We speak to founders all the time. They often tell us that finding the right talent is extremely tough. Being qualified on paper isn't enough. What's more important is finding candidates with the right attitude and character to fit in culturally, develop, and thrive over many years.
Too many interview stages will instantly turn candidates off while not assessing the whole individual enough risks both time and budget to rectify costly mistakes.
If you're launching a new business this is the one thing you want to avoid.
To make life easier for HR and leadership teams, we interviewed one of Profile's media executives from our finance and real estate unit, Alana Stoddart.
We spoke with Alana about the importance of thought leadership, the HR topics that need to be discussed, and how exactly media coverage can make a difference.
Alana Stoddart (AS): I don’t want to state the blindingly obvious, but HR is the business of people.
The industry lends itself perfectly to thought leadership. Leaders can put a face to the name and demonstrate the kind of person they are.
This is essential to connect with employees, share the same objectives and values, and succeed as a healthy and productive team.
If HR teams don't live and breathe their workplace culture from the top, they'll never attract the right talent and struggle to grow.
AS: Absolutely!
With more companies outsourcing their HR than ever before, thought leadership can be a great way to get ahead of any competition.
You can show that you know the industry like the back of your hand and demonstrate your specialism or point of difference.
There’s no better way of doing this than positioning a figurehead as an authentic and credible leader in the sector.
If business leaders have seen your name appear in top-tier publications, they are much more likely to choose you when deciding on an HR agency to use.
AS: There’s no shortage of topics for leaders to establish themselves as experts on!
For instance, employee wellbeing is the focal point of many HR teams.
Showing you have the right ideas about diversity and inclusion, mental health, and employee benefits will stand you in good stead for attracting new talent and maintaining employee satisfaction.
HR leaders also need to keep a watchful eye on other trends that will be relevant to them.
Advancements in AI are steadily changing how we hire.
ESG requirements are increasingly under the spotlight.
Flexible working continues to be debated.
The list goes on.
AS: They must make use of all that prior experience!
Sharing best practices in an informative, anecdotal way can drive engagement on social media.
Then, you should flesh those experiences out with high-quality multimedia content to help audiences get to know you a little better.
Capturing the media’s attention with your expert commentary is also paramount to build your professional brand.
This can help support your own career prospects and unlock new opportunities.
That said, it's also important that HR professionals have a strategy.
Going into thought leadership blind, without carefully planning what you're going to say, can lead to comments that might offend certain groups, confuse audiences, or rehash what others have already said.
For best practice, avoid sensitive topics like cultural issues or geo-political tensions. Keep your articles and social posts hyper-focused on one topic at a time to make a clear argument and say something bold and thought-provoking that isn't too generic.
AS: Trade publications are the best place to start, as you can establish a solid brand that appeals to other professionals within your own industry.
But media engagement shouldn’t stop here.
Since HR is one of those areas that can be relevant to every single industry and many news stories, leaders should target national publications and broadcast slots to find comment opportunities and offer solutions to issues your audiences care about.
Regularly scan headlines to find comment opportunities.
Are staff within a particular sector striking? Consider commenting on how the issue might be resolved.
Is inflation rising? Speak about the policies and actions your company is taking to protect itself.
Foresee a supply chain bottleneck impacting your operations? Discuss alternative sourcing strategies that mitigate the impact it has on your business.
The opportunities out there are endless. Don't be afraid to put your head above the parapet.
AS: Sometimes, HR leaders feel that they don’t want to rock the boat.
You’re responsible for an entire workforce’s development, benefits, and well-being. It might feel difficult to make bold predictions and put yourself out there.
But that is necessary if you are going to be recognised as a leader in your field.
Have courage in your convictions, deliver your message clearly, and comment on the topics your competitors wouldn't.
If you're overly wary about upsetting potential candidates, consider spending more time with your employees to discover the issues they are passionate about or where they feel your company could improve.
This feedback will give you a better idea about the content potential candidates will be interested in seeing and the improvements you need to implement and promote.
After all, it is all well and good to present yourself as a great place to work online and in the media, but if you're not actually creating a positive environment, it won't take long until you're found out.
Once you have built a great culture and you're beginning to reap the benefits of thought leadership, consider pitching yourself to different awards.
This gives you an extra stamp of credibility you can leverage on your career pages and marketing materials.
Ultimately, by stepping into the spotlight, employees will see you as an in-touch, personable leader, who drives change throughout their wider sector.