the position so that the recruiting professional will deal directly with the end client and be a strategic partner. Before, they have invariably had to go through at least one other party (such as an HR generalist). Offer the catnip of direct interface. 

But what about bringing in new blood? In that case, try looking in unexpected places.  

Project Management. Purchasing, logistics or operations planning areas (even if the company has nothing to do with construction or architecture!) --these professionals have great initiative, as well as relationship management.

Sales and Marketing. They’re self-starters with strong relationship and project management skills. But if you recruit from within your own company, you don’t want to take out the best sales people – and you certainly don’t need a failed sales person.

Operations. The real advantage to having operations professionals as recruiters is they typically recruit in their area of expertise. Engineers recruit engineers, technology experts recruit technology experts. It’s built-in credibility with hiring managers.

Management Trainee Programs.  Many “academy” companies (such as consumer packaged goods, hospitality, retail, etc.) bring in college grads with promises of someday running the world. However, many of these promises remain unfulfilled – and the employee may have realized they don’t even want to be in that particular industry. Could they fit into your world?

Professional Service Pros (Legal, Accounting, Management Consulting). People from these disciplines understand a service/strategic orientation, have solid communications skills and are good project managers.

Stockbrokers/Real Estate Professionals. If they have struggled in a competitive market or the market suddenly cools, they could still have what it takes to be a great recruiter.

Journalists (Freelance and Staff Writers). Here you have great communicators, with strong sourcing and research skills, people who are innovative self-starters. And the better compensation could lure them.

Technical Education Teachers. Consider those from a community college or business or technical institute. What they may lack in business experience they make up for in communication, project management and creativity/innovation skills.

Political Campaign Workers. They are the ultimate project-managers, with savvy, great sourcing capabilities and great relationship skills.

College Admissions Professionals. They read a lot of backgrounds, they meet a lot of people and they have lots of projects.  

The key to identifying and hiring outstanding team members is to think outside the box. Technical skills can be taught. What you cannot change is attitude. If you aren’t genuinely interested in people—their hopes and dreams and vision of the future—you need to be in another line of business.