The New Dictionary of Hiring

Strategic Dependency

/STRUH-TEE-JIK DI-PEN-DUHN-SEE/

NOUN

A Strategic Dependency is a person or capability on which a business objective depends for its timing, scale or success.

MEANING

Call something a “critical requisition” and leadership hears that recruiting wants it prioritized. Call it a Strategic Dependency and you can explain why.

‍

If a $20 million expansion depends on one specialist, the business has a problem bigger than a hard-to-fill job. The useful question isn't “How's the search going?” It's “What happens to the expansion if we don't find this person?” That's a question the whole leadership team should own.

Defined by:
James Ellis,
Employer Brand Labs

Category:

Essentials

Related Terms:

→

The Twelve

→

Single-Person Dependency

MAKE THE CHANGE

Instead of:

Critical requisition.

Ask:

What business outcome depends on this hire?

EXAMPLE

A planned expansion depends on one person who can put a critical system into operation. Every other part of the plan can be ready, and the opening still slips.

HOW TO USE IT

Work backward from important business milestones. Identify which depend on a particular hire or capability, and bring that dependency into the same planning conversation as budget and timing.

SAY IT TO LEADERSHIP

This hire sits on the critical path for the plan you've approved. If we can't secure that capability by the required date, which part of the plan changes?

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH

Single-Person Dependency: a Strategic Dependency is a capability the plan needs, whether or not you have it yet; a Single-Person Dependency is one you already have, held by only one person.