airs recruiter comp model

2009

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

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Notices

The AIRS: Recruiting Competency Model™

Copyright ©2004 AIRS.

All Rights ReservedThis publication is protected by copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted by any means or in any form without prior consent in writing from the AIRS.

Principal Author: David C. FormanPresident Sage Learning SystemsChair, HCI Educational Board

AcknowledgmentsThe following people provided instrumental assistance in the development of the AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

Jeremy Eskansi Mike FosterRiviera Advisors Human Capital Institute

Marc Hutto Christian FormanWachovia Corporation AIRS

Danielle Monaghan Tracey McGinnisT-Mobile USA, Inc AIRS

Rob McIntosh Sharon CookMicrosoft Corporation AIRS

Donna McKennaPfizer, Inc.

Maryclaire RyanAbbott Laboratories

Ed Sayson Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Historical Approaches to Recruiting Recruiters . . . . . . . . . . 3Job Competencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Examples of Competency Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Successful Recruiters: Views and Perspectives . . . . . . . . 10

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Purpose and Uses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Recruiting Competencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Future Visions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Core Recruiting Skills Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Performance Traits Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Executive Search and Partnership Indicators. . . . . . . . 27

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 1

Introduction

There is virtually universal agreement

that today's economy is driven by the

talent and intangible capital of

organizations. The competitive strength

of companies and even countries is not

tied to physical resources but to the

knowledge and skills of its people.

Talent is the fuel for the global economy.

It is now clear, for example, that 80% of

a company's market value is not

determined by buildings, cash or

equipment but by its

people.

Recruiters are not only part of an

organization's human capital; they can

propagate and extend its influence. A

great recruiter can find, attract and enlist

tens if not hundreds of people who bring

new ideas, skills and networks to the

enterprise. These new entrants become

the lifeblood of the organization and the

source of its future competitive strength.

If this flow of talent slows or is reduced

in quality, the organization can be

impaired for years.

Most CEOs understand very clearly the

relationship between talent and the

performance of the company. It is a

major concern for them as more than ¾

of CEOs doubt that their companies can

attract top talent. Because of the

criticality of bringing new talent into the

enterprise, top executives often get

directly involved themselves, and not

just for "C" level positions. Bill Gates,

for example, accompanied the Microsoft

team to interview prospective software

engineers at leading universities such as

Canada's Waterloo University.

Recruiters can have an additive impact

on the new global enterprise. Their

value can go far beyond their own

individual position, salary and

performance. It extends to the impact of

the people they have ushered into the

enterprise. This new role and

importance is yet to be understood by

many who cling to past, unflattering

perceptions of both recruiters and the

recruiting profession. It is not an easy

conversion to now regard recruiting as

being mission -critical and strategically

vital. It requires new ways of thinking

and acting, both within the organization

and for recruiters themselves.

This AIRS White Paper on Recruiting

Competencies is divided into four parts.

The first part briefly examines different

approaches to hiring recruiters over the

years, and the use of competencies as

indicators of performance. Part II

presents examples of competency

models in business and industry. This

treatment is valuable because it shows

how others have addressed the issues

that currently face the recruiting

profession. The third part presents

thoughts and perspectives on successful

recruiters by three industry experts, and

this discussion serves as a foundation for

Part IV which is the AIRS Recruiting

Competency Model. This model is based

on interviews and surveys of leading

experts and practitioners, and it forms

the basis for the AIRS Recruiting

Assessment tools and systems.

2 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

Part I: Historical Approaches toRecruiting Recruiters

Excellent recruiters find, attract and

assist in hiring great talent; mediocre

recruiters lack the judgment, knowledge

and skills to achieve the same results on

a consistent basis. It becomes vital then

to be able to distinguish between

excellent and poor recruiting

performance, and to select and develop

recruiters to these standards. If not, the

organization's talent level is left to

chance and will likely whither.

Recruiting is culture, nationality and

time bound. Because the essence of

recruiting includes finding and hiring

candidates who will be successful in

their jobs, it is important to recognize

that "success" can have different

meanings across cultures. The attributes

to be successful in an individualistic

culture, for example, are different than

those optimized for a collective culture.

Similarly, there are many differences

among national rules and regulations,

particularly related to the amount and

privacy of data collected and displayed

(SHRM, 2003).

The time dimension is very apparent just

from the last half a dozen years. The

supply and demand of jobs and skill are

two factors which impact what

recruiters need to do to be successful

and where the talent resides. Sourcing

candidates, for example, can be very

different when there is a surplus as

opposed to scarcity of available labor.

The use of technology is another factor

that is time-dependent. A decade ago

the face of recruiting was quite different

than it is today.

The current challenge is to hire excellent

recruiters for North American

organizations in the years 2004-5. There

are several different ways to approach

this task. The first is to believe that

excellent recruiters are born not made;

and because they use many different

approaches to achieve results, it is

virtually impossible to predict who will

be successful beforehand. While it is

certainly true that there are many ways

a recruiter can be successful, this

approach ignores the progress that has

been made in scientific selection systems

over the years.

This is termed the laissez faire approach

because it wasn't particularly earnest or

systematic. Hiring decisions were

usually made on the basis of a loosely-

structured interview that focused on

several skills and attitudes that seemed

relevant at the time (Wheeler, 2003).

This approach significantly narrowed

the candidate pool, often discriminated

against candidates not fitting the

manager's private sense of reality, and

also is expensive and wasteful to

operationalize. It essentially leads to

hiring a bunch of recruiters and "seeing

who works out."

