Collaboration Is the Key to Building Great Teams

Every place I’ve worked in my 30-year HR career pledged that collaboration was foundational but rarely had I actually seen it work well until I came to Dell Talent Acquisition over five years ago. I was lucky to have landed a job at Dell right before the launch of the Dell Software Group (DSG). I was able to work on over ten acquisition sales hiring projects in North America including Boomi, SonicWALL, Wyse, and Quest. I have to say that the time spent working closely with each business, new/existing hiring leaders, and internal/external candidates have been so rewarding. The common thread in my success has been collaboration.

To build strong sales teams, I had to be a collaborative, creative and willing business partner to my teams. Many times, there was a new leader who needed help finding a niche role filled. Working side by side with consistent open communication was the key to building a solid foundation for current and future partnership, hiring success.

This process can be challenging; you have to be willing and able to think creatively to overcome any hurdles. Some of the things you may encounter include:

  • A new hiring manager that does not have a clear vision of the role he/she needs to be fill
    • This is where the recruiter can truly become a trusted advisor and guide or coach the leader how to align, summarize and describe in detail what the jobs description should look like.
  • An existing leader who likes to do his/her own hiring A-Z
    • Taking a “Hey, I’m your partner here, let me help,” approach goes a long way; by suggesting a new way of sourcing (like using various social media platforms v. tradition job board), you can enhance the experience for both the leader as well as the candidates while building a varied pipeline.
  • Unsure passive candidates
    • By working with the hiring leader to write a solid “Why Dell?” and “What’s in it For Me?” statement to add to the job posting, you can often entice someone to come forward as an active candidate. I’ve done this a lot in the past, selling the great benefits of joining a growing, cutting edge software team with an amazing portfolio of solutions for all customers, big to small.
  • Hiring leaders with little social media footprint and no presence on LinkedIn
    • At Dell, we’re very fortunate to have a “Primp Your Profile” program where we in Talent Acquisition partner with our hiring leaders and coach them about the huge benefits of using LinkedIn (a huge hiring source for Dell recruiters!). We talk to them about how to network, join groups, share news and be a Dell Champion through this vehicle that can be a tremendous resource for anyone in a hiring capacity.

When you’re devising a first time meeting with a manager, there are a few key things you need to keep in mind as a flow chart for gathering all the necessary information you need as a recruiter to hire the best. Approach recruiting from this perspective to ensure a solid relationship and trust:

  • Engage: connect with your hiring leaders and meet with them frequently to ensure full engage from all sides.
  • Listen and learn: be a proactive listener to both client and candidate needs; encourage fully candid and transparent feedback.
  • Strategize, develop and implement: form a solid plan on how to find and interact with candidates whether active or passive.
  • Adapt and evolve: frequently assess what is or isn’t working within your recruiting plan; think outside the norm and adapt the original plan. Don’t be afraid to be creative!
  • Assess and measure: how did we do? Was there a solid candidate pool? Did my hiring team find who they needed?
  • Foster and nurture: circle back and debrief with hiring team on pros and cons of the process; set the foundation for the next engagement opportunity with stakeholders

Collaboration allows a free exchange of ideas. For me, it’s the foundation for every stakeholder, allowing each one of us to have input about the hiring process. The hiring process should be managed by both the hiring leader and the recruiter to ensure you hire the best talent. This process of collaboration from the beginning is a win-win for the candidates, business, recruiter and ultimately your business. 

I would truly not be able to even remotely effective in my recruiting role if were not for the strong relationships and collaborative nature of my ongoing interaction with my businesses. I’m very fortunate to work with an amazing team who allow a two-way flow of information, feedback, and support.

Take the time to get to know your partners in hiring across the spectrum can and will reap solid rewards when you are hiring business critical teams!

About the Author: Wendy Nankeville