Last week, I saw this graphic from the Resourcing Leadership 100 (RL100) on Talent Acquisition Maturity. It shows the various stages organisations go through as their Talent team matures.
One of the main things that struck me was how much more strategic companies get as they increase in maturity. But it also made me think about how difficult it must be for companies to reach that level of maturity. Talent is a relatively new department, and now, with budget cuts and hiring freezes, it can be difficult to strategise effectively.
A few weeks ago, we held a ‘behind closed doors’ round table with Social Talent’s Johnny Campbell and other leading TAs. Something that came out of the call was the way that the Talent Acquisition role had changed massively during 2020.
So What has Changed in the TA World?
According to Johnny and the other talent professionals, the Talent Acquisition role has started to merge into more of a Talent Management role.
Part of the reason for this is an increase in internal mobility. Job roles continually change (look at Talent Acquisition!) and rather than people staying in the same role for years, their positions are continually changing.
In The WEF’s 2020 Future of Jobs Report, they reported 85 million jobs will be displaced while 97 million new jobs will be created across 26 countries by 2025. As AI and machine learning gets more prevalent, and with the huge changes of 2020 thrown in, this will continue to grow.
Now, teams need to be hired not just for current skills but for their ability to learn and adapt, meaning Talent teams need to concentrate on internal progression alongside external hiring. And with pandemic-related changes – working from home, remote company culture, and virtual training – it’s harder to track engagement and satisfaction too.
Think Outside the Organisation
RL100’s Talent Maturity table is daunting to look at. To reach a mature level, especially when the Talent Acquisition Team’s roles are changing so rapidly is a long road. But simply managing the baseline means you’re not taking advantage of the benefits of a talent strategy.
And, with your team often now tied up in internal talent management, one of the most difficult areas to work on is an external hiring plan. Add in the rapidly-changing job market since the start of Covid-19 and it’s an area that’s often overlooked.
It’s Not All Contingent and Retained…
For many businesses, outside help doesn’t seem like an option for Talent Acquisition. Retained recruiters are too expensive long-term, and contingent recruiters aren’t integrated enough to align with your long-term goals.
So what if you could work with a recruiter that wouldn’t charge you even if they didn’t hire anyone, and who really embodied your business? The same way consultants work alongside teams in busy periods or times of change.
A business that could work as an extension of your Talent Acquisition team, taking on the difficult roles that your team don’t have the time or resources to deal with? Taking your Talent Acquisition maturity level from baseline to mature…
External Talent Acquisition that Blends Into Your Own Team
That way, candidates get the same brand experience they would if your own team did the hiring. Meanwhile, you reap the benefits of recruitment experts who build on what you have with in depth processes and industry knowledge.
It’s how we work at Solutions Driven – on a by-role basis, finding out everything we can about the company’s candidate needs and ensuring we find them the right person, first time, every time. It’s achieved through our RPI process, using human intelligence with market-leading technology and data, continually refining and improving our hiring methods.
Internal talent teams oversee the whole process and we work as their partner, rather than another services supplier.
And it’s Not Just About the Actual Hiring…
Many companies manage their recruitment planning through monthly/quarterly forecast plans, based on business demand.
But, by thinking more strategically and putting workforce planning in place, you can put together a longer-term strategy that blends both your Talent Acquisition and Talent Management. That way, business needs are always met.
By working with a recruitment partner that already has processes in place and has experience of looking ahead for long-term hiring goals, you can move from ad-hoc planning to ensuring the business always has its hiring needs met and can easily navigate future challenges and hurdles.
After all, failing to plan is planning to fail. (Sorry. We’ve read too many business blogs…)
At Solutions Driven, we use Recruitment Process Intelligence to make our hires, satisfy clients, and keep happy employees in their positions long term.
This consists of using human-powered processes to find, engage, and attract candidates; data to drive continuous hiring improvement; and blending the science of recruitment with the art of engagement to get the right hire, first time, every time.
There’s lots more a good partnership with a quality outside recruiter can bring. From assessing candidates, to embedding strategies in the business to help long-term success, and advising on tech that will engage candidates and improve your EVP, the possibilities are endless.
If you work in Talent, it can seem like there’s an insurmountable amount of work to do to get your team working smart. But bringing in the expertise of fresh, new eyes can help attract and retain staff, gain higher employee engagement levels, and make you more profitable.
