HR Glossary

What is Talent Acquisition?

Gain insights into how strategic talent acquisition practices can revolutionize your organization's recruitment efforts and lead to a more dynamic, high-performing team.
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Many people don’t have the right idea about what talent acquisition is. They pair it with recruiting and think of them as synonyms. Even though they strive for a similar goal – to attract talent, they are very different.

Recruiting ends when a person is hired and onboarded, but talent acquisition stays far longer than that. It sculpts and takes care of employees so that they can reach their maximum potential.

It ensures that A-players are taken care of and are comfortable enough to stay with the company and make it better.

One of the main goals of talent acquisition is making the company’s brand and goals imprint on employees, intertwining them with their career aspirations. Thus, it gives employees a dynamic space to prosper and showcase their talent in exchange for a positive work environment, good benefits, and career goals.

Talent Acquisition vs. Recruiting?

Recruiters, head hunters, HR experts, hiring managers; when these powerhouse roles are combined, they form the whole body of talent acquisition. This is how broad the talent acquisition reach is.

If a simple definition that sums up their role is needed, it is finding talent, interviewing, thoroughly checking references, hiring and onboarding, redirecting talent to training if necessary.

All in all, hiring top talent and ensuring that quality employees are happy to stay.

In talent acquisition, the recruiters are the star players. They have the lead role. A company without a resourceful recruiting team has low chances of excelling in the targeted market.

On the other hand, keeping the talent motivated and overall satisfied with their role in the organization is also very important. That is a job that falls under the talent acquisition cap. In short, talent acquisition has a far broader range of responsibilities than recruiting.

In a way, they are intertwined and complement each other. Moreover, together they form an alliance that strives to secure cohesive, top-performing teams.

Talent Acquisition

Talent Acquisition Strategy

Talent acquisition always focuses on A-players.

They are the most difficult to obtain. Every innovative company with a good talent acquisition team makes a great effort to keep their A-players in-house. That is why it is so hard to convince an excellent worker to transition to another firm. Pair talent acquisition with a sound hiring strategy, and the result is a streamline of the top players from the industry to the company’s pipeline.

Talent acquisition has to adopt a marketing approach to work up a strategy that can deliver the top players. Usually, this technique is long-term and needs a lot of planning and nurturing relationships.

What is the Process of Talent Acquisition?

  • Building a sound and sustainable company brand
  • Expanding outreach strategies
  • Doing thorough background research for prospective candidates
  • Interviewing
  • Onboarding
  • Participating in succession planning
  • Making sure that talent gets proper training
  • Constantly supervising and nurturing hires

Sourcing the top players in an industry needs a lot of time and effort. It is not a one-time thing or a quick fix. On the contrary, recourses and time are required in order to hire the right people.

Talent Acquisition Tips

Some tips can streamline the whole process. If implemented correctly, the talent recruiter can build the company’s brand and make an impression on possible hires.  

  • Create a strong company brand. Ensure that the company’s website, community, and social media accounts are appealing to both customers and future employees. According to LinkedIn, before applying for a position, 75% of candidates will research the company. This is why it is essential to invest in marketing on social media and find a way to present the company to a broader audience — for example, appearing on events that correlate with the business core goals.    
  • Job posts should be as specific as possible. They should be detailed, describing the ideal candidate in specifics. Also, a recent study says that job postings that include visual elements are more appealing to 51% of applicants. This increases the company’s chances of finding suitable candidates.   
  • Expand company outreach. The company should use specialized job boards, networking events, and academic programs instead of general-purpose job sites. Teams should concentrate on building relationships with the top talent from there. This will raise awareness of the company’s brand among potential candidates, making it easier to recruit new employees in the future.   
  • To boost acquisition, use data analytics. Companies can view talent acquisition as a marketing campaign. Delivering a positive candidate experience is just as critical as convincing customers to purchase available products or services. Data analytics will show where the company’s top talent comes from. Overall, data analytics can ensure the job descriptions and career pages attract suitable candidates.   
  • Utilize the technology. A good Applicant Tracking System or a designated talent acquisition software can do wonders about sourcing top performers.  

Conclusion

In the end, what is talent acquisition without a long-term strategy that makes hiring more efficient and more productive?

They go hand in hand, delivering praise-worthy outcomes. For a company to thrive, it must use all recourses available to attract employees that will drive the company to be the best in its category.

Written by Shortlister Editorial Team

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