A Mistake I Made as an HR Executive
Christina Rever Stroud
When I was an HR Executive, I made more than a few mistakes. In fact, I can still remember a lot of them because I would lose sleep and worry about them all night. I would rehash the decision I made, decide what I would do differently next time, and make promises to myself that I would be better.
With recruiting starting to pick up, one of my mistakes is on my mind because I see my current clients struggling with the same dilemma. I typically hired team members when there was a need due to a resignation, a promotion, or a new function being created. I did not want to commit to adding headcount or budget when there wasn’t a pressing need at that exact moment. The bottom line was, many times, the deciding factor when approving or denying headcount.
The result? The first few times I was behind the eight ball. We ended up with an open seat that added pressure on other team members, or we had to delay an employee’s transfer to another department because they were critical in their current role. Our internal recruiting function was then pressured to find someone fast rather than take a little extra time and find a great candidate. And if they weren’t able to locate someone, then our outside recruiting partner was even further behind.
Do I think HR departments need to approve an extra headcount in case someone leaves? No. Does HR need to hire early for all functions? Nope. There is a balance that must be taken between adding talent and protecting the budget.
After learning my lesson a few times, I took action to prevent it from happening again. We added a new component to our succession planning process, and we proactively shared our strategic plans with our external recruiting partners. Why share externally? Because they were able to plan ahead, keep an eye out for candidates we might be interested in, and since they had a background in HR, they were able to offer a fresh set of eyes and thus great suggestions.
I am proud to say that program is now used globally within that organization, and this learning process sparked my passion for talent management. I am happy to help your company find your next team member and ensure they align with your future business plans.
