Cream of the Crop: The Core Principles of Talent Acquisition Strategy

Did you know that 60 percent of recruiters have said their biggest problem is talent shortage?

When it comes to creating the best talent acquisition strategy possible, you need to consider many things — especially if you’ve had trouble finding talent in the past. The hiring process can be a long and tedious one, but it doesn’t have to be miserable. In fact, with the right principles in mind, you can have an efficient, streamlined process that every candidate will love.

How can you get started, though? Read on to learn about six of the core principles.

1. Optimization

The first place you need to start is your careers page. This is the first place that many potential candidates interact with your site, and it’s the most essential piece of the puzzle.

This study found that users judge the visual appeal of a website in under 50 milliseconds. That’s essentially how long you have to capture a user’s attention, and your hiring page is no exception. The two biggest principles it needs to follow are ease of use and visual appeal.

When it’s easy to use, people won’t mind setting up a profile and applying for a job they might be interested in. If your website can’t deliver on that, however, potential talent is going to see its way out the door.

2. Track Your Applicants

Next, you’ll want to implement some kind of applicant tracking. If you’re a small business, you might consider outsourcing the entire process to a team that can help you each step of the way. When you do this, you’re going to feel a lot of weight come off your shoulders, and you might even find the talent you bring in is more qualified and ready to start with little training.

The right team is going to help you set up a system that tracks candidates but also cares for job postings, applications, and even job offers. They’ll be able to take over the interview process, emailing candidates, and you’ll be able to stay notified about it.

When you have a regularly managed hiring process, it creates a positive experience for both you and the candidates you’re looking to hire. It establishes consistent communication and helps candidates stay up-to-date throughout the hiring process. This can make a huge difference in the overall applicant pool your company has.

3. Keep Brand in Mind

Branding is essential no matter what you’re working on. This is often what makes candidates aware of your organization in the first place and then keeps them interested in the long run.

Without that awareness, you’re going to have a tough time finding talent to work for your company.

On the other side, you need to make sure your branding fits the bill. Without it, you’re going to drive away great talent and prospects. How a company presents itself to future employees is the difference between acquiring valuable candidates and ruining its chances altogether.

4. Know Your Talent Pool

To best optimize your candidate sourcing, you need to have a solid understanding of your talent pool. When you hire someone successful that grows well into their role, make note of where you hired them from so you can look there again. If you haven’t hired anyone before, though, it’s best to build a candidate profile.

Having a solid reference point is important when you’re hiring talent. It gives you someone to be on the lookout for, and it gives you a picture to keep in mind. If you’re unsure of a certain candidate, all you have to do is take a look at your ideal profile and you might be surprised at the clarity it can bring.

5. Think Remote

During the pandemic, remote work became the new normal for many. With everything being digital, it’s essential to ensure your company fits that bill. Not only does that mean virtually tracking and automating the process where you can, but it also means ensuring you can interview virtually.

A lot of programs can be integrated with Zoom and Microsoft Teams. They’re also capable of scheduling interviews and tracking things like the metrics of your sourcing and hiring so things can improve constantly.

6. Consider Company Culture

When you place company culture first, it can improve everything from employee satisfaction and engagement to productivity and overall retention. That means it’s essential for you to define your company culture before you start hiring so you know what to be on the lookout for.

Remember, it’s easy to teach someone how to do their job. You can train employees to follow your processes, but you can’t align someone with your values. A new employee that isn’t aligned with your company’s culture can wreak more havoc than you might think possible, and it can have a big impact on overall employee retention.

Commit, instead, to hiring someone that fits into your work environment first. Even if someone doesn’t meet all the job requirements but you know they would make a great addition to the team, it might be worth giving them a chance to succeed.

Don’t Underestimate Your Talent Acquisition Strategy

When building a talent acquisition strategy that works for your company and its future employees, it’s essential to remember just what you stand to gain. It’s easy to think that hiring people is an easy task that requires no tact, but that thinking can cost you. When you prioritize efficiency and helping the future talent of your company, it becomes a lot easier to know the path you’re on is a good one.

That’s where we can help. Contact us today to get started.