Most recruitment starts with a vacancy.
Someone resigns. A team grows. A new role is approved.
The first question is often, “Can we find the old job description?”
At Parke Lane People, we’d argue that’s the wrong place to start.
The job description is rarely the problem. The thinking behind it is.
Too many businesses recruit for the role they needed two years ago, rather than the one they need today. As organisations evolve, markets change and technology advances, the expectations of people and teams change too. Yet recruitment processes often begin by dusting off an old document and making a few small amendments.
It feels efficient.
In reality, it can be one of the biggest reasons businesses struggle to find the right people.
Before You Recruit, Ask a Different Question
Instead of asking, “Who did this job before?”
Ask, “What does the business need now?”
It is a subtle shift, but it changes the whole conversation.
The skills that made someone successful three or four years ago may no longer be enough. New technology, changing customer expectations, AI, automation and evolving leadership structures mean many roles have developed significantly in a relatively short space of time.
A job description should reflect where the business is heading, not simply where it has been.
Andy Parke explains:
“One of the first questions I ask isn’t who are you looking for. It’s why does this role exist today? Quite often, by the end of that conversation, we’re recruiting for something quite different to the original brief.”
That is why we describe ourselves as a recruitment consultancy rather than simply a recruitment agency.
Listening Before Recruiting
One of the biggest compliments Andy regularly receives has nothing to do with finding candidates.
It is about listening.
Chris Denton, Partner at The MGroup, summed it up perfectly:
“Andy listens a lot more than others.”
That might sound simple, but listening creates clarity.
It allows us to understand the wider business, not just the vacancy.
Who will this person work with?
What challenges will they inherit?
What skills does the team already have?
Where does the business want to be in two or three years?
Those conversations often reshape the brief before recruitment even begins.
The Best Briefs Are Built Through Conversation
Neil Hornsby, HR Manager at CSafe, experienced exactly that.
“He took the time to understand exactly what we were looking for and secured the ideal candidates.”
Notice Neil doesn’t talk about CVs.
He talks about understanding.
That is where good recruitment starts.
Not with a database.
Not with a job board.
With a conversation.
Three Examples We See Every Week
The principle applies across every discipline we recruit within.
Finance
Many finance roles have become increasingly commercial.
Today’s finance professionals are expected to analyse data, support strategic decisions and embrace automation, not simply report historical figures.
That is why we often challenge businesses to think beyond the previous job description before beginning a search for their next finance professional.
Learn more about our approach to Finance Recruitment Consultancy.
HR
HR has evolved dramatically.
Many businesses are now looking for professionals who can shape culture, support organisational change and improve employee engagement alongside managing day-to-day HR responsibilities.
Replacing like for like may not always be the best answer.
Discover more about our HR Recruitment Consultancy.
Marketing
Marketing may have changed faster than almost any other profession.
Roles now combine creativity with analytics, AI, automation, CRM, content strategy and commercial thinking.
Businesses that simply recycle an old marketing job description often miss the opportunity to recruit for where they are going next.
Find out more about our Marketing Recruitment Consultancy.
What the Best Hiring Managers Do Differently
The strongest hiring managers rarely rush to market.
Instead, they pause.
They ask difficult questions.
Has the role changed?
Are we solving the right problem?
Could the responsibilities be reshaped?
What would success look like twelve months from now?
Those questions almost always produce a stronger brief and, ultimately, a stronger hire.
Recruitment Should Strengthen the Business
Good recruitment is not about replacing people.
It is about strengthening the business.
That requires time.
It requires curiosity.
And sometimes it means challenging assumptions before a single CV is reviewed.
Andy reflects:
“The best recruitment conversations rarely start with a CV. They start with understanding what the business is trying to achieve. Once that’s clear, finding the right person becomes much easier.”
A Final Thought
If your first step is opening an old job description, it might be worth pausing for a moment.
Ask whether you’re recruiting for the role you had.
Or the business you’re becoming.
That single conversation could be the difference between filling a vacancy and making a genuinely transformational hire.
