Recruiting top talent from among the pool of young professionals looking for jobs in 2017 can mean putting in long hours writing job descriptions, going through resumes and conducting interviews. Because of the workload involved and the importance of pinpointing the best candidates, many businesses have opted to outsource the talent acquisition process.
Is working with a recruitment partner still important in the modern market? Although many new technologies exist and new trends are changing the way businesses approach talent acquisition, there are still clear benefits to working with someone skilled in the art of identifying highly qualified candidates, connecting with them and bringing them on board.
The Case for a Talent Acquisition Partner
Acquiring talent means more than filling an open position. It’s a process in which recruiters must consider the long-term benefits each candidate is able to bring to the company. Individuals must possess strong skills, demonstrate the ability to lead and have potential for growth. Not every company has someone on staff who has mastered the nuances and complexities involved in recognizing such candidates.
Hiring a talent acquisition partner to handle the necessary steps can benefit companies by:
- • Increasing reach to connect with better prospects
- • Reducing the time and money spent on recruitment
- • Improving communication between companies and candidates by consolidating the hiring process
- • Making it easier to keep pace with the demand for new talent during times of growth
Professionals working in talent acquisition are also better able to monitor and evaluate trends driving the way companies search for and connect with new employees.
Talent Acquisition Trends in 2017
The surge of big data flowing into marketing departments is becoming just as common in talent acquisition. Recruiters are beginning to rely on data to analyze trends inside and outside of companies and use the information to develop strategic recruitment plans. When properly interpreted, data provides insights on the best channels through which to recruit new hires and can identify passive leads in addition to active ones.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to play a bigger role as the technology improves. Systems can “learn” as new data comes in and use relevant information to create talent searches with better focus. The growing sophistication of AI is leading to smarter systems with the ability to make correlations between relevant job descriptions and the information presented on resumes. Instead of waiting for candidates to come to the company, these systems can be set up to send communications to qualified candidates based on objectives, skills and alignment with company values.
Data analysis and the employment of AI allows for the automation of many recruitment tasks, freeing HR departments up to spend more time interacting with qualified candidates. The increased face-to-face time strengthens communication, establishes beneficial connections and makes it easier to pinpoint the best person for any job.
The Role of Video Job Ads in Modern Talent Acquisition
Such a level of personalization is essential for companies desiring to attract and retain top talent. Just as marketing has moved to a customer-focused model, recruitment now requires companies to reach out to candidates instead of the other way around.
Video is a powerful way to make connections with candidates. People interact with companies through many channels, and the flexibility and adaptability of video content means it can be used anywhere to attract attention and generate interest. Services like Digi-Me create customized videos businesses can use to communicate:
- • Brand image
- • Company culture
- • Work environment
- • Details of open positions
The professionals at Digi-Me combine talent acquisition strategies with the best marketing tactics to create unique, engaging video job ads with the potential to reach wide audiences of qualified applicants.
Outsource or Stay In-House?
Companies must consider their needs, the current rate of growth and their ability to analyze data when deciding whether to outsource to a talent acquisition partner. If hiring is draining time, money and company resources, letting someone else handle the process can provide an immediate boost to productivity and efficiency. This is especially true for companies with limited understanding of the modern talent acquisition process and little experience in how to create the best plan for hiring.
As the nature of talent acquisition continues to evolve, outsourcing is likely to become more popular. Skilled recruiters with knowledge of how today’s top talent interacts with companies, where they focus most of their attention and how they search for open positions are better able to make connections with skilled candidates.
Assessing current hiring strategies to determine what skills are needed to support continued growth can help HR managers determine if outsourcing is the best choice to handle talent acquisition. With the help of a third party, companies can minimize the effort required to find, evaluate and hire new employees while still ensuring the best candidates are matched with each position.