The next iteration of recruiting hiring

practices was more structured, less

casual, and anchored in job descriptions


and requirement statements. Jobs were

often categorized in terms of formal

education and experience required, and

the resume became the ticket for entry.

These factors were easy to measure and

verify, and because of their objectivity,

they helped to reduce or eliminate

screening based on sex and race. While

this pre-requisite approach was an

important step, it had its own share of

disadvantages.

We have learned over the past 40 years

that people who qualify for jobs based

on their education or experiences alone

are not necessarily good performers.

We now know that simply selecting

people by generic measures such as

education and experience don't work

very well and discriminate against

those with the real skills who do not

have the required credentials.

Kevin Wheeler 2003

Selection decisions in this case were

made on the basis of what was objective

and easy to measure, not what was more

predictive of successful performance. In

addition, resumes have become less than

accurate representations of experience,

calling into question one of their few

advantages.

Given the weaknesses of these two

approaches, the next step was to begin to

base recruiter hiring decisions on

selection criteria more directly related to

actual job performance. As we have

seen, proxy indicators such as education

level are not effective. Instead measures

of, for example, market knowledge and

technology proficiency must be

developed so that data could be

gathered and analyzed. It did not matter

what potential recruiters said they could

do, it mattered what they could actually

do. There were two requirements that

needed to be in place before this

performance-based approach was

workable.

The first requirement is that the job of

recruiting must be more carefully

understood and analyzed. Job analyses

must be performed and validated. At

one level, this seems like an obvious and

simple task. Everyone knows the basic

activities of recruiting! It is probably

true that most people in the field can

agree on a list of recruiting tasks and

activities; but the debate begins when

these tasks need to be prioritized. The

debate increases in intensity when

people are asked to differentiate between

excellent and substandard recruiters in

terms of behaviors, motivation and

knowledge, both now and in the future.

These answers are not always obvious,

intuitive or easily obtained.

The second requirement for more

performance-based selection is the use of

multiple measures in the selection

process. Each measure or way to gather

information about a prospective hire has

its own strengths and weaknesses. One-

on-one interviewing, for example, can

provide more time for in-depth

discussions and be a more casual and

comfortable environment for exchanges.

But criteria among various interviewers


can vary, and this type of interviewing

can favor candidates with strong

language fluency. It is vital, therefore, to

make sound and reliable selection and

hiring decisions based on input from

various sources, including:

• Review of previous experience and

skills

• Standardized measures

• Self assessments

• Simulations

• Work samples

• One-on-one interviewing

• Panel interviewing

• Reference checking

Performance-based selection methods

can be used when a coherent and valid

job model is established and then

multiple measures are used to gather

data on each aspect of the model. The

job model then becomes the basis for the

questions to be asked and the data to be

gathered on prospective candidates.

Job Competencies

A job analysis details the tasks and

activities that comprise a job. A

competency analysis is similar but it

identifies behaviors, motivations and

knowledge of successful and

unsuccessful job incumbents.

Competencies are typically more useful

because instead of just lists of tasks, they

identify behaviors that indicate success

at tasks. Competency frameworks are

also typically more manageable because

they can focus on selected key behaviors

that cut across multiple tasks.

Boyzatis (1982) was one of the early

proponents of using competencies to

profile performance. He defines them as

having attributes of knowledge, skills,

attitudes, values, traits, motives and

social role. Others have preferred to use

KSA or knowledge, skills and abilities to

define competency. In both of these

definitions, there is room for subjectivity

around such terms as traits, abilities,

motives and social role. Byham and

Moyer (1996) at Development

Dimensions International (DDI) use the

terms behaviors, motivation and

knowledge to describe competencies.

This definition is useful because it

emphasizes observable and describable

job behaviors.

Competency models help to develop a

common language and set of

expectations within the organization.

This common language not only

facilitates communication but

organizational performance as well.

Competency models are versatile tools

that can have many organizational roles.

While the AIRS Recruiting Competency

Model is to be used primarily as one tool

to help select and hire excellent

recruiters for the organization, there are

other valuable uses, including (SHRM,

2003):

• Recruitment

• Development

• Performance Feedback

• Staff Planning

There are several distinctions related to

competencies that are worth discussing.

The first is the difference between core


and specific job competencies. Core

competencies are those apply across

several jobs, roles or even the entire

organization while specific competencies

provide greater detail in a targeted area.

The advantage of core competencies is

that they can enable an organization to

reinforce its strategy and vision with all

employees or a profession to highlight

its most important values. Many

contemporary competency models

include both core and specific

competencies.

The second distinction is between the

behavioral and clinical or psychological

approach to measuring and defining

competencies. The behavioral approach

concentrates on job relevant behavior,

motivation and knowledge. The clinical

approach focuses on underlying

characteristics that are independent of

any connection to the job. The clinical

approach often deals with traits and

personality factors (Byham and Moyer,

1996). Both approaches have value, but

for our purposes the AIRS Competency

Model will use the behavioral approach

because it is more practical, easier to

define and has stronger value for

business applications.

