Talent acquisition: Strategies and tips for HR teams
Talent acquisition is a strategic approach for successfully attracting, onboarding and retaining talent. The aim is to bring the right people through the door and to give them a great candidate experience from start to finish. Most importantly, talent acquisition considers the bigger picture, such as company values and long-term business strategy, in order to identify and acquire the right people.
While a quarter of UK businesses are now hiring for more permanent roles, according to Robert Half’s National Trends – 2022 Salary Guide, many still worry about finding the right talent for the positions. Perhaps unsurprisingly in the context of a global talent shortage, more than half (51.8%) of UK businesses say it has never been harder to attract talent.
This is why talent acquisition has become such a fundamental element of the in-house recruitment process, and managing it successfully should be a priority of HR teams in order to hire and retain the best candidates. Discover some tips and tools in our guide to help you develop a successful talent acquisition strategy and a winning candidate experience.
Why is talent acquisition important?
An organisation is only as successful as the people it attracts – so talent acquisition is fundamental to business success.
For talent acquisition to add true value, it needs to be considered in the context of the whole employee lifecycle. For example, employees that experience an engaging and fulfilling culture from the start of their journey with your organisation are more likely to stay, ultimately contributing towards higher productivity, reduced attrition and improved retention. Reports have shown organisations that focus on onboarding retain 50% more new employees than those that don’t, demonstrating just how important it is to provide the tools they need to do their job well from the start.
By 2025, it is predicted that millennials will represent 75% of the working population, which means that the expectations of employers have and will continue to change. There is now a strive for better work-life balance for Gen Z and millennials, so being in a position to offer flexible options will likely attract the most suitable candidates and keep them developing within their roles.
With the growing competition for talent, it’s unsurprising that many organisations are choosing to structure their talent acquisition strategies around flexible skills when advertising for new roles, helping them build a more adaptable, agile and future-ready workforce. In fact, 59% of HR leaders prioritise building critical skills and competencies in 2022 and beyond.
What is the difference between talent acquisition and recruitment?
Talent acquisition is about finding the right talent to meet your business needs, deliver on objectives and take businesses to the next level. It is a more holistic, longer-term strategy designed to bring the most suitable people on board and build the workforce of the future. Common elements of talent acquisition include employer branding, diversity and inclusion, candidate and employee experience, and performance and metrics.
Recruitment is more focused on active hiring to fill open positions. It tends to involve activities such as creating job descriptions, advertising roles and conducting outreach to get in front of suitable candidates.
Managing talent effectively is often made easier with defined strategies and tools that can help to automate often lengthy and complex tasks and ensure that talent acquisition and recruitment processes are aligned.
Learn more about our HR recruitment solutions and how talent acquisition software can work for you and your organisation.
Automate talent acquisition processes with specialised HR recruitment software
Common challenges when attracting and retaining talent
Over the past few years, the entire landscape of work has changed and this has directly impacted how organisations attract and retain talent. It to not only vital to recognise these developments but also to be in a position to respond to them effectively.
1. The Great Resignation
The Great Resignation, a term coined during the pandemic to refer to a record number of employees resigning from their jobs en masse, seems to be a work trend that is continuing and picking up pace.
For example, PwC’s report in 2022 found that one in five workers globally were planning to quit in 2022 and a global Microsoft survey found that a massive 41% were considering leaving their current job or making a career change within the next year. With more talent looking to move, this poses both an issue for talent attraction, and retention.
With higher salaries and job fulfilment being stated as key reasons for people making a move, these things should provide invaluable feedback for HR and hiring managers when considering their approach to talent acquisition. Reviewing pay against benchmarks, but also looking at financial well-being support, bonus incentives and flexible benefits could all support a positive approach to talent acquisition strategies. In addition, a focus on your onboarding processes, how you engage, reward and recognise employees, and how you develop talent internally will all contribute to job fulfilment, helping support talent acquisition, and reducing employee churn.
