TA teams rarely fail on sourcing. They fail on stakeholder trust. Here's how to fix that, with Head of Recruitment at Caprice Restaurants, Lucia Raru
Whether it's founders not understanding why some hires take longer than others, or CFOs not supporting important hires, alignment with the wider business is paramount to the success of your TA function. We asked Lucia Raru, Head of Recruitment at Caprice Restaurants, how she builds that alignment in practice.
Lucia Raru
Head of Recruitment
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Supportive stakeholders vs high-risk ones
A supportive stakeholder trusts the process and partners with you, and cares about the candidate experience. A high-risk stakeholder jeopardises that unknowingly: they constantly change the brief, move the goalposts, and make impulsive decisions that can cost the company more than just money.
I once had a stakeholder invent a payments specialist role and chase a unicorn candidate. I reframed it to "what do we actually need this person to achieve?", shared the market reality, and offered options. We ended up promoting internally and building the skills, and it worked: someone with the right foundations, with a development plan in place. That's the difference between average recruiting and great recruiting. The answer isn't always "go external", it's solving the business problem.
How do you work with stakeholders effectively?
For me, it starts with alignment and trust. I make sure I'm clear on what good looks like for them: role outcomes, team dynamic, standards, timeline, and then I keep communication consistent and transparent. If stakeholders feel informed and supported, the relationship becomes collaborative rather than transactional.
- Map your stakeholders before hiring begins using the TA Stakeholder Influence Framework so you know where influence will be needed most.
- Set a short weekly hiring update so stakeholders always know where things stand.
- Keep hiring progress visible through simple pipeline reporting rather than ad-hoc updates.
How do you get buy-in from them to trust you during the TA process?
Having confidence is key. I'm a product specialist, and I know the market and what talent responds to. I bring insight, not just CVs: salary and availability realities, competitor context, what's working in attraction and what trade-offs we may need to make. When stakeholders see you're there to help them hire better, not slow them down, trust comes quickly.
- Build credibility early by sharing market data, salary benchmarks, and talent availability before the search begins.
- Position yourself as a hiring advisor, not a CV supplier, by explaining the trade-offs behind every recommendation.
- Translate market insights into clear hiring choices so stakeholders feel confident in the direction taken.
How do you manage feedback?
I genuinely see feedback as a gift, because it's the fastest route to getting better and building value. I'll always say thank you, clarify what "better" looks like, and then act on it quickly. I also give feedback proactively, respectfully, and with solutions, because that's how you mature partnerships and raise the quality of hiring.
- Set a clear feedback loop after every stage so hiring decisions move quickly and expectations stay aligned.
- Clarify what "better" looks like by turning feedback into specific candidate criteria or role outcomes.
- Give constructive feedback back to stakeholders when needed, always paired with a solution that improves the hiring process.
How do you push back on unrealistic requests and timelines?
Pushing back is all about influence and reframing. Clarify the goal: is the priority speed, quality, or a specific profile? Then set shared accountability, for example, if they want a faster timeline, agree what they need to do differently: panel availability, same-day feedback, streamlined stages. Most importantly, it's about protecting the brand and avoiding expensive mis-hires. It's about keeping the relationship strong while still holding the line.
- Use the TA Stakeholder Influence Framework to bring the conversation back to the role outcome so the discussion stays focused on what the business actually needs to achieve.
- Present two or three hiring scenarios so stakeholders can choose the approach that fits their priorities.
- Document agreed timelines and responsibilities so expectations remain clear throughout the process.
The TA Stakeholder Influence Framework
A six-step approach designed to help talent teams navigate complex stakeholder environments and keep hiring aligned with real business needs. It provides a clear structure for managing influence, improving communication, and ensuring hiring decisions move forward with confidence.
Get the framework
Perfect for:
- Creating alignment between TA, founders and leadership teams
- Bringing structure to difficult or unclear hiring decisions
- Managing unrealistic timelines or shifting expectations
- Strengthening trust between TA and the wider business
Lucia Raru →
Head of Recruitment
Recruitment has always been at the heart of what Lucia does, even before it was her job title. She started in Events Management, where planning, pace and execution are everything, and as soon as she moved into management she realised the biggest lever for performance was people: hiring the right team, bringing them in well and watching them grow.
She then moved into agency recruitment across Commercial and Hospitality, working end-to-end across all levels, gravitating over time towards senior and strategic hires. Post-Covid, as tech accelerated, she moved into a more progressive, fast-moving environment at Meta, using data properly and building processes that remove friction from attraction through to offer and hire while keeping the human element strong.
Lucia now leads recruitment for Caprice Restaurants, an independent international luxury hospitality group with some of the best restaurants in the world. She manages a team of three, recruiting at scale in an environment where expectations are sky-high and brand reputation matters.