The third distinction pertains to how

competencies are derived. Competencies

can be research or strategies based. The

primary distinction is if competencies

are derived from observing and

surveying employees or from logical

extensions of a company's strategy and

values. Both approaches are valid and

useful based on circumstances. For

example, if the focus is on future as

opposed to current competencies; then a

strategies-based approach is

recommended, primarily because it is

difficult to gather data on competencies

that do yet exist. Even with a strategies

based approach, however, it is important

to validate the competency model once

data are accessible and can be gathered

The fourth distinction is simply to

acknowledge that competency models

vary in terms of precision, complexity,

breath and stability. There must be a

delicate balance between too much and

not enough detail. A general listing of

six to eight competencies is probably not

discrete enough, but a competency

dictionary of hundreds if not thousands

of behaviors is too overpowering to

implement. Stability is a key concern

with rapid changes in jobs,

responsibilities and even professions.

Overly specific competencies can limit

responsiveness, agility and the ability to

quickly change based on new market

conditions.


Part II:Examples ofCompetency Models inBusiness

Competency models have been

developed for many different types of

jobs, roles and even professions. It is

worthwhile to review several of these

models to understand their structure,

level of specificity and approach. The

models that will be reviewed are:

• Competency Model for the New

HR. The Society for Human

Resource Management (SHRM),

the University of Michigan

Business School and the Global

Consulting Alliance developed this

model based on recent changes in

business and in the HR profession.

• Global Leadership Skills.

Gundling (2003) has identified 12

critical skills/competencies for

doing business internationally in

today's global economy. These

skills are grouped into three main

categories.

• Sales Competencies for the 21st

Century. MOHR is a training and

consulting company that has

worked with high-performance

sales organizations for 20 years.

Several years ago, MOHR

observed that successful sales

executives were using different

skills and spending their time

doing more than simply

traditional sales skills.

• Executive Competencies.

Development Dimensions

International (DDI) has been

developing competency-based HR

systems for over three decades.

Their methodologies and findings

have been subject to extensive

validity research. The executive

competencies listed are part of an

executive development program

designed by DDI.

The five categories of new HR

competencies cover a wide range of

activities. This study not only looked at

individual competencies, but also at the

difference between HR professionals in

high and low performing organizations.

High-performing companies, for

example, have HR professionals

involved in strategic business decisions.

The five categories of competencies are

not equal in importance. Strategic

contribution accounts for twice as much

HR impact as any other category. The

single highest impact HR practice is

culture management, and there is a

growing value placed on HR

professional's ability to strategically

connect the firm with its external

environment. In the past HR has been

internally focused; this is no longer the

case for high-performing organizations.

The data from this study also indicate

that the competencies in which HR

professionals are strong do not serve to

distinguish HR professionals in the high

performing companies from those in low

performing ones. The competencies that


do differentiate organizations are the

following:

• Knowledge of the external

environment

• Staffing

• Organizational design

• Culture management

• Setting the direction of change

• Contributing to business decisions

Staffing is a key value adding area that

directly pertains to recruiting.

Great organizations focus on the

consequential few, not the

inconsequential many.

HR Competency Categories Description

Strategic contribution High performing companies have HR professionals

involved in the business at a strategic level. These

HR professionals manage culture, facilitate "fast

change," are involved in strategic decision making

and create "market-driven connectivity."

Personal credibility HR professionals must be credible to both their HR

colleagues and line mangers that they serve. They

need to develop effective internal and external

relationships, have a reliable track record and

strong communication skills.

HR delivery HR professionals must provide excellent results in

four major operational areas: staffing,

development, organizational structure and

performance management.

Business knowledge Superior performers understand the business of the

company, its integrated value chain, and how the

firm creates wealth.

HR technology HR technology HR professionals need to be able to

leverage technology for HR practices and use e-HR

channels to deliver value to their customers.

Figure 1: 2002 Human Resource Competency StudyUniversity of Michigan, SHRM and Global Consulting Alliance


Global Leadership Categories Global Leadership Skills

Interpersonal Establishing credibility

Giving and receiving feedback

Obtaining information

Evaluating people

Group Building global teamwork

Training and development

Selling

Negotiating

Organizational Strategic planning

Transferring knowledge

Innovating

Managing change

Figure 2: Global Leadership SkillsGundling, 2003

Gundling (2003) identifies three groups

of skills/competencies. He makes no

distinction between the two terms

because of his practical, "how to"

approach. He acknowledges that there

are core values that underlie the 12

people skills, but these values (e.g.,

empathy, trust, respect) are difficult to

measure and implement. It is best to

focus on more practical skills. He sees a

loose hierarchical relationship among the

skills: proficiency at the interpersonal

level enables one to function better in

groups, which in turn can lead to

organizational success. Many empirical

competency models are based on

independent factors that are not related

in an hierarchical or sequential

relationship.

One great programmer is worth

1000 good ones.

Bill Gates

Microsoft


The MOHR study of sales competencies

(1997) is interesting because it includes

both emerging and traditional sales

competencies. Often, competency

studies focus on one or the other

orientations but not both. It also

recognizes that while some accounts call

for a more consultative and strategic

approach, others can be serviced and

closed with more conventional tactical

skills. In rating these competencies with

customers, MOHR found with one

exception that emerging competencies

were rated as more important but less

frequently done than traditional

competencies. A positive statistically

significant relationship has also been

demonstrated between top performers

and their use of the emerging sales

competencies.