2. Quiet quitting
Another potential challenge for employers is ‘quiet quitting’, in which employees 'disengage' from their work and do what is often deemed as the bare minimum. For example, a global report by Gallup showed that only 9% of workers in the UK were engaged or enthusiastic about their work.
Reasons for quiet quitting in this context have been reported to include unhappiness with pay, disagreement on company culture and workloads that are unmanageable. Looking at quiet quitting differently though, it is perhaps more about employees feeling resentful about being expected by employers ‘to go the extra mile and in fact, they’re now simply doing the job they’re paid to do.
Whatever the reason or impact, one thing is clear: regularly getting feedback from employees to gauge employee sentiment and genuinely listening and actioning change is going to help employees to feel valued. As our understanding of your employee’s goals and development plans and having the means and tools to help them achieve these things. Communicating what’s expected of employees, ensuring they’re clear on their roles and responsibilities and being supported effectively to avoid confusion are all things that developed HR strategies will be focussing on.
3. Digital Skills Gaps
Digital transformation and increases in workplace automation are continuing to evolve. This is having an impact on a variety of roles as well as posing hiring challenges, particularly when it comes to attracting those with digital skills.
With the technology sector booming, we’ve seen an increase in demand for digital talent, from developers and analysts to digital marketers. But whilst they’re in high demand, there’s still a talent shortage, with a lack of digitally skilled candidates for the increasingly digital-first roles being recruited for. Those with digital skills are more often flocking specifically to technology sectors, where candidates are being offered the kind of working culture they have now come to expect.
4. Generational expectations and challenges
One of the biggest challenges in hiring employees comes from the failure of organisations to fully understand the expectations held by different generations of applicants.
There are currently around 13.8 million millennials employed in the UK and as more baby boomers retire, this number is set to increase. By 2025, millennials are forecast to represent 75% of the working population.
Generally born in the 80s, millennials will have grown up during a period of rapid technological advancement, having what could be described as an ‘analogue childhood and a digital adulthood’. While Gen Z, born in the 90s, will be digital natives. More traditional recruitment approaches just won’t cut it for these tech-savvy, switched-on digital generations.
In addition, Generation X – predominantly born in the ‘70s – were the first to have widespread access to the internet and mobile phones and therefore not usually afraid of changing and evolving technology. Your organisation’s approach to technology to support the employee lifecycle should be a big consideration in your talent acquisition strategy.
Our HR and Payroll specialist Adam Barrett recently spoke about how it's important for the recruitment process to meet both candidate and organisation needs:
How to build an effective talent acquisition strategy
A successful talent acquisition strategy is particularly important in today’s highly competitive job market. This is why we’ve put together a list of key steps involved in some of the best talent acquisition strategies.
Top strategies to attract the best talent
Getting talent acquisition right will vary from organisation to organisation which is why it’s important to consider your objectives first, and tailor your approach accordingly. Some common processes involved in successful talent acquisition strategies include:
1. Implement effective employer branding and review your reputation
Jason Seiden of Brand Amper says that "a company has a reputation in the market for its products and what it sells. But companies also have a reputation as employers.” This ‘reputation as employers’ is referred to as employer branding, which CIPD defines as ‘…a set of attributes and qualities, often intangible, that makes an organisation distinctive, promises a particular kind of employment experience, and appeals to those people who will thrive and perform best in its culture.'
Research suggests that organisations that implement an effective employer brand have been able to cut their cost-per-hire in half and attract more than three times as many applicants per vacancy.
Although many businesses are making CSR, workplace well-being and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) top priorities, Robert Half’s report suggests that businesses have more to do in attracting and retaining talent, with candidates increasingly being focused on businesses’ values and culture.
Whilst salary may be a major factor for most, there are many other considerations candidates have:
- Aligned values. According to a Deloitte Millennial Survey, “millennials and Gen Zs, in general, will patronise and support companies that align with their values. Younger generations are putting their money where their mouths are when it comes to supporting businesses that make a positive impact on society. Many say they will not hesitate to lessen or end a consumer relationship when they disagree with a company’s business practices, values or political leanings.”
