5 key steps to build your talent acquisition strategy

orld looks to get back on track after the worst of Covid, firms are working hard to secure the best possible talent for their businesses. This is in anticipation of hotly rising competition in the years ahead and changing market conditions that make talent acquisition even more crucial than before.

The good news for employers is that technology is greatly helping the way that employer brands and great match candidates can connect, especially if web-based recruitment software and other selection technologies are deployed intelligently and for competitive strategic advantage. There’s no doubt that a good hire can be a huge financial boost to a business – particularly when weighed up against the costs of a bad hire.

Getting it right the first time must absolutely be the mantra for today’s businesses, which simply don’t have time to waste bringing poor match candidates on board. So what steps can a business take to build a successful talent acquisition strategy and avoid these issues?

1. Focus on relationship building

In the same way that your marketing and sales functions are working hard to build long-term profitable relationships with clients and candidates, your HR and recruitment functions must be looking carefully at candidate relationship building for the longer term. Often when you get to the point of choosing a candidate for a job, you may find that you have a small pool of three excellent fit candidates – meaning that the unsuccessful choices would still be a great choice for your business.

So rather than simply offering a rejection, look at an opportunity to build a longer-term relationship with them, beginning with regular communication and action if the individual indicates they would like to keep in touch. This could be facilitated with an Applicant Tracking System.

2. Leverage web-based recruitment software

Make use of the excellent software that is available to streamline your processes and to remove wasted time, costs, and unnecessary steps from your hiring process. These software systems also help to ensure that your candidates have a highly positive experience with regular communication and clear updates at each step of the process. It also gives your hiring managers access to ready, rich data about the progress of each open position.

3. Use referrals

Providers of talent acquisition services and HR providers often say that talented individuals tend to know other talented individuals. So use your internal team to garner referrals, especially when succession planning for future positions. Thinking about building a new team? Implement a referral bonus scheme and contact your own top performers to find out who they know and to start putting the feelers out. Log this data in your web-based recruitment software system and be open with any candidates that you contact on a ‘getting to know you’ basis, to gauge their interest in being ‘kept in mind’.

4. Start early recruitment

Many businesses have cyclical role openings – perhaps for seasonal ramp-ups, for example. Rather than panic recruit every time at short notice, start to plan well ahead. Create role profiles well in advance and post adverts early – being open to candidates that recruitment is likely to be in the future. Communication is key here, once again. Be honest and foster ongoing communication with possible candidates so that they are ready to buy into the process and pre-engage if and when the position does become open.

5. Always act with honesty and integrity

Your employer brand is absolutely crucial when it comes to finding and retaining great talent. If you are nurturing a network of ‘warm’ potential candidate leads, and a hot prospect is offered another role – don’t be tempted to ’embellish the truth’ about possibilities within your own business. Yes, you don’t want to lose that individual – but if you pretend that they are about to receive a job offer from your business – when they aren’t – they may lose out on their competing offer and develop a very bad impression of your firm. Act with integrity, honesty, and open communication and they may return to you later down the line – or refer in other great people, with a strong review of your business.

Which talent acquisition tips will you focus on?

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