It is what you learn after you know it

all that counts

John Wooden

UCLA Basketball

Emerging Sales Competencies Description

Aligning customer/supplier strategic

objectives

Building and executing strategic account

penetration plans

Listening beyond product needs Cultivating basic selling skills

Understanding the financial impact of

decisions

Orchestrating organizational resources

Consultative problem solving

Establishing a vision of a committed

customer/supplier relationship

Engaging in self appraisal and

continuous learning

Figure 3: Sales Competencies for the 21st CenturyMOHR, 1997


Sample Executive Competencies Developmental Need

Visionary leadership 59%

Building business partnerships 47%

Communication/presentation skills 0%

Coaching 71%

Delegation 47%

Establishing strategic direction 29%

Marketing and entrepreneurial insight 18%

Operational decision making 12%

Managing the job 12%

Valuing diversity 0%

The DDI executive competency project

not only lists the competency areas but

also provides data on those

competencies in need of greater

development and training. As

mentioned earlier, competency models

can be used for many purposes

including both selection and

development. In this particular case,

development energies need to be

devoted to visionary leadership,

building business partnerships, coaching

and delegation. The data that have been

gathered are valuable in helping to

prioritize the amount of time and

resources needed to further develop key

executive competencies.

Figure 4: Sample Executive CompetenciesDevelopment Dimensions International (DDI) 1996


Part III: SuccessfulRecruiters-Views andPerspectives

The recruiting literature includes many

discussions of what it takes to be a

successful recruiter. Some of these

discussions are empirically derived

while others are based on expert opinion

and experience. These perspectives are

useful in providing more background

and foundation for the AIRS Recruiting

Competency Model. The three

perspectives that will be presented are

those of industry experts Wendell

Williams, Lou Adler and Kevin Wheeler.

Williams (2004) begins by identifying

four general responsibilities of

recruiters. There are: 1) identifying job

requirements, 2) finding candidates, 3)

assessing candidate skills and 4)

"selling" the organization. He then

makes the distinction between a reactive

and a strategic recruiter across these

four areas of responsibility.

The competencies of a strategic recruiter

are very different than those recruiters

who wait for job requisitions and do not

take responsibility for the quality of the

hire. Management does not value

reactive recruiters and consequently this

role is a candidate for being outsourced.

Among the primary competencies for

reactive recruiters are oral

communication, planning and

organizing, extraversion and teamwork.

Strategic recruiters look at the bigger

picture, are viewed as "people experts"

because they are comfortable performing

job analyses, developing competencies

and not wasting the time of hiring

managers. These recruiters are

comfortable using different measures to

determine if a candidate is qualified, and

they make the right job match 90% of

the time, as opposed to 50% for reactive

recruiters. Among key additional

competencies for the strategic recruiter

are analysis, problem solving, technical

knowledge, persuasion and ability to

learn.

Williams then develops a checklist to

distinguish between a strategic and

reactive recruiter. Excerpts from this

checklist are included in the following

table.


Adler (2004) takes a somewhat different

perspective by identifying what needs to

occur to make recruiting a more

systematic business process. He

contends that too much time and

opportunity are lost because recruiting

activities are ill-defined and poorly

controlled. He identifies five core

processes that must be significantly

enhanced.

• A dramatic improvement in the

types and methods used to source

top talent

• A radical upgrade in the

performance and efficiency of IT

systems supporting the recruiting

process

• Significantly increase every

recruiter's ability to work with,

coach and influence hiring

managers

• Move from a reactive to a

proactive mindset at every process

step

• Profoundly increase each

recruiter's ability to recruit top

talent

Strategic Recruiter Reactive Recruiter

Organizes job titles into a workable number

of job families

Looks primarily at job titles

Works from competency lists for each

family

Works from job descriptions and old job

requirements

May not be an expert but knows the

Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection

and the Standards for Educational and

Psychological Testing

Never heard of them

Converts changing business strategy into

job competencies

Waits for job requisitions

Knows what competencies can and cannot

be measured

Makes up competencies that cannot be

measured

Uses only situational or behavioral interview

technology

Uses a few favorite interview questions

Takes full responsibility for sending hiring

managers fully qualified candidates

Tries to get managers to do more in the

hiring process

Never ceases recruiting even though there

are no open positions

Recruits only when there are job openings

Conducts formal studies to determine the

predictive ability of each hiring

Takes vendor claims at face value

Uses multiple hiring tools depending on the

competency and required accuracy

Relies primarily on interviews

Figure 5: Strategic and Reactive RecruitersWilliams 2004


He then proceeds to focus in on great

one-on-one recruiting skills that will be

needed to support these process

changes. He refers to these as core

competencies.

Wheeler (2002) looks at the recruiting

profession through an historical lens. He

believes the skills that once defined a

successful recruiter are now detrimental

to success in this new era. He identifies

five distinct areas that are now vital to

success.

You can hear a lot by really listening.

Yogi Berra

Core One-on-One Recruiting Competencies Description

Listening skills Great recruiting is about engaging with top

people, understanding what motivates them

to excel, and then presenting the right

opportunities.

Persuasion Recruiters must be able to convince top

people to consider their openings above all

others.

Counseling The best recruiters are career counselors

Persistence Things always go wrong. The best

recruiters must be able to forge ahead

despite negativity and conflict.

Risk-taking Getting names, pushing the envelope, and

trying new things are part of the job.

Savvy Be street smart, have lots of common

sense, have a lot of ingenuity and be quick

on your feet.

Great phone skills Using verbal skills alone, recruiters must be

able to present the most compelling case.

Networking ability Recruiters must be able to generate a

stream of great names from everyone they

meet.

Figure 6: One-on-One Recruiting CompetenciesAdler 2004


• The ability to build relationships.

The most important new skill is

the ability to find great people and

build relationships with them.

This is what great executive search

gurus do, it is now necessary for

all recruiters to do. The

relationships need to be both

within and external to the

organization so that the widest

possible set of resources can be

utilized.