- New talent will likely value transparency and authenticity so let them see some of your people enjoying what they do. You could demonstrate organisational culture across your social channels – from behind-the-scenes footage of your workplace on Snapchat and Twitter to photos of your working environment and company events on Facebook to employee quotes and interviews with existing employees on LinkedIn.
- The recruitment experience: a branded recruitment portal is a great way to improve the candidate experience from the first touchpoint with your organisation, enabling potential employees to see a window into your organisation, the roles available and get an idea of culture.
- Employees as advocates. Once candidates become employees, they’ll expect to live the brand they experienced during the recruitment process, so it must closely align with your true organisational culture and employee experience. When it does, your new hires will become engaged and passionate employees and the best advocates of your brand, helping you acquire more talent.
Think about what kind of culture you have to offer to attract talent, and how you can develop and communicate this externally to form the foundation of your talent acquisition strategy.
2. Prioritise a digital-first approach to talent acquisition
Candidates today can interact with your organisation in so many ways. Each of these interactions provides a unique opportunity to personally engage with a candidate who could become one of your future leaders.
Millennials and Gen Z candidates in particular are used to getting information as and when they want it, and you should be able to offer this right through your employee lifecycle – from recruiting to employee development and beyond. Have you thought about the following digital considerations in the employee journey?
- Candidates research employers before applying for jobs - “Everything a candidate has ever heard, read or witnessed about your company will enter into the decision of whether to work with your company,” says Will Staney, former Head of Global Recruiting at Glassdoor. Websites like Glassdoor (which allows employees to anonymously review their own workplace) may form part of this research so it’s worth checking out whether your existing employees have contributed and what they might say to a new candidate about your employee satisfaction rates.
- Advertising via social networks - Social networks are one of the most powerful ways of attracting and acquiring talent, with the ability to design targeted ads for your ideal candidates and as a way for potential talent to get an idea of your brand and your values.
- A mobile-optimised talent acquisition process - The ability to apply for vacancies with a few taps of their smartphone is something many candidates not only appreciate but expect as the norm, so ensuring job postings are at the very least mobile-friendly, and ideally, optimised specifically for mobile will remove any barriers to applying. Using a mobile-friendly branded applicant tracking system also enhances the employee experience, with the ability to show candidates more about the benefits of working at your organisation, apply for a job and use it as a communication tool throughout the recruitment process.
- Automation to support, not replace, the personal touch. Increasingly, organisations are turning to automated HR technology to help them improve their talent acquisition strategies and increase efficiencies, but that doesn’t mean the personal touch goes out the window. If anything it should be quite the opposite. Advanced recruitment software makes it easier to communicate with larger volumes of candidates and ensure personalised responses.
- Pre-employment screening - Automated pre-employment screening ensures secure verification of candidate credentials and background checks, making this process quicker and easier too. Options such as the Right to Work app can also be beneficial for organisations with simpler screening requirements. This can help organisations remain compliant, whilst speeding up the hiring process for your candidates.
- A slick onboarding process - HR interactions should be slick and efficient throughout the onboarding phase too, as studies have shown that focusing on onboarding can help companies retain 50% more new employees than those that don’t.
One way to actively demonstrate your company’s technology credentials from the outset is to make use of onboarding software in order to engage with successful candidates once an offer is made. Reducing admin and making HR tasks digital with self-service software tools is also likely to give a positive first impression. Helping new talent to understand their role, what is expected of them from the start and where to get appropriate training and support will contribute greatly towards a positive onboarding experience.
Digitally connected employees can be the secret weapon in talent acquisition. Everyone wants to work for businesses where morale is high, employees are happy, and satisfaction is positive. Employee referrals could make a real difference to recruitment success, so referral programmes are worth encouraging. As Raymond Carvery of Harvard Business Publishing points out; utilising your employees’ ability to spread information about your organisation could be the best recruiting investment you make.
