Elements of an Effective Talent Acquisition Strategy
An effective talent acquisition strategy always begins with an overall analysis of HR. Whether HR functions are performed in-house or are outsourced, effective talent acquisition relies on HR functions that are aligned to the overall business strategy. Simply put, HR must recognize, define, and communicate the value of the business to the people via an active agenda that is clearly seen by all existing and potential employees.
To start, a complete understanding of the business and business strategy is essential. Many HR departments, however, are overwhelmed and communication with the business’s executives is limited or in terms with which HR department is not fully familiar. Therefore, a large amount of responsibility rests on the executives’ shoulders for an effective talent acquisition strategy. The most important key factor is the willingness of the business to buy into the importance of the people agenda, and next comes the HR department’s willingness to incorporate the executives’ communication into its procedures and standards. If the HR strategy is not aligned to the overall business strategy, even the best HR leaders will fail.
Now, say you’ve analyzed all of the aforementioned, and you’re looking to measure if a talent acquisition strategy is truly working. How to do this? Between all the communication between HR and business executives, it is easy to get lost in the airwaves and not fully measure effectiveness. Luckily, measuring effectiveness is simple. Successful talent acquisition means that the need for recruiters drops. Over time, if a business sees that hiring needs decline, the talent acquisition strategy may then be labelled effective.
It must be noted, however, that good talent acquisition strategies are not one-size-fits-all or something that can be analyzed and implemented just once. Good strategy is never-ending and always in flux to match the demands of the business market. The right technology can assist with fluctuating implementation needs and can additionally free up more of HR’s time, which can then be used to focus on determining the organization’s vision and aligning the people agenda to match. Effective talent acquisition is comprised of many facets and variables, no matter the size or scope of the business. The complexity of talent acquisition may intimidate some professionals, but when positions are filled with top candidates and the need for recruiters drops to a minimum, profitability makes it well worth the effort.
About PeopleScout
PeopleScout, a TrueBlue Company, is a trusted global recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) provider offering full service support in nearly every industry & skill vertical. PeopleScout provides innovative RPO solutions including enterprise, full cycle, partial cycle & project RPO as well as Recruiter On-Demand™, a contract solution designed by PeopleScout. PeopleScout’s suite of services also includes employer branding, mobile optimization, sourcing, interviewing, Next Level™ candidate care, onboarding, ATS & CRM/Talent Community & reporting & analytics through PeopleScout Higher Insights™ for fully customized solutions. PeopleScout helps our clients make tens of thousands hires annually across a variety of industries & skill sets & improves quality of hire for companies with exempt & non-exempt hiring needs worldwide.
