This chapter discusses the changes in the workforce and the importance of constantly thinking about changing staffing needs in the field of human resources. It highlights the process of assessing changes to a role, identifying skills gaps, and developing an ideal candidate profile.
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Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the first in a two-part series on recruiting. In this lesson, we’ll focus on identifying your recruiting needs.
The world of human resources has changed dramatically over the past few years. There is more movement in the workforce than ever before, with many people retiring, starting new careers, switching jobs, and reevaluating their priorities. And this kind of movement isn’t likely to stop. The latest generation to enter the workplace have very different values than their parents, and it feels like the days of employee loyalty are officially over.
So how can individual companies deal with these shifts? Well, many HR professionals will tell you that you need to “always be recruiting.” This approach involves a change in mindset for many businesses. It’s about constantly thinking about your changing staffing needs, adapting your systems and approaches when necessary, and strong networking.
A big part of smart recruiting involves identifying your changing needs. When you sit down to look at a role, you might start with an overall description. But then you need to assess changes to the role and compare new needs against former role descriptions. As you build a new job description, you should also ask whether there are skills gaps on the team. And you should develop a general picture of your ideal candidate.
In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a conversation between Josh, Steph, and Maya. Josh is a marketing manager looking to hire a new brand manager. Steph is an HR manager, and Maya is in charge of recruitment. Together they’re working out how the brand manager role should look.
Listening Questions
1. What kinds of changes to the role does Josh describe?
2. What specific skills does the team lack that can be a part of the changing brand manager role?
3. How does Maya describe the ideal candidate for the position?
