Recruiting is a Strategic Discovery Process in Business and at Work

A nonprofit near and dear to my heart has experienced some retirements recently. Rather than immediately posting the open jobs, the Executive Director issued this message to all of us:

We are taking a good look at the staffing structure for (our organization).  We’re talking with everyone, looking at the strategic plan, considering where we hope to be in the future, and will fill positions with all of that in mind.  So, stay tuned on more to come.

In the meantime, we hope you will have patience with us as we redefine our internal procedures to manage the day-to-day work with a smaller staff.

The Executive Director’s message struck me as a wise and strategic tap of the recruiting brakes, e.g., supportive of the “hire slowly” philosophy. This wonderful nonprofit suffered financial challenges during the Great Recession, and has admirably bounced back financially (and otherwise) over the past few years, rebuilding both its robust programs and talented staff.

To take a step back and confirm how staffing best meets / exceeds the strategic plan and goals of the organization is a definitive best practice.  It has become a standard check-in as part of my client work, especially when a client is creating a new position and/or hiring a specific skill set for the first time.

How is recruiting top talent a strategic discovery process in your organization (including but not limited to ensuring that you have at least a one-page strategic plan in place), in business and at work?

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