Understand the account structure
Course overview · 4 min reading + 12 min practice, estimated
Principles and method
An account may contain several legal entities, sites and business units with different hiring authority. Map the part of the organisation relevant to your service before assuming a headquarters contact controls every decision. Identify problem owners, budget holders, talent teams and procurement roles using legitimate professional information. Record relationships and uncertainty rather than inventing influence. A stakeholder map should support respectful routing and useful conversations, not covert personal profiling. Keep it current because organisational changes can quickly invalidate assumptions.
Worked example
A manufacturing group has central procurement but local plant hiring decisions. The map separates supplier approval from role sponsorship so the recruiter approaches the right process without bypassing established contacts.
Put it into practice
Draw a fictional account map with five roles and two unresolved authority questions.
Use fictional information and keep your work in your own notes.
Compare your approach: self-review guidance
Distinguish a person’s title from confirmed decision authority. Include internal talent acquisition as a stakeholder rather than assuming it is an obstacle to work around.
Sources and further reading
Original Academy teaching and fictional examples. These references provide context, not endorsement. Edition 2026.09; updated 2026-09-24.
- CIPD: Recruitment
Professional context for the recruitment lifecycle.
- GOV.UK: Set up a business
UK starting point. Business structure and obligations depend on the circumstances.