5 Expert-Recommended Essentials of a Powerful Talent Acquisition Strategy

Last Updated: December 16, 2021

Unemployment is at an all-time low. Candidates have the upper hand in the choice of work. And you need a long-term talent acquisition strategy to hire these candidates. We bring you the recommendations of five experts on building a robust strategy for your long-term hiring requirements.

Talent acquisition (TA)Opens a new window is a long-term hiring strategy to find and hire quality candidates. It is an ongoing process, and recruitment resulting from, for example, urgently filling a vacancy, is part of a broader talent acquisition strategy.

Building a successful talent acquisition strategy requires the coming together of several teams. It is not an isolated HR process, but a collaboration between the C-suite, IT, and other departments to create a strategy that works and that candidates find attractive.

For instance, when we talk about showcasing company culture through the employer brand, it first requires leadership and HR to define and articulate that company culture into words. Only then can you send an accurate message out to candidates. Similarly, when we mention integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the talent acquisition process, it requires collaboration with IT to ensure that the data used and produced by this technology is secure.

When these collaborations are in place, the following tips from our experts will help you build a robust talent acquisition strategy.

Learn More: Top 10 Employee Recruitment Strategies for 2019 to Hire the Best TalentOpens a new window

What Are the Elements of a Successful Talent Acquisition Strategy?

We bring to you inputs from experts on how to put together a strategy that works.

1. Use the power of the nudge

Recently, there has been a significant amount of researchOpens a new window on the relationship between behavioral economics and human resources. The popular nudge theory from behavioral economics has found its place in HR, with applications from talent acquisition to learning and developmentOpens a new window .

A nudge – as the term suggests – helps influence behavior with subtle changes in the decision-making context.

In talent acquisition, particularly, the nudge can be used by combining marketing and recruiting efforts, as suggests David SwanzOpens a new window , Head of CWS-RPOS at Alexander Mann SolutionsOpens a new window , a talent acquisition and management solutions provider.

“For example,” says Swanz, “if you are a product company, most of your candidates are potential consumers of your brand too. 

“Why not consider linking marketing and recruitment efforts by offering promotional incentives as a ‘thank you’ for joining the talent pool, in the same way, that consumer marketing teams reward purchases loyalty and birthdays, or prompt customers to complete a purchase when items are left in their virtual shopping cart?” he suggests. “A candidate will always be a champion for your brand if they are treated with the appropriate care.”

So, an FAQ section for candidates on your careers page is as essential as one on your consumer-facing website. An HR chatbot is as helpful as a customer service chatbot. A solid talent acquisition strategy must keep the candidate experienceOpens a new window in mind and work in parallel with its marketing strategy.

Swanz adds, “We need to marry technological capabilities with an understanding of human psychology to shape how potential candidates feel about an organization, engage with the brand and – consequently – make decisions about their future career.” 

2. Be as mobile as they are

A lot of candidates hang out on networking platforms, building a reliable network and creating connections they can use for future jobs. But does every potential candidate do this on their desktop?

Probably not. A recent Glassdoor reportOpens a new window found that “Mid-career workers—35-44 years old—are the most likely to look for jobs on their mobile phones.”

This means your talent acquisition strategy needs to be built for the mobile-first and desktop later. A mobile recruitmentOpens a new window plan is essential to ensure that you reach your candidates wherever they are.

Where can you begin? Start by thinking about how you want to present the job ad. Amardeep Vishwakarma, CTO, Shine.com, saysOpens a new window , “The space available on a mobile screen is limited, making it important to present the most important information segregated under different call-to-actions. Partnering with online hiring portals which have a proven mobile-driven approach can also prove an efficient measure to complement an organization’s mobile recruitment strategy.”

Also, ensure that your social recruitmentOpens a new window game through networking sites such as LinkedIn is built well.

3. Integrate AI into your strategy, already

“Talent acquisition is fertile ground for integrating artificial intelligence,” saysOpens a new window Jim PerryOpens a new window , Director of Enterprise Performance Management Practice Strategy at InforOpens a new window , an ERP cloud software provider. 

If you aren’t already doing it, it is now time to bring artificial intelligence (AI) into your talent acquisition strategy. From candidate relationship managementOpens a new window to onboarding, this technology is set to help you, the TA specialist, find quality candidates and improve retention through an enhanced candidate experience. 

As Perry says, “Using AI and machine learning allows for increased accuracy when attracting, interviewing, vetting and hiring candidates – and can also work to further understand the traits needed in that specific role to drive success.”

Integrating AI and machine learning into talent acquisition also takes care of a serious problem that occurs during recruitment – biasOpens a new window .

Perry adds, Finding new hires through technology that measures behavioral characteristics alongside traditional qualities will enable a better, more successful and more satisfied workforce that will translate to a stronger company.”

Using AI is a great way to succeed in recruitment and deliver the value of the amount of time and effort spent in hiring a single candidate.

Learn More: How to Succeed with AI in RecruitingOpens a new window

4. Let your job posts showcase your employer brand

Your employer brand can directly impact the success of your TA strategy. Another Glassdoor studyOpens a new window found that 95% of those surveyed said that a potential employer’s reputation mattered to them when applying for a job.

“The job description is where you convince a potential candidate that they want, no need, this job. And that means it’s where you want to focus on the reasons you are in fact the employer of choice for your industry,” saysOpens a new window Adrian CernatOpens a new window , CEO and co-founder of SmartDreamersOpens a new window , a recruitment marketing automation provider.”

You can use tools such as TextioOpens a new window to create automated and unbiased job descriptions that accurately reflect your company culture. As Cernat says, “Not all candidates will be familiar with your social media presence. There are still folks coming to your careers portal or finding your postings on job boards who may have no introduction to your EB [employer brand] or EVP [employer value proposition], so including enough branding to give them a taste via the description is a great way to be sure they know who they’re dealing with.”

5. Include continuous employee development in your strategy

Candidates are beginning to prioritize learning and development over other factors that make a job attractive to them. In Deloitte’s Global Millennial Survey 2019Opens a new window (email required), 28% of millennials and 27% of Generation Z surveyed said they would leave a job for lack of learning opportunities.

“I believe the recruiting slogan for today should be ‘Come Work for Us and We Will Help You Leave’,” says Steve CadiganOpens a new window , founder of Cadigan Talent VenturesOpens a new window , a talent solutions provider.

“Start your recruiting process by asking candidates where they want to be when they leave the company,” he continues, “and do so by making clear your intent in asking so you can help steer their experience while they work with you to reach that destination.”

Why? Because neither candidates nor employers know what skills will be needed to survive the future of work. If the promise of employee career developmentOpens a new window is available to candidates, they are more likely to join your organization over another that does not prioritize learning. 

Learn More:

Talent Acquisition vs Recruitment: Key Differences and SimilaritiesOpens a new window

Your TA Strategy Doesn’t Just Need to Evolve, It Must Stay Ahead of the Times

We don’t have the time to catch up to changes in technology and employee behavior with changing generations. We must build the foresight to develop strategies that predict behavior and enable quality hiring. This will require a significant amount of collaboration and the use of technologies such as AI to predict employee behavior. Using this data and by keeping a pulse on internal (organizational) and external (world) events, you will be able to create a talent acquisition strategy that works.

How do you go about building your talent acquisition strategy? Share your insights with our readers and us on FacebookOpens a new window LinkedInOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window . We would love to hear from you!

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