A few months ago, I achieved a goal I’ve been working towards my entire professional life since I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University back in 2007. I was given the opportunity to serve in a leadership role in the human resources field in an impactful space. For me, it was getting promoted from individual recruiter to the newly created director of talent acquisition role at Prestige Care, where I have been for the past three years. While any new change is never the easiest or fun, this change was into uncharted waters for me. Not only am I running my desk of sourcing and recruitments, but now I oversee the entire recruiting function.
I have learned quite a bit in just a few short months after moving from individual contributor to the head of a workgroup. Like I’ve told many of my family members, friends, and colleague the work is exhilarating, but it’s a different kind of work now that I’m in a leadership role. I have learned quite a bit in this short amount of time. However, there are a few big ideas that have come up since this change.
Constantly Share Your Knowledge
One thing I have been intentional about is sharing my practice, but also, the information I find that might be of value to my teammates. I not only share content that I find most relevant, but have made it a point to share in what has worked for me in the past, what I currently do, and some of the approaches I have used. I have a reminder set in my Outlook for every Tuesday morning at 8 AM to send out a “Recruiting Tip Tuesday” to my colleagues.
Coach and Train Hiring Managers on Sourcing
One of the most rewarding parts of my new role is the ability to train and develop our hiring managers in over 80 locations in an eight-state geographic footprint on all things recruiting and sourcing. While I did a bit of that in an individual contributor role, now I am focused a great deal on that. I am making a point to get face to face with my hiring managers to not only train and develop them on recruiting best practices, but some intermediate sourcing approaches. Thus, I have multiplied myself and my team.
Develop Resources for All
A big project that I am now spearheading in my new role is the implementation of a recruiting toolkit that will be rolled out at scale; not only in hard copy form but in digital form. I am collaborating with my teammates on many recruiting topics, but also many basic and intermediate sourcing techniques and approaches that are included in this toolkit. This, in addition to many other taped webinars and other step by step content, is included on our shared drive for our operators to digest and become basic and intermediate sourcers.
It’s All About Your Teammates
Before, I had my own burden to carry and own desk of roles. In my new role, I feel the weight of the entire sourcing and recruiting function. I want my teammates to be massively successful. With that, I have been intentional about taking on projects and work that would take them away from what is most essential to their success. In a leadership role, you are charged with illuminating the success of your teammates and championing for them. It’s all about your teammates.
While these are just a few of the main ideas I have learned in my new role, I’m sure there are many more I am forgetting. And, like any new position and opportunity, I am continually learning (every day in fact!), how I can be a better leader and better champion after moving from a sourcer to a sourcing leader.