Employers need to truly embrace technology when looking to attract and acquire talent. Not just in using social media to support recruitment, but also leveraging digital tools and apps to support upskilling, career development, social collaboration, skills sharing and employee recognition.
Our HR and Payroll specialist Adam Barrett recently spoke about ensuring a return on investment is made from your recruitment technology and the importance of a better onboarding process:
3. Consider the generational expectations
As explored above, it’s important that HR managers and internal recruitment teams are adopting a talent acquisition strategy that caters to the expectations held by different generations of applicants. Whether your talent pool is typically Gen Z, Millennials (Gen Y) or Gen X, your strategies for attracting and recruiting them could potentially be different.
Most millennials and Gen Z candidates will aspire to a better work-life balance and tend to see gig-economy flexibility combined with traditional employee stability as a positive mix. Gen X, known for their entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic, will also be engaging in the debate on how to achieve a positive work-life balance, so organisations with the ability to accommodate flexibility will fair best in attracting and retaining talent across all generations.
As the generation most likely to switch jobs, and be on the lookout for new opportunities, millennials aren’t likely to be tied to the same job for long if they’re not satisfied or they feel underappreciated so the types of incentives you offer, along with your organisation’s engagement tools, workplace wellbeing strategies and employee development opportunities will need to be communicated from the outset during recruitment, and available throughout the employee lifecycle to support retention.
Gen X on the other hand is generally more likely to stay longer with an employer. According to Indeed, a commonality of Generation X candidates is the value placed on autonomy, self-improvement, clarity, and flexibility. They’re also more likely to use LinkedIn and Facebook to search for a job. Many candidates in this group will likely have accumulated a wealth of experience – possibly with skills that go beyond what they use in their current role – and are more likely to be looking for management or leadership roles. Acknowledging the potential for these transferable skills can help recruiters craft the best recruitment ads to attract Gen X candidates.
4. Create career progression and talent development opportunities
Millennials in particular have strong expectations when it comes to career progression, with a PWC report finding that millennials would rather choose to work for a company that can offer a route to rise through the ranks, over one paying an initially attractive wage.
As one CEO espousing the concept of ‘people movement’ noted, “we’ve seen sales people shift to product management and marketing specialists to corporate development. A-players stick around longer when they’re continually challenged”. This is backed up by the Gallup survey which highlighted that when millennials aren’t challenged, they become complacent, disengaged, and ultimately leave.
Building a culture that supports employees’ ability to move around within your organisation, along with digital tools, such as career development software and talent development programmes, for example, will help support both talent acquisition and retention.
With Gen X candidates and employees having accumulated a wealth of experience, skills and knowledge, most will want to know about your organisation’s training to support upskilling (potentially in relation to leadership and management opportunities) and performance management that supports their long-term career goals and aspirations.
HR can also leverage the experience and skills of Gen X employees to help bridge the gap between experienced baby boomers who are retiring from the workforce and upcoming millennials with newly acquired knowledge. A mentoring programme is an ideal way to encourage skills transfer across generational groups and ensure important knowledge is retained within the business when individuals leave, helping to ensure succession plans are also built into your talent acquisition strategy.
Ensuring skilled employees are rapidly identified through both formal appraisal processes and informal talent assessments and provided opportunities to progress in their existing role or across the organisation will create a culture that all employees aspire to work in.
Ultimately, analysing all of the valuable people data and workforce metrics extracted from your HR software should form the basis of any robust talent acquisition strategy.
Supercharge your talent acquisition strategy with HR software
PeopleXD is our core HR and payroll software suite, with an integrated HR recruitment module, to help you deliver on your talent acquisition strategies. With dynamic dashboards to provide rich data and insights, hiring managers can make informed decisions and take effective action to secure top talent. As part of your long-term talent acquisition strategy, PeopleXD can help you connect your HR processes, and achieve tangible results, cost benefits and improved ROI.
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