EP116: WPP - How to Design an Ideal Recruitment Process

All-In Recruitment is a podcast by Manatal focusing on all things related to the recruitment industry’s missions and trends. Join us in our weekly conversations with leaders in the recruitment space and learn their best practices to transform the way you hire.

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

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Lydia: Welcome to the All-In Recruitment podcast by Manatal, where we explore best practices, learnings, and trends with leaders in the recruitment space. If you like our content, please subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Spotify to stay tuned for weekly episodes.

I'm your host, Lydia, and joining us this week is Tush Wijeratne of WPP. It’s great to have you with us, Tush. Thank you for joining us.

Tush: An absolute pleasure to be here, Lydia. It’s nice to meet you.

How Technology and Globalization are Shaping the Future of Talent Acquisition

Lydia: So you've come from accountancy and law. That's your background you trained in it. Then you've moved into talent acquisition. So how did this pivot happen, Tush? What's kept you in this space?

Tush: So having heritage from Sri Lanka, recruitment was unknown. I started off in accountancy in Sri Lanka, moved over to the UK, continued accountancy, and then got into law as a paralegal. And recruitment, I pretty much fell into it because I was looking for a new opportunity. I didn't know much about it because a nice man took a chance on me. Years later, I still enjoy recruitment because of the passion it gives me by meeting different people in different organizations, and different industries across the globe on different levels. I could have impacted someone's life and also that happy marriage of finding the right person for a company gives me still quite a lot of a thrill. That is something I enjoy today. I still enjoy going back to my sourcing days, even today.

Lydia: So you'd have seen so many changes in the field, Tush. What do you think is the most standout change that you've seen? The one that has the most impact.

Tush: I think I've seen two major changes. I remember when I first started off, I couldn't go into an in-house role if I hadn't done an HR management background or degree as much. That has changed in the TA industry now where someone from an agency background could go into an in-house role. Actually, it has evolved a lot to become more of a recruitment to a TA opportunity to be more of a TA consultant role. So it's not just hiring profiles, but the end-to-end lifecycle of talent acquisition.

The second aspect is technology and that has changed a lot. When I started, it was pretty much using Yellow Pages to find someone and call them. This is pre LinkedIn days. Obviously, you've got LinkedIn and other tools around today to help you. It's evolved now with the AI coming in, data, and data stories. So it's been a massive change.

I think globalization has come in much more. When I started it was just a city, a country when you look at a person. But right now, it's a skill globally that you are looking for and the boundaries have been broken. So, that's a massive change over the years.

Lydia: Now in this role at WPP, what are some areas that you have been focusing on, especially for talent acquisition? I understand it's for corporate and enterprise technology.

Tush: Yes. At WPP, my remit is the corporate structure and technology. So it's enterprise technology, the HR functions, marketing, finance, legal, and procurement functions globally. I've been in the organization at WPP for a year and I've been in the network for a year and a half before that.

It’s more about the transformation that we're going through as an organization, and gearing up in terms of, again, like I mentioned, global sourcing and skills, making sure that we are built structurally and operationally in certain countries to deliver to the entities, looking at what my team looks like going forward, and what skills my team has to learn and evolve with the ways of working.

I'm a massive agile evangelist. So, agile HR is something I coach and I train people in, and I'm quite passionate about bringing that into the teams and the ways of working from a mindset as well as a methodology perspective.

Lydia: So 12 months of forming a team and setting the culture in, how much of that has reached the goals that you have set from the very beginning?

Tush: It's one of those things when I say, “I'm done,” it's not something that you will ever finish doing, right? Because the world now changes so much and so quickly that you're never done. So I would like to say that we've had a step change in the way we've been doing things, and it's been progressive in that respect. But every time I think I'm nearly done, something else comes. There might be a technology change, it might be a skills change. So it keeps my life and team interesting.

But I think it's important that we always pivot accordingly. I have looked at restructuring and upskilling the team. We've got a different mindset of the way we approach things. We've got a partnership approach with our stakeholders. So there are lots of different changes we've done during the last 12 months, and we will keep on doing it at the same time, taking it to the next level in terms of what that looks like.

Lydia: Obviously, every form of recruiting, any industry would face some kind of challenge here and there. But are there specific or unique challenges that you face when you recruit for a global advertising and marketing company?

Tush: I think global advertising is very similar to most other fast-moving industries and digital industries. It's becoming closer and closer to the consultancy and market advertising world because we all want good digital people. So it's very competitive and we're quite lucky at WPP, the brand that we do find those profiles and people interested in working for us. I think it's important from our side to make sure that the candidate journey and the kind of experience, as well as a business experience internally with stakeholders, is at the best it could be at all times, and that's always trying to evolve.

I think, from a market perspective, I strongly believe it's not about there's no talent shortage, it's a skill shortage. Certain skills can be taught, and we've always got to look at potential, upskilling, and internal mobility. Those are all things that will help the funnel in an organization. So I'm quite passionate about that aspect of things because we will otherwise struggle to find all the people all the time compared to our competitors.