• Knowledge of the market.

Recruiters must know the job

market, supply of talent and

competitive positioning for local,

national and even global

resources. They must be aware of

new sources of talent that become

available, and be able to forecast

likely change in the future. This

market knowledge not only is

valuable to hiring managers but

enables recruiters to concentrate

time in highest value areas.

• An understanding of technology.

This is no longer an option;

technology already dominates

recruiting. If recruiters are not

technically agile and informed,

they cannot be successful.

• The ability to demonstrate their

own value. Recruiters need to

become better business people.

They need to put together business

cases for solutions they suggest,

programs they want to initiate or

systems they want to buy. They

need to define a core set of metrics

that demonstrate how they have

added value, raised quality,

improved profits or saved time.

• The ability to sell. Recruiters

need to be good at selling

candidates and hiring managers.

They need to offer solutions, work

out compromises, negotiate and, in

the end, make the hire happen.

These three perspectives are all useful.

There are similarities and differences

among the three viewpoints. Moving

away from reactive recruiting, using

technology and focusing on top talent

are common themes. Some of the

differences reflect the backgrounds and

expertise of the authors. Williams is a

world-class expert in scientific selection

systems so his guidance often relates to

the more technical aspects of data

gathering and testing while Adler's more

detailed listing of competencies reflects a

more tactical approach as exemplified in

his book Hire with Your Head. Wheeler

strikes an effective balance between both

forward-thinking and practical advice to

recruiters.

In April 2004, Sullivan (2004) added to

these perspectives by detailing a list of

31 different activities or things that

successful recruiters do. This list is

based on Sullivan's extensive career in

research, writing and time as the Chief

Talent Officer at Agilent Technologies.

He categorizes his 31 observations into

the following categories.

1. Great recruiters make data-driven

decisions (four factors)

2. Great recruiters utilize market

research (five factors)


3. Great recruiters get managers

more involved (three factors)

4. Great recruiters complete a

competitive analysis (two factors)

5. Great recruiters use leading-edge

sourcing tactics (eight factors)

6. Great recruiters learn quickly (two

factors)

7. Great recruiters make use of

technology (four factors)

8. Other practices (three factors)

These valuable insights run the gamut

from advocating customer satisfaction

and rejection surveys to viewing

retention as part of the recruiter's job.

Sullivan comments that many people

enter recruiting as a stepping stone to

other HR or OD jobs and consequently

they never strive to become experts at,

what for them, is a transitory job.

It is clear that as useful as all of these

perspectives are, they do not form a

comprehensive picture of the recruiting

profession and they are not stated in the

detail necessary for being able to hire

excellent recruiters. They provide

guidance and direction, but not the

necessary focus and specificity. It is to

these tasks that we now turn.

Part IV: The AIRSRecruiting CompetencyModel

During the Winter and Spring of 2004, a

dozen in-depth interviews were

conducted with industry-leading experts

and practitioners in recruiting and hiring

practices. These interviews focused on

the substantive differences between

excellent and mediocre recruiters, and

on how the recruiting profession is

changing. The results of these

interviews were synthesized and then

reviewed for logic, consistency, accuracy

and realism.

Once the high level competency

groupings were identified, a series of

performance indicators were developed.

These indicators demonstrate how each

competency is evidenced in the

workplace. These indicators were

reviewed for accuracy, realism and

logical relationship to the competency.

In addition, reviewers were asked to

rank the top three indicators for each

competency in terms of importance and

proficiency. These data will be used not

just to sharpen the competency model,

but also to assist in the preparation of

assessment items based on the

competency model.

The next step in the development and

review of the AIRS Recruiting

Competency Model is the nation-wide

broadcast of the model to an audience of

recruiters and HR professionals. Several


hundred people will be participating

and feedback will be solicited on the

high level competencies and most

significant indicators.

Purpose and Uses


provides a common language on

recruiting and hiring practices within a

consistent framework. This shared

vocabulary is important because it helps

to insure that everyone is working from

the same foundations and

understandings. This common

viewpoint is particularly meaningful

when discussing issues related to

performance and success.


can be used for several different but

complimentary purposes. These

purposes are:

• Job analysis - Consistent views

and comparisons of one recruiting

job to another. Clarity of desired

behaviors.

• Recruitment - Common language

for describing open positions.

Clarity of expectations for open

positions. Vehicle for gaining

consensus from hiring manager.

• Selection - Consistent basis for

evaluating candidates. Vehicle for

discussing strengths and

weaknesses of candidates.

Common basis for interview

protocols and other selection tool

usage.

• Performance feedback - Common

language between manager and

employee on expected results.

Consistent criteria across different

performance appraisal periods.

• Learning and development -

Clarity of desired behaviors.

Consistent linkage between

development and training

programs and desired behaviors.

Concrete descriptions of career

development plans.

• Staff planning - Consistent

framework to describe future

requirements. Common data and

requirements can be gathered

across business units. Standard

language for staffing metrics.

Common linkage between

replacement and succession

planning

Recruiting Competencies

Three high-level groupings of

competencies emerged from the

interview data and review comments.

These groupings, in turn, support 16

different competencies. Competencies,

as discussed earlier, can include

knowledge, skills, abilities, and other

personal factors. The three high level

recruiting competency groups are Core

Recruiting Skills, Performance Traits and

Executive Search and Partnership

Competencies.

