Lateral Hiring

What is Lateral Hiring in Recruitment?

Let’s talk about lateral hiring. If you’re unfamiliar with the term or the process of lateral recruitment, that’s alright. Many recruiters are not particularly au fait with the lateral hiring process, because its typically carried out by senior HR executives, senior leadership, or external specialists like head-hunters. The process is fairly similar to head-hunting, which we’ve covered before. Its an effective strategy for hiring for positions that require very specific or niche skills and expertise.

Unlike when you’re recruiting for most open jobs in your organisation, where you would advertise a position through your website, social media channels, and job boards, as well as within your internal talent pool, the lateral hiring is very different.

Businesses don’t tend to advertise the position when engaging in lateral hiring – organisations undergoing this process are not expecting people to apply for these roles. Candidates are not coming to you – with lateral recruitment, you are actively searching for someone with the right skills and expertise to fill a certain role. The candidates you would be approaching are often passive – as in, they are not actively searching for a new job.

This makes the process a little bit clandestine – a little bit hush hush.

If you’re still scratching your head about what lateral hiring is, don’t worry – we’re about to get into it. Let’s take it from first principles.

What is Lateral Recruitment?

So, what is lateral hiring and how does it differ from typical recruitment and the normal hiring process?

Lateral recruitment refers to the process of hiring new employees who are already in a similar role at a different organisation. It is used for positions that are typically more difficult to fill, such as senior executive positions. It is most commonly used for roles that require a very specific set of skills, experience, or expertise.

The term lateral refers to movement at the same level – in the context of recruitment, it describes someone moving into the same role they currently hold, but with a different organisation.

Lateral hires are typically already proven in the position that is being recruited for. They may also have some familiarity with an employer’s culture and procedures, but this is not particularly necessary.

As noted above, this differs from more traditional recruitment methods because it is usually a much more confidential process. Whereas usually, an organisation will advertise open roles, expecting candidates to apply, and once those applicants are screened, potential employees are shortlisted, leading to interviews and eventually a new hire. This is not the case will a lateral hiring process.

Instead, there is usually a small group selected internally – recommended to be made up of an organisation’s senior leadership and management team – while most other employees and staff completely unaware that the position is being recruited for until after the hiring process has been successfully completed.

This group will screen and negotiate with candidates with the requisite skills and expertise for the role they are looking to fill. This level of secrecy is beneficial first to the candidate – who is unlikely to be openly looking for a new role – and to the organisation. Businesses who are engaging with this type of hiring process are typically doing so because they are looking for an expert in a particular field to help with expanding the business or making other major changes. Or because they are recruiting for a position that they have a desperate need for, and don’t want to signal that to the market or to competitors.