Talent Acquisition: everything you need to know
Talent acquisition is a strategic approach to identifying, attracting, and hiring qualified candidates. It includes employer branding, candidate experience, and relationship management. Unlike recruitment, which fills open positions, talent acquisition is a long-term strategy aimed at securing talent for future growth and specific roles.
Implementing an effective talent acquisition process to secure top talent is an investment that has the potential to improve every aspect of the way you do business.
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What is talent acquisition?
Talent acquisition is a strategic approach to finding, identifying, and selecting qualified candidates for open positions. It’s usually the responsibility of human resources professionals and technically includes each step of the hiring process, including sourcing, interviewing, and even onboarding.
However, the most effective TA strategies have a big-picture perspective and include less obvious steps of the process, such as building a desirable employer brand, improving the candidate experience, and prioritizing relationship management in an effort to attract and retain high-quality candidates.
Recruitment vs. talent acquisition
Recruitment and talent acquisition may seem like interchangeable terms, but there’s some nuance that differentiates the two.
The recruiting process involves the tasks associated with hiring for open positions. Writing job descriptions, publishing job postings to job boards and identifying potential candidates are all examples of recruitment-related activities.
Talent acquisition involves implementing a strategy for long-term human resources planning and is designed to attract and secure the best talent with specific skill sets or experience and the ability to grow into bigger and better roles within the organization in the future.
Recruitment falls under the umbrella of TA, however, talent acquisition is an ongoing process of networking, outreach, and relationship-building versus hiring for a specific position.
Learn more about recruitment and talent acquisition:
- 8 steps of the selection process for hiring employees
- Recruiter vs. hiring manager: Who is really responsible for hiring?
The talent acquisition process
Creating an effective TA process requires more than crafting thoughtful interview questions. Get started by considering the following aspects of the Pragmatic Recruiting Framework:
- Product: Understand your company, culture, and what a “good” candidate means to you.
- Audience: Understand what motivates the right candidates and how your company can meet their needs.
- Messaging: Craft an employer brand that positions your product as a compelling proposition for job seekers who are part of your intended audience.
- Programs: Create go-to-market programs that place your opportunities in front of the right audience.
- Readiness: Ensure your organization’s ability to execute on your selection process.
Once you develop a talent acquisition strategy, you need to build talent pipelines, create positive employer branding, and focus on talent relationship management.
An applicant tracking system can be a valuable tool to manage the logistical aspects of talent acquisition.
Additional resources on the talent acquisition process:
- Communicating the recruitment process: Do’s and Don’ts
- Sourcing talent: The best method for filling your talent pool
- The Pragmatic Recruiting Framework: A lesson from marketing
Benefits of talent acquisition
The primary benefit of creating and implementing this strategy is obvious: It optimizes the hiring process in a way that increases your odds of hiring top talent.
However, there are many advantages of having well-defined parameters for what you’re seeking in new employees. Creating a streamlined workflow that results in the best new hires available helps build the business you want.
Reduce time to hire, increase retention rates, improve talent management, and fortify company culture with an intentional staffing plan that prioritizes the core values of your organization.
Learn more about optimizing your hiring process:
Frequently asked questions
- What is talent acquisition?
- Talent acquisition is a strategic approach to identifying, attracting, and hiring qualified candidates. It goes beyond recruitment to include employer branding, candidate experience, and relationship management, aiming to attract and retain high-quality candidates.
- How does talent acquisition differ from recruitment?
- While recruitment involves tasks associated with filling open positions, talent acquisition is a long-term strategy aimed at attracting and securing talent with specific skills or experiences. It focuses on future growth and includes networking, outreach, and relationship-building.
- What is the talent acquisition process?
- The talent acquisition process involves understanding your company and what a "good" candidate means to you, understanding candidate motivations, crafting an employer brand, creating go-to-market programs, and ensuring your organization's readiness to execute the selection process.
- What are the benefits of talent acquisition?
- Talent acquisition optimizes the hiring process, increasing the odds of hiring top talent. It reduces time to hire, increases retention rates, improves talent management, and fortifies company culture by prioritizing the core values of your organization.
- How can an applicant tracking system aid in talent acquisition?
- An applicant tracking system can manage the logistical aspects of talent acquisition. It helps in building talent pipelines, creating positive employer branding, and focusing on talent relationship management.