Core Recruiting Skills have defined

recruiting for many years. They

commence when a job requisition lands


on the recruiter’s desk and conclude

when a candidate is hired. These skills

pertain whether the recruiter resides

within a corporation or an agency. They

are heavily influenced by persuasion,

communication, negotiation and sales

skills. Technology is now central and

essential for these skills. Core Recruiting

Skills are described in the following

figure.

The Next “Killer Application” in

recruiting is the recruitter.

Mike Foster

HCI

Competency * Description

Profile and Plan Build successful candidate profiles, clarify required job skills and

competencies and use the best sourcing strategies and

techniques for each job category.

Source and Contact Can attract and find the right candidates for each job, use each

sourcing technique effectively and establish rapport with

potential candidates.

Assess Is able to use and interpret various assessment methods in order

to make the most valid and reliable decisions about a

candidate's fit to the company, team and job.

Present and Close Presents strengths and weaknesses of leading candidates,

overcomes objections in the hiring process, sells the opportunity

and negotiates final agreement.

Figure 7: Core Recruiting Skills

* Specific indicators for Core Recruiting Skills as well as for the other recruiting competencies

are included in the Appendix.


The second high-level grouping of

competencies is Performance Traits.

These are personal qualities exhibited on

the job that separate excellent from

substandard recruiters. These types of

traits exist in any profession and

recruiting is no exception. Successful

people not only have excellent skills but

an attitude and approach that make

them successful. These Performance

Traits are:

The combination of Core Recruiting

Skills and Performance Traits

characterize successful recruiters. But

the key to ongoing, continuous success

in an increasingly sophisticated and

complex environment is the third high-

level grouping of competencies:


Competencies. As the name implies,

these capabilities were once only the

Southwest Airlines hires for

attitude and personal

competencies and trains for

knowledge and skills.

province of the most successful

executive recruiters but now are more

universally required. Standards have

been raised; and traditional, tactical

recruiting skills are no longer enough.

Recruiters are now expected to have

market, business, consulting and

partnership abilities in addition to core

recruiting skills. These new

competencies are:

Competency Description

Drive for Results Is dedicated to achieving the best results, perseveres and uses

metrics to analyze own performance.

Inquisitiveness Wants to know more and understand the reasons for a problem

or issue, asks intelligent questions and looks for better ways to

accomplish tasks.

Sales and Service

Orientation

Commits to quality conversations, responds quickly to

questions, goes the extra step to please clients and candidates.

Relationship Builder Takes a genuine interest in people, listens well, enjoys linking

people up to opportunities.

Flexibility Adjusts easily to change, learns quickly, and understands how

internal and external factors impact decisions.

Passion Ardently believes in the value great recruiting brings to the

organization, enjoys helping people achieve their goals, is

committed to integrity and the ethics of the profession.

Figure 8: Performance Traits



is depicted in the following visual. Each

of the three high-level groupings is

shown, along with their specific

individual competencies.

Competency Description

Market Intelligence Knows the external factors that impact the supply of top talent,

understands the competitive position of the company and has

knowledge of salary levels, supply and candidate requirements

for different job categories.

Business Savvy Understands the company's value proposition and strategy,

distinguishes among opinions, activity and results measures,

and constructs solid business cases to support positions.

Organizational

Management

Gains respect from the hiring manager, knows the formal and

informal sources of company influence, sets expectations for the

hiring process, and follows through on organizational

commitments.

Candidate Management Gains respect from candidates, understands the motivations and

interests of candidates, responds quickly to questions and is

able to work with many candidates at once.

Network Building Views every meeting as a network opportunity, uses technology

to systematize candidate information, and provides regular, high-

value communication to network members.

Figure 9: Executive Search and Partnership Competencies

Figure 10: The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

Assess

Drive for ResultsInquisitivenessSales and Service OrientationRelationship BuilderFlexibilityPassion

Market IntelligenceBusiness SavvyOrganizational Management Candidate Management Network Building

CoreRecruiting

Skills

PerformanceTraits

Executive Search andPartnership Competencies

AssessProfile and Plan

Source and ContactPresent and Close


The various parts of the model work

together to provide a view of trends in

the field of recruiting. Reactive

recruiters can still be effective if they

excel in Core Recruiting Skills. But

when the market demands a more

proactive approach, the value of

Performance Traits and the Executive

Search and Partnership Competencies

becomes more central. Similarly, as

recruiters move along a continuum from

supporting to participating to leading

the acquisition of top talent new sets of

skills are required.

Future Visions

Competency Models are anchored in

time. Five years ago or five years from

now the competencies for recruiters will

look different. This is why it is

important to continue to monitor labor,

market, technology, economic and

business practices. For example, the

current emphasis on human capital and

talent management is having a major

impact on the present and future role of

recruiters. Many recruiters are now

The ability to make good decisions on

people represents one of the last reliable

sources of competitive advantage, since

very few organizations are very good at

it.

Peter Drucker

concerned about subsequent candidate

job performance and retention, and not

just the initial hire. Their horizons now

include the full talent management

lifecycle.

The emphasis on talent has also brought

into clear focus the consequential role of

game-changing talent within the

enterprise. For years companies have

talked about the value of their people,

but all too often their actions still view

Reactive Proactive Mindset

Requisition-Based Solution-Based Hiring

Supporting Participating Leading Roles

CoreRecruiting

Skills

ExecutiveSearch andPartnership

Competencies

PerformanceTraits

Figure 11: Role of AIRS Competency Groupings


people as labor, a cost and

interchangeable resources. Foster (2004)

has segmented the new human capital

market as follows.