Understanding Local Nuances for Global Talent Sourcing

Lydia: When you speak about internal mobility, and tapping into potential, especially growth in a large organization, clearly there will be opportunities for people to move in different directions.

So is there a specific platform, or an initiative that you might have put in place?

Tush: We do have internal platforms within an organization. As you mentioned, we’re a massive organization and you could do a good 20, 30, or 40-year career within our network, going from role to role, agency to agency, and progressing at the same time. It's something that is encouraged a lot, and we are looking at how we can make it better and bigger as we go along with the new technology that's coming in and new platforms coming in. We're looking at what that could look like as it is a massive growth area for us.

Lydia: You also oversee the end-to-end recruitment globally at WPP. That already sounds like a very broad and massive scope with many different moving parts. But let's move into sourcing as being the bread and butter for recruitment.

What are some key factors based on your experience? What are some key factors to remember, or aspects to remember when you want to identify the right kind of sourcing channel?

Tush: So, the fundamentals of sourcing are very similar but your go-to-market strategy changes.

A market has a local nuance of how people will adapt and want to be contacted. The platform most of us might be using is a good example and we use LinkedIn the majority of the time. But when you go to India, we use Naukri as a platform, and that's better known in India than LinkedIn sometimes for certain skills that we look for.

So it’s about trying to understand what tooling and databases are available in that location to attract the right people. It might be social recruitment or it might be the traditional recruitment of posting a job. What does that look like? At the same time, the TA team needs to understand how to position that message to their community to get that attraction. So I think you need to basically make sure that you understand the market and the individuals you want in the market. That's where it's not recruitment, it is talent acquisition.

Basically, I find the person, I source the person to fill the role. There's an element before that, where actually it is talent attraction and that you identify someone, and then you've got to figure out, “how do I make that person who I identified interested in my role that I have today?”, “What is the best avenue to contact the person?”, “What is the best tool to utilize, and the best method to do it?”.

So for global teams, it is very similar ways of working, and the base-level structure is similar. But there's a local nuance since 10% of what they do will be local-based.

Lydia: And this comes from within the local teams itself. This is the creative world where control lies in teams.

Tush: It does. I've moved into more global team environments. So it’s country-based and regional-based in global environments. My belief is, and looking at my background, I've worked predominantly in recruitment in the UK, based in the UK, I have been recruiting for companies in the US, Australia, Singapore, India, and Africa. It doesn't matter where you're based anymore. You just have to adapt your style according to that region, organization, and the skills around it. So it's more about you as a person who needs to adapt to your best. So I give that ownership to the recruiter to determine what is needed. But we do have a governance structure overarching that at the same time.

Leveraging Data and Storytelling for Effective Global Recruitment Strategies

Lydia: Clearly global recruitment would involve technology, and so how do you leverage technology, and, more importantly, the data that comes out of it in your recruitment process?

Tush: Yes. So I think data is one thing, a storytelling of the data. So there are different aspects of it. You have the right data that you get from your ATS systems and external toolings. What I am equipping and what I would advise anyone to do is actually understand the story behind that data, and how do you tell that story to your stakeholders, to get their buy-in, for them to understand the challenges you're facing in the market and to understand what investment needs to be done sometimes to retain that talent or get the talent.

I would use data and storytelling together as a pair. I think one of the things that I've seen in the last probably eight years is that TAs have become more data-centric in the way they work. Data roles have come up in TA teams where you've got your reporting person coming in, which we didn't see 20 years ago. That's where it has evolved to now that has such a pivotal role in what we do and the way we get things over the line in organizations.

Lydia: So in that sense, how has the role of a recruiter, or the traits that a recruiter needs to have? How has that changed? It must have also evolved. I mean, it's a shared skill among everyone, even though there is a dedicated role for data inside a recruitment team. But still, the culture of being data-driven has to be there.

So what traits should a recruiter actually have in order to perform in this kind of environment?

Tush: So I look for what I call a T-shaped consultant in talent acquisition. It's not just recruitment; it's T-shaped. Sometimes you might be doing talent branding, sometimes you might be doing the sourcing, partnering, or closing a candidate. You might be working with the people team, saying, 'This is the handoff. Here's a person, and I should retain the individual afterward.' So you wear multiple hats depending on the situation. Data overlays that end-to-end process.

You've got to be a consultant, number one. I think it's also important, regardless of where you are in your role, that you're commercial in your decision-making. You should be able to look at the impact that the intuition you're bringing into the organization has at the end of the day. Whether they're revenue-generating or not, it's important to realize that this individual is going to have an impact on this team and, therefore, add value to the organization down the line. This is very different from recruitment many moons ago.

You've got to have that skill. Being data-centric is important, and an element of analysis is crucial in the role. As I mentioned, storytelling is very important. How do you analyze the data, and how good are your presentation skills in doing that? It's a very different profile from what it was many moons ago, but I think it’s evolving. You've got AI coming in, which helps with data analysis skills, so you don't need to be a full data engineer, but make sure you're open to switching your hats depending on the situation and be that T-shaped profile.

