Design orgs are their own greatest impediment to success in recruiting and hiring

Every design manager knows there's an intense war for talent. It's been going on for the past 15 years, and has definitely ratcheted up in the past 12-18 months.

Last year, I supported one team that grew from 14 in March to over 40 by the end of the year. This wasn't some sexy tech company—it was enterprise SaaS supporting HR. I point this out because, even in with all the competition, it's quite possible to scale an organization. The issue, which I've seen over and over again for years, is that most design orgs are just bad at recruiting and hiring, getting in their own ways. Here are the top mistakes that I've seen.

Hiring Managers don't devote the necessary time

Hiring Managers are busy people. Their attention is pulled in many directions. They are expected to lead their team, provide creative vision, manage the individuals, partner with cross-functional peers, roll up their sleeves and do the work, oh, yeah, and build their team. That last item gets deferred, as it doesn't have the urgency of their other responsibilities. As such, many Hiring Managers find themselves in this cycle:

Perhaps the single most impactful thing a Hiring Manager can do is protect their time for recruiting and hiring. When active, expect to spend about 4 hours per week per open headcount—this accounts for time spent sourcing, reaching out to prospective candidates, initial conversations to gauge interest, deeper conversations once someone applies, and the background stuff around planning and preparing others to support the hiring process.