Have you considered better ways to attract and retain top employees? Many businesses’ talent acquisition efforts fail due to a lack of in-house resources available to devote to the effort or due to lack of a sound acquisition strategy. They often err by making no distinction between recruitment and talent acquisition.
Use Proven Talent Acquisition Strategies to Attract Top Candidates
In HR terms, recruitment usually refers to a short-term way to fill a vacant position with a qualified candidate. Talent acquisition, on the other hand, means a longer-term strategy designed to attract and retain the best people for the business. It does not merely aim to fill an existing open position.
Talent acquisition strategies are particularly beneficial when your company is seeking candidates in specialized or professional fields (think technology, medicine, law, finance), highly competitive industries, and executive positions.
A Few Successful Strategies
Talent acquisition professionals specialize in find the best candidates by using proven talent acquisition strategies. What strategies and methods they use depends on the business, the qualifications of the candidates being sought, and other criteria tailored to the specific business client.
One of the best strategies you can use to attract the best candidates is to draw on the resources of a professional talent acquisition specialist. You will benefit from the specialist’s experience in evaluating your business and then deploying the right techniques for your needs. Here are just a few of the techniques an expert talent acquisition specialist uses:
1. Align the talent acquisition methods with the client’s current business strategy. With talent acquisition strategies, the specialist will work with you to evaluate your business development plans. How your business will grow over the next several years is important. Your business development plans will focus your talent acquisition efforts on finding the right people to get you there.
For example, suppose your business currently sells computer hardware but plans to expand into the software arena by developing a new software application. Your talent acquisition efforts should focus on attracting the right software developers and experienced software marketing experts.
2. Outreach through a wide variety of sources. Going to job fairs and posting positions online is fine for recruiting people to fill openings. Much more is required to attract the right people needed to fit your longer term business needs.
As you already know, the nature of your outreach efforts depends on the skill sets your business needs. You will not find the best accountants in the same place as the best software developers. You need to tailor your sourcing approach to find the people you’re looking for.
A talent acquisition specialist has experience in knowing where to find the vast majority of the top talent. Talent acquisition specialists spend time attending a variety of professional events and participating in online space to network and getting to know the right people. This allows them to maintain a pool of potential hires.
3. Strong focus on branding of the business. Strong branding of the business answers the question, “Why do I want to work for this business instead of any others?” You may be interested to know that candidates tend to go with the company that is known for having the best values, culture, and work-life balance. Work on developing a strong employer brand and you will attract better talent.
Branding should highlight your business culture. For example, your employees may enjoy a high degree of collaboration and teamwork which fosters a friendly environment. On the other hand, your company may promote family-friendly values and has a generous telecommuting policy and similar work-life balance benefits.
Whatever your business values and culture, a talent acquisition specialist can make sure they are broadcast in all appropriate online spaces where it is most likely to reach the people you want to attract. Sites such as Glassdoor and your company’s “About Us” page are especially useful in promoting employer branding.
4. Invest in potential candidates. Your business may not yet have openings for certain key roles. Nonetheless, you should keep in mind your businesses’ longer term growth plans. If you find the right person now, consider whether it is a good investment to bring the person onboard early and before a competitor beats you to it. Investing in the candidate now could pay off for your company in the long run.
5. Use metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your talent acquisition efforts. Specialized software will measure the success of your talent acquisition strategies, identify weak points, and help you modify it as needed. Professional talent acquisitions specialists may even use AI to predict certain behavior and automation in screening and assessing candidates to minimize human bias.
Contact the Talent Acquisition Experts at Smart HR
Get the edge in your talent search by speaking to one of several experienced talent acquisition specialists at Smart HR for more information. They will be happy to discuss the many ways they can save you time and money while providing top-notch services.