Aligning Talent Acquisition with Line Managers to Navigate Business Problems Together

Lydia: You brought this point up several times already when it comes to dealing with internal stakeholders, especially hiring managers. What are some ways to think about managing that and also keeping expectations on the same page? What are some thoughts or ideas that you might have for anyone listening in?

Tush: I think the key aspect is—and I tell this to every line manager I meet—I’m an extension of their department. Yes, we do support, but we are an extension, so we work alongside our line managers and stakeholders. It’s about being on the journey together. It’s a business problem, not just a TA problem when you’re trying to find someone, and we come to the solution together as a group. So that’s very important.

The other aspect is to make sure that the line manager is always communicated with in a timely manner, so they know the challenges you’re facing—the good, the bad, and the ugly—so that you’re working together as a pair.

I’ve introduced a 'Jarvis' way of working, and I work strongly with Ben on that. I introduced it not only to my team but also to the business, so the business is bought into it. This way, there are no blockers in the funneling of profiles, and the journey is seamless with a partnership approach to doing it.

Lydia: And whenever there is a process of improvement, that also becomes another point to storytell the data. The opportunity to do so.

Tush: It’s storytelling with the data. It’s a joint effort, and both parties are bought into it because it impacts both sides. It impacts the TA side as well as the business side. So it’s important that whatever change you make, both parties are in that room making the decision together, so they understand why we’re doing something.

We might not get it right all the time, and that’s something I’m very open about—working agile. Sometimes we do get things wrong because we have to pivot very quickly. But the understanding is that we’ll try something different to improve it, and while it might not always work if it doesn’t, we’ll try something else. Getting that buy-in early is important.

Designing the Ideal Recruitment Process

Lydia: Now going back to the recruitment process, my next question would be more hypothetical. So if you could design the ideal recruitment process from scratch, what kind of maybe unconventional elements would you include in this?

Tush: If I had a blank canvas, the basics would be there from a workflow perspective, because it’s important to understand the mindset of the team. They would be consultative and subject matter experts who are bought into the idea of 'I know this industry, I know this area of the business, and now I want to hire.'

Looking back at my career, I didn’t study technology as a subject. I studied accountancy and law, and I fell into tech recruitment. I’ve been doing tech recruitment for 20 years, and I think if I had done a degree in tech or even studied tech to some extent, it would have helped me liaise with clients better. But I had to proactively go and learn about CRM systems and ERP systems. Having that background knowledge helps.

Especially in this day and age, you need to be a subject matter expert for the business in what you’re doing, and that’s where your value comes in—you’re providing insight externally and internally to the organization. So when it comes to finding the right profiles for the team, I would make sure it’s people who have the background and experience, or the appetite to learn, which is also key. Learning is very critical for everyone I hire on my team because the world changes a lot, and an agile way of working is fundamental to me. Agile methodology brings transparency, removes hierarchy, fosters empathy, and brings togetherness in a team.

I’d love to say I have an unlimited budget for tooling, but in most cases, you’re not going to get that. However, good tooling is required, and it doesn’t have to be flashy all-singing or all-dancing, but I do like certain tools that get the job done.

I would structure teams differently like I mentioned—a data person, a business analyst, a project analyst, and a project person in a TA team. Right now, everything we do is a project in a way—it’s not just a role. It’s a group of roles in a certain country, in a certain location, at a certain level. By bringing it together as a program, you tend to be more organized, and more methodical, and you have the right people around the table to make it happen. Those are the things I would do differently.

Lydia: Finally, Tush, what advice would you give someone who is starting out in talent acquisition or even in recruitment today?

Tush: I would say, be curious. Be open-minded. Be curious. You need to have a passion for it. Recruitment is a funny industry because you’ll have more bad days than good days, but the good days are great when you get them. You need to be resilient and work through it. It’s important that you bring everything you’ve learned in your life into that one role. Everything I’ve done as a kid, as a university student, working in accountancy, working in law—I still use it in my recruitment today. So you bring it all together.

It’s one of those roles where everything you’ve learned, and everyone you’ve interacted with, you can actually take into the role. So it’s important to be that kind of profile and have the passion to know that you’ll be changing someone’s life eventually. That marriage of the right person and the right role is amazing when you get it, and that’s what keeps you going and that’s what I love about.

Strategy is always good to have. A strategic person, a commercial person having awareness is very important, always be curious and learning. The world is changing so quickly, and you have to adapt much quicker than everyone else.

Lydia: So having a curious mindset, being passionate, and being a consultative commercial person who's able to see it from a business sense, rather than just filling seats. Thank you so much, Tush for your insights. These have been very generous, and I really appreciate your time.

For those who are listening in and may want to pick up a conversation or even connect with you, where can they do so?

Tush: I'm on LinkedIn. So please feel free to contact me on LinkedIn. My email address is tush.wijeratne@wpp.com. Happy to connect either way.

Lydia: Thank you again, Tush. And we have been in conversation with Tush Wijeratne of WPP. Thank you for joining us, and remember to subscribe to stay tuned for more weekly episodes from All-In Recruitment.