The game changers are not simply

people with the highest title in the

organization. They relate to the strategic

job categories (Kaplan and Norton, 2004)

and include: the CE0, top executives

and their successors, sales leaders and

product innovators. Critical hires are

employees with excellent skills in

building, selling and delivering products

and services and who add value to their

primary interactions with customers.

Team organizational strength is

comprised of back and front office

employees who work hard and deliver

as promised.

It is then useful to array recruiting

approaches-both past and future-to

support this human capital model.

In the past, companies relied on

executive search and contingent

recruiters to acquire their best talent.

Now, this ability needs to come inside

the organization because it is so vital to a

company’s ultimate success.

The most important thing that we

have learned is that there is a

tremendous need to grow talent and

maintain a strong pipeline of talent.

That's a real critical success factor for

us.

Michael Dell

USA Today. April 5, 2004

Executiveand

Senior Leaders

Multi-Skilled and Hard to Find

Professionals

Single-Skilled Employeesin Commodity Jobs

GameChangers

Critical Hires

Team Strength

Figure 12: Types of Talent and Their Role in the Organization


It is not easy for recruiters to make the

shift from the bottom of the pyramid to

the middle and then the top. But this is

precisely where they can bring the

greatest value to the organization. To do

this, however, they must earn the right

to be responsible for the critical assets of

the company-its best people. The AIRS


competencies define the way to gain the

respect of both hiring managers and the

best candidates.

Conclusion

Recruiting is moving from a practice to a

profession. This transition is not

complete but the signs are unmistakable.

Other professions are more closely

regulated, monitored and measured, but

recruiting has its own technologies,

methods, designations and now a set of

competencies for excellence in

recruiting. Recruiting is also finding a

home within the themes of human

capital and talent management.

Recruiters are now seen as having an

additive impact on the organization,

advancing far beyond their own

desktops.


is a further sign of the emergence of the

recruiting profession. Now, there is a

standard vocabulary and language that

can be used in analyzing jobs, selecting

candidates, developing recruiting talent

and planning for succession. These

competencies are not immutable and

need to be reviewed and revisited as

market conditions and technology

change. There may also be other ways to

present these competencies and skills as

this model is used and applied in

professional contexts. AIRS welcomes

such adjustments and improvements.

GameChangers

Critical Hires

Team Strength

Executive Search

Contingent Recruiters

Ads and Job Boards

Insource and Specialized Consultants

Insource

Contract or Outsource

Figure 13: Past and Future Recruiting Approaches for Human Capital


References

Adler, L “Become famous! Make hiring toptalent a systematic business process.”Electronic Recruiting Exchange. January

16th, 2004

Adler, L. “A look back at 2004 from a CEOperspective.” Electronic RecruitingExchange. January, 9, 2004.

Boyatzis, R. The Competent Manager: AModel of Effective Performance. New York,NY: John Wiley, 1982

Byham, W., and Moyer, P. “Usingcompetencies to build a successfulorganization.” Development DimensionsInternational. Pittsburg, PA: 1996

Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.Uniform Guidelines on Employee SelectionProcedures. 1978

Foster, M. “A Supply Chain of the Best andBrightest”. AIRS, 2004

Gundling, E. Working GlobeSmart. PaloAlto: CA: Davies-Black Publishing, 2003

Kaplan, R and Norton D. “Measuring theStrategic Readiness of Intangible Assets.”Harvard Business Review. February, 2004

MOHR. Sales Competencies for the 21st

Century. Ridgefield, CT. 1997

SHRM. SHRM Global Learning System.Alexandria, VA: Society for Human ResourceManagement, 2003.

Sullivan, J. “31 things that set greatrecruiters apart from the average.”Electronic Recruiting Exchange. April 5,2004.

University of Michigan. “The New HRAgenda: 2002 Human ResourceCompetency Study Executive Summary.”May 2003

Wheeler, K. “The year of great change isdawning: some end of year thoughts.”Electronic Recruiting Exchange. December17, 2003.

Wheeler, K. “Too fast to fathom.” ElectronicRecruiting Exchange. November 26, 2003.

Wheeler, K. “What’s a recruiter anyway? fivecritical skills for success.” ElectronicRecruiting Exchange. July 3, 2002.Williams, W. “Are you hiring a reactive orstrategic recruiter?” Electronic RecruitingExchange. March 7, 2002.

Williams, W. “Test your recruitingknowledge.” Electronic Recruiting Exchange.September 30, 1999.


Appendix

Core Recruiting Skills Indicators

Profile & Plan

Understands how to build a candidate profile that can drive an efficient sourcing program

Asks questions of hiring managers to clarify ambiguous job requisitions

Asks questions of hiring managers to unearth hidden success factors and skills for each requisitions

Is able to determine the best sourcing method for different candidates

Can develop a diversity recruiting plan to meet corporate objectives

Has ability to develop a sourcing plan that maximizes sourcing dollars and reduce time to hire

Source and Contact

Develops effective ads and job postings

Recognizes the difference between excellent and poor job postings

Knows how to research and find other productive sources for different job categories

Finds active candidates

Finds passive candidates

Finds passive candidate resumes on the deep web

Finds people linked to companies, colleges and organizations

Uses employee referrals to find candidates

Uses personal network to find candidates

Knows the best sources for diversity candidates

Evaluates the effectiveness of different sources of candidates for completed searches

