Understanding Talent- Acquisition Through a Systems Thinking Lens

By Kristen Flowers

Imagine trying to put the piece of a puzzle together without the picture on the box. You may eventually put the pieces together, but it will take longer, or you may just give up altogether. It helps to see how all the pieces fit together. Systems thinking can help you see the big picture and understand how everything is interconnected. In recruitment, seeing the big picture is integral to the process. It isn't just about filling open roles but enhancing the company's culture, mission, and values.

At its core, systems thinking is about understanding how individual parts of a system interact with each other to influence the system as a whole. Applying this concept to recruitment means looking beyond the role(s) needing to be filled and considering the entire recruitment ecosystem, including interview processes, job descriptions, onboarding, stakeholders, workplace culture, team dynamics, and other external factors. Consider this: every new person in an organization brings their skills, vibe, and new ideas, hopefully adding to your company's cognitive diversity. Each hiring decision contributes to the dynamics of a team and ultimately shapes the capabilities and culture of the organization. Applying systems thinking to the recruitment process allows us to see how hiring decisions are connected to and impact various areas of an organization, such as team performance, employee morale, productivity, and overall workplace culture. For example, a well-structured onboarding process isn't just great for new hires but can directly and indirectly improve employee retention and engagement.

When considering systems thinking, it's essential to understand the feedback loop between company culture and the types of candidates attracted. Gathering feedback from recent hires about their onboarding experience can help improve future recruitment strategies. Integrating feedback loops into workplace systems can ensure a proactive approach to improving processes.

A popular saying among systems thinkers is that small changes make big impacts. Systems thinking can help identify leverage points in a system. It's about looking for small areas of change that can lead to significant improvement. Could refining the job description attract more quality candidates? Would a shorter interview process help secure top talent faster and meet hiring deadlines? Consider how these changes might influence other areas of the recruitment process and the organization as a whole.

Systems thinking, in essence, is a holistic approach that allows us to see the inner workings of an ecosystem. The idea is to see the individual parts of a system and how they relate within the context of a larger system. To simplify even further, it is a way of understanding how everything is interconnected. Nothing acts in isolation. Through a practice known as systems mapping, we can create a visual representation of any system and the various interrelated entities that make up that system. Systems thinking can be very complex and can require a lot of time to perfect when done in a properly structured way. However, there are various methods and shortcuts to achieving the same results. Whether we're identifying patterns, gathering feedback, or brainstorming solutions to get to the root of a problem, we all use systems thinking at some point.

Inspired by "Systems Thinking in the Workplace: A Complete Guide (betterup.com)," Here are some practical steps to get started Implementing systems thinking in the recruitment process:
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1. Map the Recruitment System: Create a visual representation of your current recruitment process. Identify all the components involved, such as job postings, candidate sourcing, screening, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding. Highlight how each element interacts with others.
2. Identify Key Stakeholders: Recognize everyone involved in the recruitment process, including hiring managers, HR personnel, candidates, and external recruiters. Understand their roles and responsibilities and how they impact the overall system. Are there any areas where delays, redundancies, and breakdowns in communication tend to happen?
3. Analyze Feedback Loops: Identify feedback loops within your recruitment process. Collect feedback and look for patterns, common themes, or issues. This can uncover areas for improvement. It's also essential to monitor changes made in response to feedback to gauge their effectiveness.
4. Set Clear Objectives: Define clear objectives for your recruitment process. These should align with your organization's strategic goals. For instance, if diversity and inclusion are priorities, engage your team in understanding the significance of goals and explore ways to broaden outreach efforts with an equity-focused approach.
5. Promote Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encourage collaboration between different departments and teams involved in recruitment. For example, involve marketing in creating compelling job ads and work with IT to ensure a seamless application process.

As the founder of Lion Heart Recruit, I believe in the effectiveness of system thinking. It is integrated into our recruitment process, ensuring a holistic approach. We work to understand your organization's needs and help your team identify and solve any hiring challenges. We identify leverage points to improve processes, streamline selection, and reduce the time spent screening unqualified applicants. We are not just another recruitment agency. Our unique, tailored, targeted outreach approach enables us to bring a strong pool of mission-aligned talent. Check us out at www.lionheartrecruit.com and schedule a meeting to explore how we can be an extension of your HR team.