Make the race for consulting talent less ghoulish in 2023

As the nights draw in, consulting business leaders are getting cosy with their cocoa and pouring over the finishing touches to their 2023 business plans. CPOs and Heads of Talent Acquisition wait with bated breath to see what this means when they translate this information into their hiring plans – will recruitment activity be tricky or a treat?

Okay, no more Halloween jokes, we promise, but what is it about this time of year that gives those involved in leadership and executive hiring the heebie-jeebies?

It’s all about timing. Candidates at the leadership level will most likely be held to a three-month notice period, rising to six months at the executive level. Let’s assume the recruitment process from first contact to a successful hire resigning from their current position is about six weeks. If we want a new leadership candidate to start a new job early in the new year, Talent Acquisition (TA) teams need to have already started those conversations in September.

So, if your planning cycle for the year ahead starts at the beginning of October, your TA teams find themselves in a bind. Do they use educated guesswork to assume what leadership talent should be in the pipeline for Q1? Or do they hang on until there’s a solid headcount before starting the process? You either end up with the wrong people at the right time or no people at the wrong time. Is either of these the lesser of two evils? As we say, it’s all about timing.

What can you do to mitigate these risks? Be mindful of the broader implications for your business planning – it’s not all about agreeing on sales numbers. Growth plans need to be translated into a considered hiring plan. Bring your TA team in as early as possible, even if that means sharing the first draft. Any visibility is better than guesswork; that way, no one is getting a scary surprise this spooky season.

Get in touch if you’d like some help translating your business plans into an effective hiring strategy.

Sam Newell explores the risks companies could experience by not factoring in prospective growth and talent acquisition time, including how they can mitigate these risks and be more mindful of the broader implications of their business planning.