1. Oreoluwa, as someone who has worked in both the oil and gas sector and now the software industry, what unique insights have you gained into the different approaches to talent acquisition and HR management in these industries?
The oil and gas sector and the Software Industry differ significantly in their approaches to talent acquisition and HR management. In the oil and gas sector, talent acquisition involves identifying employees with specific technical skills and experience relevant to the oil and gas industry. This often involves hiring from other oil and gas companies, universities or technical colleges with oil and gas programs. HR management in this industry focuses on safety, compliance, and productivity. Due to the high-risk nature of the industry, safety training and certifications are a critical part of the HR process.
In contrast, talent acquisition in the software industry focuses on hiring employees with strong technical skills and the ability to learn quickly. This industry requires employees who can adapt to rapidly changing technologies and who have passion for innovation. Therefore, hiring often involves a screening process that tests technical skills and problem-solving abilities. HR management in the software industry is focused on fostering a creative and collaborative work environment, offering flexible work hours and promoting a positive organizational culture.
Overall, the unique insights I have gained indicate that the oil and gas sector places more emphasis on technical skills and safety, while the software industry focuses more on innovation and creativity.
2. With your experience in talent acquisition at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, how have you adapted your strategies to cater to the diverse EMEA region at Bentley Systems?
I have been able to adapt my strategies to cater to the diverse EMEA region at Bentley Systems by embracing the diversity itself, EMEA is one of the most diverse regions, with different races, ethnicities, cultures and nationalities. I have been able to embrace and celebrate this diversity by creating an inclusive hiring process that acknowledges and values these differences. Ensuring that interviews are structured to avoid any unconscious bias can further promote diversity and inclusivity in hiring.
I have also been able to leverage digital channels, EMEA region has an extensive digital footprint that enables me to reach out to potential candidates. Social media, job boards, and online networking platforms like LinkedIn has been a great tool to showcase Bentley Systems’ culture and employer brand to attract talent. It’s essential to have a clear digital recruitment process, which follows GDPR compliance, making it easier for candidates to understand and apply for positions.
By implementing these strategies, I have been able to narrow down the recruiting gap and attract a diverse range of candidates that cater to the EMEA region’s nuances.
3. In your role as a Talent Acquisition Partner, how do you strike the balance between advocating for candidates and ensuring that Bentley Systems’ needs are met?
As a Talent Acquisition Partner, it is essential to understand the company’s culture, goals, and requirements for the role you are hiring for. By identifying Bentley Systems’ needs, I can effectively communicate the position’s expectations and qualifications for candidates. However, it is equally important to advocate for candidates by fairly assessing their skills and experience while highlighting their strengths to the hiring manager. I am very passionate about the candidate’s experience.
Striking a balance between advocating for candidates and ensuring Bentley Systems’ needs are met requires effective communication and active listening skills. It would be best to have open and honest conversations with both the hiring manager and a candidate to understand their needs and expectations. This way, the hiring process would align with Bentley Systems’ objectives, and the chosen candidate would feel valued and aligned with the company culture.
4. Can you share a story about a particularly challenging or memorable recruitment experience that ultimately led to a valuable lesson learned?
During an especially busy hiring season, I was looking to fill an executive-level position. I found this great candidate and was able to have an initial phone interview with her. Since I was so busy filling other roles, a few weeks went by before I followed up with her for a formal interview. She responded by letting me know she found an offer somewhere else. From this experience, I learned to prioritize who I reach out to better. I am now more transparent with candidates and give them a timeline of my hiring process.
5. As someone with a strong background in HR, what do you believe sets Bentley Systems apart when it comes to the company’s culture, and how do you showcase this during the recruitment process?
Bentley System is unique, we have a clear vision and mission statement that reflects company values and goals, fostering a culture of communication and transparency, our hiring process is transparent, and we give feedback to our candidates, we also roll out surveys to the candidates that are rejected after the interviews to get their feedback to understand what we need to do better. We offer a competitive benefits package that includes health benefits, flexible working arrangements and opportunities for work-life balance. Bentley is an equal employer opportunity, and we celebrate diversity and promote a positive work-life balance.
I showcase the above during recruitment process by:
- emphasizing the importance of core values and mission during the job interview process;
- sharing employee testimonials and success stories that demonstrate the positive impact of the company culture;
- involving current employees in the recruitment process, allowing them to share their experiences and insights about what makes the company culture unique;
- conducting cultural fit assessments during the hiring process to ensure that new hires align with the company’s values and mission.
6. In today’s ever-changing recruitment landscape, what innovative strategies have you implemented to optimize recruitment workflows and processes in line with the business mission and vision?
The world has changed, and recruitment is different from what we know in the 18th, 19th and even 20th centuries. Now we are in the post-COVID era and now many companies struggle with their recruitment. Firstly, I have been able to define the difference between talent acquisition and recruitment. Recruitment is a tactic of sending out signals into the marketplace for hiring and involves sourcing, screening, interviewing, selecting and hiring. Whereas talent acquisition is more strategic in nature, which helps business grow, TA also involves other things like Talent Planning and strategy, employment branding, understanding candidate audiences, and candidate relationship management. I have been able to implement more Talent Acquisition Strategies (TAS) to optimize recruitment workflows and processes in line with the business mission and vision. By building a strong TAS, I have been capable to answer some questions, for example, which parts of all talent acquisition activities are critical to the competitive advantage of the company and its long-term success.
7. What are the major challenges in your talent acquisition and how does your company allocate resources to them?
I look at the demand in the future, the people and the functions I want to fill, where I need the best and where I need the good. The best is high strategic relevance – you don’t want the best for everything, that will make no sense and it will be ridiculous and too expensive. For some demands talent acquisition is simple, there are people out there looking for a job, so the hiring process is simple, but for other demands availability is low. What I do is identify different scenarios, for example, simple hiring, specialist hiring, then difficult mass hiring and strategic hiring.
8. Can you share some tips on how to keep developing as a professional and an individual? Any tricks or just good old diligence?
Here are some general tips I can give on how to keep developing as a professional and an individual:
- Continuous Learning: Keep learning new skills, techniques, and knowledge by attending seminars, workshops, and conferences, and reading industry-related books, magazines, or websites.
- Networking: Attend networking events, or join professional organizations to connect with like-minded people, learn from their experiences, and build relationships that may help in future career advancement.
- Embrace Challenges: Don’t be afraid to take on new challenges or assignments. Challenging yourself can help you learn and develop new skills that may lead to growth opportunities.
- Seek Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from colleagues, supervisors, and customers to identify areas where you need to improve and capitalize on your strengths.
- Time Management: Manage your time effectively and prioritize your tasks to ensure that you are focusing on tasks aligned with your goals.
- Develop a growth mindset: Maintain a positive attitude and focus on growth, learning and development. Understand that failures are part of the process, and they can be opportunities to learn.
- Practice self-care: Taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally is essential to personal and professional development. Eat well, exercise frequently, and get plenty of rest.
If you’re looking for new ideas, fresh perspectives and insights on the future of work, then you’ll want to attend HR Vision Events.
