Think long term: discover how to build a talent acquisition strategy

Talented teams make successful organizations. Talented individuals are drawn to organizations that continually refresh and improve their talent acquisition processes and build a successful talent acquisition strategy. The accumulation of talent can create a high-performing and goal-focused culture. How to build a talent acquisition strategy? What are the steps of a talent acquisition process?

Hiring and retaining top talent requires more than just a recruitment strategy. Recruitment is about filling vacancies within company departments. Talent acquisition is more about considering how a company is going to expand long term and finding the right employees, top talent, for the future. An ongoing talent acquisition strategy to find specialists or future leaders for an organization, which focuses on long-term human resources planning and is driven by talent acquisition strategists or a talent acquisition team.

According to Deloitte, the talent acquisition lifecycle is a combination of recruitment and talent acquisition strategies divided into these phases: job search and application, which enable to reach top talent and attract it, accurate screening or assessment of top talent through the use of effective HR tools, hiring and onboarding. Onboarding is the very final step and the most relevant one to retain employees. Not least, using effective talent acquisition technology help in talent acquisition and drive competitive advantage.

Candidates first interact with a brand before they apply for vacancies. A big part of attracting top talent comes down to brand awareness and employer branding. Employer branding specifically targets prospective hires and it is a communication approach designed to retain high-performing employees.

It is extremely important to build one’s company identity and invest in employer branding. When looking into a company and visiting a corporate website, candidates have questions like: “what is the workplace atmosphere?”, “is there any potential for growth?”. To build one’s brand identity and, consequently, a good talent acquisition strategy, the number one priority should be to deliver a career page not only to present one’s job openings but also to give job seekers the content they need for an informed decision about their own fit at the organization. Indeed, according to a global survey, 64% of job seekers interviewed agree that a rich career page on an employer’s website is a valuable resource when searching for a job and a place to work.

Telling one’s story, values and mission, what is in it for new applicants and why they should apply. Posting images and videos of the team at work. Keeping the corporate website and career page up to date. Showcasing the employer brand via social media, encouraging employees to interact with the organization on its platforms. Using one’s corporate social responsibilities to attract like-minded candidates who will be passionate about working for the organization. Promoting cultural diversity. All of that allows reflecting a positive and expanding working environment and is an effective solution in talent acquisition.

When it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent, using cutting-edge AI-based HR tools like JobArch, the talent recruiting software and CRM for talent acquisition powered by Arca24, is no longer optional. From talent sourcing and recruiting, to candidate relationship management, this technology is set to help organizations find quality candidates and improve retention through an enhanced candidate experience.

The recruiting experience is important. It is important to fine-tune the recruiting process and make sure the candidate experience is an enjoyable one. If not, they are likely to miss out on great talent. Nowadays, talent sourcing best practices begin with Applicant Tracking Systems.

Talent recruiting software and CRM systems, especially those based on artificial intelligence and CV matching like JobArch, provide recruiters and staffing organizations with user-friendly career pages funnelling all applicants in just one tool and automating the following low-value added and repetitive tasks: resume screening, applicant shortlisting, job multiposting, feedback tracking and interview scheduling. Such technology enables them to centralize all their core processes, dedicate themselves to the “human side” of recruitment and reduce time-to-hire. Furthermore, ATSs also work in matching passive candidates who already existed in the organizations’ databases and they avoid any additional external recruitment cost.

By leveraging the right hiring and talent acquisition technology, HR professionals can reshape the talent acquisition journey, build a great talent pool in advance, improve the quality of decisions and boost candidate engagement.

Happy employees translate into better employee retention. Qualified candidates are looking for more than just a job. A survey reported that 62% of gen x’ers and 43% of millennials see themselves staying at their current employer for five or more years. To win that loyalty, organizations need to find candidates who fit into their business environment and feel engaged at work.

The best talent acquisition strategy begins with a thorough assessment and analysis of HR within an organization as well as of the company long-term needs. On the one hand, talent acquisition teams must make sure that the current HR functions are well aligned with business goals, working with management to anticipate the needs of the business and then strategizing on how to support the company growth. On the other hand, they must work on creating and encouraging learning and professional development opportunities that stimulate employees, as well as coaching sessions unlocking their potential.

Of course, designing comprehensive benefits plans and compensation packages and facilitating a healthy work/life balance are excellent talent acquisition strategy templates.