What Recruitment Has Taught Me About Leadership
You can learn a lot about a company by listening to the reasons people leave.
Working in recruitment has given me a unique perspective on leadership, workplace culture and the factors that influence whether people stay with an organisation or decide to move on.
I regularly speak with candidates about why they are considering a new opportunity, what they would value in their next role and what has made them decide it is time to leave their current employer.
Sometimes, those conversations are about compensation, career progression or the desire for a new challenge, but leadership is often part of that conversation too.
Leadership shapes the everyday employee experience and can influence how people feel about their future with a company.
Four Leadership Lessons I’ve Learned Through Recruitment
- Leadership Behaviour Shapes Workplace Culture
Culture is not just what an organisation says it values. It is reflected in the behaviours people experience every day.
A company might describe itself as collaborative, supportive or people-focused, but those are just buzzwords unless employees actually experience them in practice.
How leaders communicate, make decisions, handle challenges and treat their teams sets an example for the rest of the team and the wider organisation.
- Clear Communication Builds Trust
Good communication is one of the foundations of a positive employee experience.
People want to understand what is expected of them, where their organisation is going and how their work contributes to its wider objectives.
When communication is clear and consistent, it can build trust. When it is lacking, employees are left to guess how decisions affect them and their roles leading to feeling of being disconnected.
- Good Leaders Aid Career Development
Career progression comes up regularly in my conversations with candidates.
People want to know that they can continue learning, develop their skills and take on new challenges.
For some, that means promotion. For others, it means greater responsibility, exposure to different areas of the business or the opportunity to build new capabilities.
Taking an interest in employees’ ambitions, recognising potential, providing constructive feedback and creating opportunities for development can all help people understand what their future might look like.
Attracting talented people matters, but so does creating an environment where they have reasons to continue developing their careers.
- Difficult Situations Reveal Actual Company Culture
It is easy to talk about culture when everything is going well, but the real test often comes during periods of change, pressure or uncertainty.
How leaders communicate difficult decisions, respond to challenges and support their teams can shape how employees experience those situations.
Organisational change is not always avoidable. Neither are difficult conversations or decisions that may disappoint people. Do employees understand what is happening and why? Are they treated respectfully? Do leaders communicate openly, even when they cannot provide every answer?
Culture is not only demonstrated through benefits, company events or positive messaging. It is also reflected in how people are treated when circumstances become difficult.
What Recruitment Has Taught Me
Working in recruitment has taught me that the reasons people leave an organisation can be just as informative as the reasons they choose to join one.
Every conversation with a candidate gives me another perspective on what makes people stay, what makes them leave and what they are looking for from their next leader.
For me, this is one of the most interesting parts of recruitment.
Leadership and culture are not separate from the employee experience. They are a big part of it.
And when you are hiring, you are not just choosing someone to fill a role. You are bringing someone into your leadership team, your culture and your organisation.
Get in Touch
If you are looking to hire and would like to discuss your recruitment needs or the type of talent you’re looking to attract, I’d be happy to connect via mary-clare@theagency.ky.
