Skip to main content

Talent Acquisition

« Back to Glossary Index

What is talent acquisition?

Talent acquisition is the ongoing process of finding new workers for a company. It is one of the responsibilities of human resources and involves planning to forecast how many hires are needed, where to reach potential employees, and the steps needed to recruit. Talent acquisition requires strategy and a long-term lens, rather than just recruiting for the short-term.

Why is talent acquisition needed?

Talent acquisition helps managers forecast staffing needs and have an ongoing plan to ensure their company is not understaffed. This prevents time and energy wasted on recruiting last minute. Talent acquisition is important because when a business is understaffed, it creates a burden on the remaining staff to work extra hours, decreasing employee satisfaction and increasing turnover rates. Overworked staff is more likely to leave for workplaces with more flexibility and a plan in place to ensure there is an adequate amount of staff.

Examples of the talent acquisition process:

  • Employer branding: Before an employer recruits, they must continuously work on their employer branding. This includes everything related to their image as an employer. The most important thing to do is ensure your employees are engaged and satisfied, as word of mouth is an important way to get new team members. Potential employees will also look at employer ratings on Glassdoor, so you can encourage team members to share reviews. Another method is to share employee case studies and team socials on their website and social media.

  • Benefits upgrade: Part of what makes a position attractive to a prospective hire are the benefits a company offers. This can include anything from medical care to pet-friendly offices. By upgrading the benefits your company offers, you are improving the chances that individuals will apply for your company.

  • Online presence: Build up your company’s online presence in order to attract prospective hires. Consider having regular company social posts that showcase your team’s projects, milestones, and socials. Team leaders can also make posts sharing projects and showing appreciation for team members.

  • Referral programs: It helps to get vetted applicants for an open role. Consider building out a referral program with compensation for a successful referral. Most referral compensations happen after 1 year of the referred hire working at a company.

  • Job fairs: Consider hosting a booth at a job fair with representatives from your company. They can share career opportunities as well as impressive projects your team has worked on. You can even include a goodie basket for prospective hires to take home so they remember your company.

  • Employee engagement: Talent acquisition is closely connected to employee engagement and retention. Part of making a position at your company attractive is ensuring your current employees are happy and saying good things about your company. It is common for candidates in the interviewing phase to reach out to current or past employees and ask about their experience.
« Back to Glossary Index