Developing a talent acquisition strategy is complicated. It takes on myriad forms based on an organization’s culture, industry, location, business needs – and readily available talent. As you can imagine (and probably attest), best practices in sourcing, assessing, and hiring vary widely. What works for one doesn’t always work for another – so why on earth would someone try to build a universal model for high-performance talent acquisition?
Because, as an analyst, it’s an important exercise; finding common denominators among the world’s most effective hiring organizations is a large undertaking, but it gives much-needed perspective on what’s actually working – and what’s not – in the war for talent. I’ve also found gratification in creating order from chaos.
The research has provided great insight into how recruiting teams are leveraging new technologies and embracing emerging key practices – insights I’ll continue to use for years to come. For example, I can say with confidence that candidate experience and employer brand are the cornerstone of any modern talent acquisition strategy.
I’ve condensed these key practices into categories at the highest level of the framework. I’m calling them The Three Pillars of High-Performance Talent Acquisition.
My colleague, Madeline Laurano, and I will be digging into these pillars in detail in a March 4 webinar with our friends at PeopleFluent. If you’re interested in learning more about talent acquisition strategy, I invite you to join us there. In the meantime, a quick overview of the three pillars.
Talent Acquisition Strategy: 3 Pillars of Success
- Plan & Prepare. This pillar of high-performance talent acquisition is powered by insights gained through careful analysis of organizational data – from business priorities and performance to workforce management, core HR, and talent management. Maybe you’ve heard this referred to as Big Data or People Analytics. Whatever you call it, high-performance organizations are keeping a constant pulse on organizational needs and adjusting talent acquisition goals accordingly. Activities in this pillar take place mostly within the Plan stage of the talent acquisition lifecycle, but also power key practices in the Source stage.
- Identify & Evaluate. For many organizations, this pillar represents the bulk of activity inherent in most talent acquisition processes. Efforts to identify and evaluate talent fall within the Source and Assess stages, and include key practices like candidate relationship management (CRM), semantic and Boolean search, employee referral management, behavioral assessments, and video interviewing.
- Acquire & Engage. This pillar encompasses the Hire and Onboard stages, both of which take place after a viable candidate has been found and selected. From extending and negotiating an offer to pre-boarding and new-hire socialization, the end-goal is to maintain momentum built up in the rest of the talent acquisition process in order to convert new hires into engaged employees and jettison them into a successful and lasting career within the organization.
Stay tuned for more details as we finalize the framework and report that will give hiring organizations a competitive edge in their talent acquisition strategy!
–Kyle Lagunas, Talent Acquisition Analyst, Brandon Hall Group
@KyleLagunas
