Where are the bottlenecks in your selection processes?

At Servitalent, for many years now, we have lived and breathed industry. Our specialization in the selection of middle management and highly qualified profiles, particularly in engineering, connects us unequivocally with some approaches and reflections of a sector that operates in more manufacturing environments than ours. For this reason, we like to recommend a classic reading, "The Goal" by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, related to the management of industrial operations. Although the protagonist of this story, Alex Rogo, was struggling to save his factory, its lessons on the Theory of Constraints (TOC) are directly applicable to operations linked to talent selection processes.

Like a production line, a selection process seeks to maximize "throughput" (the successful and efficient placement of key talent) while minimizing "inventory"(candidates on hold or profiles that do not advance) and optimizing "operating expenses" (time and resources invested).

The potential impact on talent management

The proposals put forward include requiring anti-corruption compliance systems for companies wishing to enter into contractual relationships with public entities. For the Human Resources area, if this is legislated, it will translate into a crucial responsibility: to ensure that talent acquisition and management is carried out under the strictest integrity criteria.

For example, the initial screening of candidates and the relevant background checks will become essential due diligence tools . Career paths, references, academic qualifications, fingerprinting or other checks will be elements to be audited with unprecedented rigor. This will help mitigate the risks inherent in the incorporation of profiles that could compromise corporate governance or the company's reputation.

Lessons from the industry applied to talent selection

"The Goal" teaches us that every system has a bottleneck that limits its performance. Ignoring this constraint and optimizing processes that are not the bottleneck is futile at best and often detrimental. Let's apply the five steps of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to our selection processes:

1. Identify the constraint (the Bottleneck).

In our recruitment work, where does the process most often get "stuck"? It could be:

• A shortage of profiles with the specific technical and/or soft skills required for a given position (e.g., a process design and automation engineer with expertise in the use of a particular technology).

• An excessively long or multi-layered internal customer validation process that slows down decision making.

• The speed of response of qualified candidates to contacts made through LinkedIn, a highly saturated platform, where top profiles have multiple daily hits.

• The initial calibration of expectations between the client and the market, leading to the search for unattainable "unicorns".

For us, the first step is a thorough analysis of the profile (more on the soft side than on the hard side, along with the motivations of your search) and the market to identify where friction is likely to arise in the hiring of talent.

2. Exploit the constraint.

Once the constraint has been identified, the goal is to extract maximum value from it without heavy investment. If the bottleneck in selection is the scarcity of profiles, how can we exploit the few that exist?

• By refining our direct sourcing strategy (headhunting) to the maximum, using specialized networks and sector databases.

• Refining our elevator pitch for the role and the company, highlighting what really attracts a high-level industrial engineer (innovation, challenging projects, technical culture).

• Prioritizing and mobilizing our most experienced recruitment consultants to manage the most critical and scarce profiles.

3. Subordinating everything else to the constraint.

This is the step where discipline is key. If the constraint is the client's response time to evaluate candidates, it means that all other phases must be subordinated to that capacity. Instead of sending a flood of candidates that the client cannot process in time (creating an "inventory" that becomes cold and demotivating), we adjust the flow. We make sure that each candidate sent is perfectly aligned and that the client has the time and resources to evaluate them properly, without overloading them. This often involves proactive communication and establishing clear agreements on response times in the recruitment process.

4. Elevate the constraint.

If after exploiting and subordinating, the bottleneck persists and continues to significantly limit throughput, it is time to invest in raising your capacity.

• If the talent shortage is critical, we can propose to the client a revision of the job description or compensation package to expand the candidate pool, or explore training and upskilling programs for promising talent.

• If the constraint is slow internal client validation, we may suggest implementing selection management tools to streamline feedback, or designating a single internal point of contact to centralize hiring decisions.

• For highly technical profiles, we could increase the assessment capacity by implementing specific technical tests or interviews by industry experts.

5. Return to step 1 (Avoid Inertia):

The market and talent needs are very dynamic. What is a constraint today may not be a constraint tomorrow, and a new one will emerge depending on the client, the position and their potential hiring motivations. Once a bottleneck is resolved, we must reevaluate the process to identify the next constraint. This continuous improvement mindset is intrinsic to our Talent Search service, allowing us to adapt to market fluctuations and our clients' changing talent demands.

At Servitalent, by applying the principles of "The Goal", we don't just search for talent; we manage a high-value process with the same precision and focus you would expect on an industrial production line. Our goal is to get critical talent to its destination in the shortest time and with the greatest possible efficiency, driving productivity and innovation in the companies that rely on our work. And you, have you identified where your bottlenecks are in the selection process?

Do you want to identify and eliminate bottlenecks in your selection processes and optimize the attraction of talent?