Documentation is a crucial element for any TA/RecOps team's success.  

I know that might be a bold statement for many of us in the space, given that we usually move at lightspeed with a bucket of water to put out fires.  Documentation is the last thing that is top of mind when everything is a fire drill, but it is tremendously important.  Unlike other articles I’ve written, this one will be less of a think-piece, and more in the weeds to provide a framework of what to document, when to document, frequency of updates, and general knowledge management practices.  

To keep it organized,  I’ve broken the article down into the following sections:

1. What is the difference between documentation and knowledge management?

2. Best practices for knowledge management

3. Tools for organizing and storing documents

4. Why is documentation and knowledge management necessary for TA/RecOps Teams?

5. The types of documents all TA/RecOps Teams should have as well as how often to update them and their level of importance

Section 1: What is the difference between documentation and knowledge management?

Before we jump into specific situations, I think covering the difference between documentation and knowledge management is important, as many of us might not be aware of the difference.

• Documentation refers to the process of creating and maintaining written or electronic information about a particular subject or system, such as user manuals and technical specifications.

• On the other hand, knowledge management refers to the process of capturing, distributing, and effectively using knowledge within an organization. This includes documenting processes and best practices, as well as sharing information and expertise among employees.

In short, documentation is a part of knowledge management. Knowledge management is a broader term that covers documentation and the management of knowledge to support the goals of an organization.  In simple terms, documentation is a book, knowledge management is the library, and Dewey Decimal System.  In TA/RecOps terms, documentation is the creation of the material, and knowledge management is the distribution method, training, and maintenance of said material.

Section 2: Best practices for knowledge management

• Identify and capture essential knowledge

• Make knowledge easily accessible

• Encourage knowledge sharing and a culture of continuous learning

• Regularly update and maintain knowledge (some examples of this will be in Section 5)

• Measure the effectiveness of knowledge management efforts

Section 3: Tools for organizing and storing documents

Generally speaking, people are more likely to use Wiki-style formats for storing and managing their documents because they come with search functionality.  Examples of these tools are:

• Confluence/Jira

• Notion

• GoLinks

• Helpjuice

• Guru

• Google Site

The ability to capture the information you are working on documenting is equally as important as the right storage method.  If you, or your organization, are primarily cloud-based, the following can help capture your steps in real-time and producing training materials:

• IORAD

• Scribe

• UserGuiding

• WalkMe

• Loom

• Intro.js

• Shepherd.js

🚨Disclaimer🚨: I’m not sponsored by any of these tools.  The purpose of these lists is to provide options for people to review.  I cannot speak to their security protocols.  If you choose to use them, proceed with caution and if you plan to use them at a corporate level, consult your security team before use.

Section 4: Why is documentation and knowledge management necessary for TA/RecOps Teams?

There are several reasons why documentation and knowledge management are necessary for our field, namely:

1. It provides clear and concise reference materials for team members and stakeholders

2. It helps to standardize processes and ensure consistency, which in turn promotes collaboration and reduces blindspots

3. Allows for easy knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members

With so many layoffs happening right now, it's important to keep in mind that when people leave the company, they often take valuable knowledge and information with them. It's natural to want to hold onto information as a way to protect yourself. Still, it's important to remember that your knowledge is also valuable to your colleagues and team members. By making sure that information is properly documented and shared, you're helping those people.  Additionally, depending on your company’s policies, you might be able to keep what you’ve written and be steps ahead in your next role.

Section 5: The types of documents all TA/RecOps Teams should have as well as how often to update them and their level of importance

Before we break down each document, here are the criteria:

Frequency = How often you should be revising the documentation. 

Importance= When a change happens, what is the urgency to make the revisions. High is within 24 hours.  Medium is within the week.  Low is within the month.

Types of Articles:

Process Changes

Frequency: High

Importance: High

Why: These documents operationalize the TA machine.  As best as possible, you should update these in real-time and develop a cadence for when/how you update recruiters, sourcers, and others on the team.

Examples: Candidate Flow, Legal Updates, Talk Tracks, Battle Cards

💫Added Bonus: This helps with change management!

Stakeholder Documents

Frequency: Medium

Importance: Medium

Why:  Having these documents ready and accessible will help create a better relationship between TA/Recruiting and those they support.  They should cover topics like how to interact with recruiting, standard operating procedures, trainings, and etc with the goal of achieving alignment and self-service.

Examples: Interviewer Skills Training, Interviewer Information, Alignments, FAQs

Tools 

Frequency: Medium

Importance: High

Why: Tools don’t often change as quickly but updates to them can happen pretty often.  It can be helpful to have documents about each tool where you also link to the tool’s FAQ page.

Examples: ATS Trainings, Sourcing Tools, Boolean Strings, Data

General

Frequency: Low

Importance: Low

Why: These are generally low-lift articles that have low impact to every day core functions.

Examples: Birthdays, Team Events

Onboarding Materials

Frequency: Low (though medium/high if you include org charts)

Importance: Low (update whenever a new hire joins the team)

Why:  Nothing is worse than scrambling to throw documents together before someone joins the team.  Having an onboarding section cuts down that panic and makes onboarding easily repeatable.  Added bonus is that the new hire can go back to these documents when they have questions which can increase their independence.

Examples: How to Interact with Recruiting, Interview Process for HMs, FAQs

✨ Pro Tip #1: Create If Then lists so you know where to find documents or where you need to make manual changes.  For example, If you have an org chart and someone leave Then you know you need to update Documents A, B, and C.

✨ Pro Tip #2: To avoid needing Pro Tip #1, when writing articles, use Titles wherever possible. For example, write CEO of Wayne Enterprises instead of writing Bruce Wayne.  

Conclusion:

Effective documentation and knowledge management is crucial for the success of TA/RecOps teams. By using the right tools and following best practices, organizations can ensure that their knowledge is easily accessible, accurate, and up-to-date. This will lead to a more efficient and effective team.

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn on January 20, 2023.

Disclaimer: The views expressed and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author. Since we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time. Please do not hold them in perpetuity.