How Adopting a Radical Openness Philosophy Can Help Your Recruiting Process

I recently had an amazing conversation on technology and the future of recruiting with our CEO, Mahe Bayireddi.

During this conversation, he brought up a very important point – more companies need to embrace and encourage radical openness.

I know you're probably thinking that anything with "radical" in the name is going to be really extreme, but most companies are actually striving for this - even if they don't realize it. If you aren't familiar with radical openness, here are a few things you should know about it:

• Radical openness was originally coined through TED with a book written by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams.
• The core aspects of radical openness include transparency, collaborative innovation, open access to proprietary ideas and inventions, and the equal opportunity to be a part of building a more prosperous and sustainable global economy (being a part of something bigger).
• Companies like Zappos and GlaxoSmithKline have successfully adopted this philosophy.

So, you’re probably wondering what radical openness has to do with your company’s recruiting process. Other than the fact that you should stop hiding your Glassdoor reviews, here are four ways adopting a radical openness philosophy can help your recruiting process.

Transparency

Being transparent throughout your interactions with prospective candidates is a must in building strong relationships with the future employees of your company.

This includes providing as much upfront information as possible to a candidate so that they can make the right decision on whether or not your company is the place for them. Telling candidates about the team dynamic, company culture, potential pain points or challenges for the position, and what to expect is necessary.

Collaborative Innovation

In order to enhance the recruiting processes at your company, it’s extremely important not to forget about the front-line recruiter and their valuable insight into how to improve things.

Whether you are deciding on new recruiting technology or finding inventive ways to attract the right talent to your company, be sure to encourage a collaborative environment.

Don’t be afraid to take ideas for improvement and try them out – even if it seems like an off-the-wall type of idea.

Open Access to What Your Recruiting Process Really Is

Too many companies hide their recruiting process to the outside world – you know, your prospective candidates. Why not share the entire recruiting process with your candidates so they know exactly what to expect?

From the first interview to the hiring manager’s personality, this is an aspect of interaction with your company that candidates expect – but often they don’t get it.

Building a More Prosperous and Sustainable Company

Recruiting and hiring have a huge impact on the overall success of the company. Through adoption of a radical openness philosophy – stronger partnerships between recruiting, HR, and business leadership will be forged.

Just as hiring the right people can add to the bottom line – hiring the wrong people can cost the company a lot of money. In an effort to build a more prosperous and sustainable company, driving a radically open philosophy in recruiting is essential.

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Understanding there may be certain risks and responsibilities associated with adopting a radical openness philosophy in your recruiting department – do you think this would work for your company? Why or why not?