Six Sigma, I Dig Ya

My experience with Six Sigma and Lean processes have been as an HR intern with a local galvanizing steel manufacturer, and as a recruiter for a variety of clients hiring specific 6s leaders or seeking such a skill set. So I understand the concepts of becoming a more efficient workplace and I do usually associate this with manufacturing. It's easy to think about rebuilding a line, auditing handling time, etc. But I've been thinking more recently about how this could improve the recruiting process in RPO.


It's not a new idea - in my quick searching I found this article from 2002 and this awesome slideshare from 2010. It's a unique idea when you include the RPO model vs. agency or in house recruiting. There are so many connections and disconnections in the hiring process. RPO might be a six sigma solution for a client, but how do we use it ourselves internally? When a team of recruiters is cycling a bunch of tasks on a time or slate basis, with recruiting managers to report to, client managers to cooperate with, account managers to support, direct hiring managers present, and a variety of ATS's in play, the ownership of efficiency in the entire process can get lost. Where is the budget to DMAIC or DMADV? And I'm churning out people, candidates, hires. Not a product. There's much more ease in forecasting the delivery time for a batch of widgets than a batch of interviews. I cannot make a person apply; I have to drive that talent as best I can.


So, I'll be looking into a black belt to improve myself and my recruiting department. Do they sell those at Kohl's? ;)