Design thinking in talent acquisition: a practitioner’s perspective
| Pages | 170-180 |
| Date | 03 June 2014 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-04-2014-0027 |
| Published date | 03 June 2014 |
| Author | Pradeep Sahay |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Employee behaviour |
Design thinking in talent acquisition:
a practitioner’s perspective
Pradeep Sahay
Pradeep Sahay is based
at HCS, India.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this article is to examine the applicability of design thinking to the strategic
role of talent acquisition in organizations. While design thinking has become part of popular lexicon in
contemporary design and engineering practice, as well as business and management, its principles
can be seamlessly applied across multiple disciplines and industries. The premise is that by knowing
about the process and the methods that designers use to ideate, and by understanding how designers
approach problem solving, individuals and businesses will be better able to connect with and invigorate
their ideation processes to take innovation to a higher level.
Design/methodology/approach –The methodology used was based on empirical research drawn
from the authors ⬎20 years of experience in the industry as also secondary research, which has been
appropriately referenced in the attached article.
Findings –The process of developing talent relationships forces managers to develop a more
outward-looking view, staying on top of cutting-edge trends, building their company’s image and
staying in sync with customer expectations. This is but the essence of the design thinking
methodology – taking insights from people at the various stages, touch points of the process and build
from the outside-in rather than from the inside-out.
Originality/value –The article is an attempt to articulate the challenges that confront organizations
today as they compete for talent in the changing talent marketplace. Hopefully, the document will
elevate some awareness and discourse on the subject and finally concretize on a roadmap that turns its
talent acquisition into a strategic advantage with visible impact on the bottom-line. In essence, the
article is about creating innovative efficiencies within the recruiting function.
Keywords Talent management, Recruitment
Paper type Conceptual paper
Design thinking
Wikipedia defines design thinking as a style of thinking which combines empathy for the
context of a problem, creativity in the generation of insights and solutions and the rationality
to analyze and fit solutions to the context.
While design thinking has become part of popular lexicon in contemporary design and
engineering practice, as well as business and management, its principles can be
seamlessly applied across multiple disciplines and industries. The premise is that by
knowing about the process and the methods that designers use to ideate, and by
understanding how designers approach problem solving, individuals and businesses
will be better able to connect with and invigorate their ideation processes to take
innovation to a higher level. The hope is to create sustainable competitive advantage in
today’s volatile global economy, which has increasingly become knowledge-based.
Principles of service design thinking
Marc Stickdorn in his seminal work This is Service Design Thinking talks about “How to
design and market services to create outstanding customer experiences”. He lays down
five basic principles as shown in Figure 1.
PAGE 170 STRATEGIC HR REVIEW VOL. 13 NO. 4/5, 2014, pp. 170-180, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1475-4398 DOI 10.1108/SHR-04-2014-0027
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