Understands how to use email and the phone for candidate contact

Knows how to quickly build rapport on the phone

Lacks fear of cold calling

Clear written and verbal communication skills

Assess

Recognizes the profile of candidates who are most likely to be successful for specific job categories

Identifies quickly candidates that are under qualified from reviewing resumes

Gathers relevant information from a resume for specific job categories

Assesses candidates true goals and motivations

Uses technology to assist in the screening process

Is able to screen multiple candidates for many different jobs

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 25The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 25The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 25

Assess (cont’d)

Understands the different purposes and value of different assessment methods

Understands the concepts of reliability and validity in measurement

Prepares structured interview protocols

Conducts behavioral interviews

Listens attentively to candidate responses and accurately records results

Assists others in the hiring process on conducting effective interviews

Knows when to use standardized tests for selection

Checks references effectively

Does not make snap judgments

Knows how to balance all the feedback about candidates

Makes the best recommendations based on the match between company and candidate

Finds passive candidate resumes on the deep web

Present and Close

Presents advantages of the candidate to the hiring manager

Asks questions to anticipate potential objections or problems in closing

Presents advantages of the company and the job to the candidate

Is persuasive in communicating benefits

Answers questions quickly and responsively

Explains clearly the features and ramifications of the offer

Explains clearly the features and ramifications of the offer

Overcomes typical objections, including salary level, career growth, counter offers and hesitation

Negotiates effectively to achieve results

Gains commitment

Follows up after hiring to ensure satisfaction

Summarizes key activities and tracking information for hiring manager, including EEO requirements


Performance Traits Indicators

Drive for Results

Is motivated to win

Is dedicated to results, not activity

Has tenacity and perseverance

Does not quit if discouraged

Finds better, faster ways to achieve results

Uses metrics to judge performance

Does things before being asked

Inquisitiveness

Ask questions

Does not settle for obvious and simple answers

Wants to know more

Wants to understand "why"

Looks for different and better ways to accomplish tasks

Looks for reasons and not just symptoms for problems

Sales and Service Orientation

Puts internal clients and candidates first

Treats people with respect and interest

Responds quickly to questions

Does not let internal bureaucratic processes interfere with customer activities

Commits to quality conversations and the time to grow the relationship

Goes the extra step to please clients and candidates

Relationship Builder

Establishes rapport quickly

Takes a genuine interest in people

Listens well

Has a positive outlook and sense of humor

Enjoys linking people up and making connections

Likes to share and make opportunities available to others


Executive Search and PartnershipIndicators

Flexibility

Adjusts easily to change

Tolerates ambiguity

Is not rigid in approach

Does not strictly adhere to a job description

Can modify a position if evidence is presented to the contrary

Understands how internal and external factors can affect decisions

Can assimilate and synthesize a great deal of information quickly

Learns fast

Passion

Is enthusiastic about recruiting

Advocates the valuable role that recruiting plays in strengthening human capital and the competitive

position of the company

Enjoys helping people achieve their goals

Articulates value propositions and strong feelings well

Wants to be the best

Gets satisfaction from great matches between companies and candidates

Is committed to integrity and the ethics of the profession

Market Intelligence

Understands demographics, labor supply and skill gaps

Aware of new and alternative sources of talent

Knows competitive positioning of the company

Knows supply, demand, salary levels, and candidate needs and requirements for specific job

categories

Knows the supply and demand for diversity candidates for different job categories

Can find answers to market, labor and competitive positioning questions on the web

Anticipates future trends and workforce characteristics


Business Savvy

Understands the strategy, business and competitive positioning of the company

Recognizes the different perspectives and priorities of executives and functional groups within the

company

Looks at multiple sides of issues

Anticipates the consequences of actions or situations

Can describe the company's value chain

Knows how to construct a business case

Understands the difference between activity and results measures and the key concepts of the

Balanced Scorecard

Conducts surveys to pinpoint issues and problems proactively

Uses data and results to make decisions

Recognizes the value and best use of different types of data

Can use the web to find out information about businesses and metrics

Organizational Management

Gains respect of the hiring manger

Understands the organizational culture and "how to get things done."

Knows departmental objectives and priorities

Can operate within the formal and informal structure of the company

Listens to the needs of hiring managers

Sets expectations for all involved in the hiring process

Gains agreement on schedules and responsibilities

Follows through on commitments and activities

Manages activities for all involved in hiring process

Thinks beyond the words on a job requisition to understand what is needed

Has a strong commitment to all internal clients

Projects future needs and hiring levels

Provides value-added information and advice to hiring managers

Services multiple searches and hiring managers effectively

Makes the best match between organizational and candidate needs and requirements

Keeps in contact after the hire has been made


Candidate Management

Gains respect of candidates

Understand motivations, needs and interests of candidates

Listens to each candidate

Presents properly the company and job opportunity

Sets expectations clearly

Provides feedback and status at each stage of the process

Communicates frequently and meaningfully with candidates

Answers questions quickly and clearly

Follows through on commitments and activities

Treats every candidate with respect

Adds every candidate to the network

Uses technology to streamline applicant tracking/management

Services effectively many candidates simultaneously

Keeps in touch after the hiring period

Network Building

Views every meeting as a network opportunity

Uses technology to systematize candidate information

Includes past, present and not yet successful candidates in the network

Includes internal and external contacts in the network

Maintains the network by deleting inactive members

Provides regular communication and value-added messaging

Targets specific messaging to specific groups/individuals in the network

Treats every member of the network with respect

Uses technology to build the network and find new members

Quickly matches network members to new jobs

airs recruiter comp model

Documents