Q and A: Exclusive Interview with Debbie Rosenburg

HR and Talent Acquisition (TA) professionals are fighting in today’s war for talent to impress candidates. To compete in the current market, organizations must have a talent acquisition strategy that’s both adaptive and agile for everyone involved. 

In the latest episode of our HR at the Table series, we spoke with Debbie Rosenburg, Vice President of HR at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, about agility in the midst of the war for talent. 

In her interview, Debbie answered three key questions that sheds light on adapting an agile hiring strategy shared between HR and TA professionals.

• What does agility mean in the midst of the war for talent?

• What does it mean for HR and TA professionals to be aligned?
• How does an organization create an agile hiring strategy?

What does agility mean in the midst of the war for talent?

In today’s market, attracting talent and being agile go hand in hand. An organization’s hiring strategy must be agile enough to be revisited and restructured to the needs of candidates. Debbie highlighted three important aspects of an agile hiring process that shifts the focus from the organization to the prospective talent.

An agile hiring strategy includes:

1. Prioritizing the Candidate’s Time

“Our industry has changed quite a bit. Agility is really meeting candidates where they are. [The process of] attracting and hiring has changed...We have to act fast and be proactive in finding and encouraging candidates. We need to be responding to applicants within 24 hours. They need to get them in front of the hiring manager quicker because those applicants aren’t staying around very long. They’ll move on to the next thing that is responding faster.”

2. Feeling Uncomfortable at First

“HR and TA will be uncomfortable with some of the changes [to implement a new strategy]. It really deviates from some of the traditional HR and talent acquisition that we’ve done in the past. Prior, we’ve had adequate applicant pools. We developed a process that meets our needs, and we’ve become complacent. So now, we have to work at processes that benefit the workflow for the applicants. That means organizing work on our plate in a different way.”

3. Utilizing the Innovative Technology

“Technology in the HR space is changing. Human Resources and Talent Acquisitions departments need to be ready. Agility means taking on new challenges as they come...We’ve added video interviewing. We communicate through texting and chat apps. We’re working to find the best ways to use technology to benefit the candidate.”

What does it mean for HR and Talent Acquisition to be aligned?

A winning strategy can only be effective when both parties are aligned. While the two roles are different from one another, HR and Talent Acquisition (TA) work toward the same goal. Debbie touched on the two keys to aligning HR and TA.

1. Communication

“To be aligned, you have to be able to follow through. That requires a lot of communication. It requires that everyone’s stepping up and doing what they’re expected to do from the time the applicant enters the system. HR and TA have to make sure that everyone knows what they own. This creates a fluid experience for both the professionals and the candidates.”

2. Trust

“It really does come down to a trust between the TA recruiter and the HR person. When there isn’t trust, the hiring process is going to be disorganized and the candidate is going to feel like they didn’t matter. 

How does an organization create an agile hiring strategy?

An agile hiring strategy leads to a great candidate experience. To adapt to today’s market, all organizations need to consistently evaluate and restructure their hiring strategies. Whether an organization already has a hiring strategy or they’re starting from scratch, Debbie gave a glimpse at three important factors for building an agile hiring strategy, including:

1. A Process Flow

“HR and TA need to sit down and map out the process. You have to be looking at it from a candidate perspective. Where are the pain points for the organization or the candidate? If you can flow through the process without a problem, you know your candidates will be able to, too.”

2. Time for Restructuring

“You need to commit the time to the process. Start with the accountability and commitment of carving out time for employees to contact candidates. Mark [the time] on their calendar. It becomes a very planned and conscious process for those employees.”

3. Ways to Ask for Help

“If [TA and HR] get behind, they need to be able to raise their hand and say ‘I need help.’ Practice sharing the responsibilities and identify who can help in what capacity. 

In Conclusion:

For more insight from Debbie Rosenburg, watch the entirety of this HR at the Table webinar here!  To be a part of our next discussion with an HR and TA professional, register for an upcoming HR at the Table webinar. Next month, we’ll host Rapti Mitra-Khurana, Vice President & Head of Talent Engagement and Development at the National Football League, for a chat on investing in structured and inclusive hiring and engagement.