how to hire the right employee: talent acquisition vs. recruitment.

Talent acquisition and recruitment are two related concepts that are hugely significant for any organization targeting sustainable growth and success. At first glance, it might seem that these terms have the same meaning, but there are significant differences between the two that a company shouldn’t overlook.

To ensure your HR function is operating as effectively as possible, and your business is prepared to overcome its biggest challenges and seize opportunities, it’s vital to understand the distinctions between talent acquisition and recruitment and understand the new methods and trends on hiring smarter.

recognizing the differences

On the most fundamental level, the differences between talent acquisition and recruitment are connected to time. Talent acquisition is about taking a long-term view of how you can equip your organization with the skills and experience it will need to continue performing and delivering results into the future. Recruitment is a more immediate, reactive process, essentially focused on finding candidates to fill roles currently available.

Effective talent acquisition is heavily reliant on strategy and planning. Before embarking on a talent acquisition project, it’s important to prepare by researching your business’s current position and where it’s likely to be at a given point in the future. This level of understanding will help you understand your talent requirements and inform your preparations for finding and acquiring the people you need.

Recruitment can prove just as vital to maintaining your organization’s health and productivity. But rather than a strategic, long-term approach, it depends on efficiency and decisiveness to ensure you are making the right hiring decisions for your immediate needs.

Another useful way of conceptualizing recruitment and talent acquisition is to think of the former as linear, with a clear endpoint. The latter is a cyclical, ongoing approach to anticipating your future needs and building up a pipeline of talent.

when to recruit and when to acquire talent

Simply put, you need to recruit when you have a vacant role that needs to be filled as soon as possible. Recruitment is about making sure your business has the human resources it needs to function on a day-to-day basis.

When you set out to recruit a new employee, you will likely have a clear idea of the sort of person you’re looking for and the key skills they should have. One of the most common scenarios companies face is finding a replacement for someone who has left. In this situation, you will know exactly what tasks and responsibilities the new recruit will have to take on and the experience and attributes they will need to do the job properly.

Talent acquisition is a more in-depth process that comes into play when looking at the bigger picture of how your business wants to grow and evolve in the years to come.

There is a good chance you will need to develop a talent acquisition strategy if you operate in a niche marketplace and require particular skills and expertise in your workforce to succeed. One of the clearest examples of this is the tech sector, where firms that can’t innovate and evolve with the times will be left behind.

talent acquisition and recruitment trends in the 21st century

Whether a company is conducting a talent acquisition or recruitment process, it’s best to follow modern approaches and strategies to find the best talents among the new generation of employees—millennials and Gen Z. Here are the most popular talent acquisition and recruitment trends in the 21st century:

evolving AI and automation

Artificial intelligence and automation are no longer considered new concepts in business and the world of work, but they are evolving rapidly, meaning companies need to move swiftly to keep up.

These technologies hold a lot of potential for talent acquisition and recruitment, giving you more power to conduct in-depth assessments of candidates’ abilities, predict their performance, and maintain engagement with them throughout the recruitment process.

leveraging data

Effectively managing large amounts of data and gaining relevant, actionable insights from the information at your disposal has never been more important. The recent explosion of digital technologies and channels where employers can engage with candidates means there is an unprecedented amount of data on offer.

If you’re able to utilize this data and analyze it effectively, you can build up a clearer idea of several key concepts related to talent acquisition and recruitment, such as time to hire, quality of hire, and the most common reasons why people leave your organization.

personalization

If your business wants to acquire the most valuable and in-demand talent or find new talents to fill vacant positions, you should be prepared to make offers that suit the unique demands, goals, and expectations of the individual in question. A generic proposition that isn’t specifically tailored to the candidate might not have the powerful appeal needed to set you apart from other employers.

Older generations who have spent the most time in the workforce might be accustomed to standard pay and benefits packages, but younger candidates are more likely to expect offers that reflect their needs.

flexibility

Expectations of flexibility in the workplace are becoming increasingly common year after year. Embracing flexible practices and policies such as flexible hours and remote working can help boost your appeal to talented candidates and strengthen engagement in your existing workforce.

employer branding

Employer branding is another concept that has been steadily gaining importance in recent years and is likely to be more significant than ever in the succeeding years. Candidates looking to make a positive step in their career that leads to fulfilling experiences and gives them pride in their work will place a lot of emphasis on any prospective employer’s brand reputation.

If you have a strong brand, the latest recruitment technologies, and innovative practices in the workplace, you have the best chance of acquiring the talent you need to grow and thrive as a business.

If you’re struggling to find the right talent to recruit or acquire, tap Randstad. We are an expert in temporary staffing and have a unique recruitment and talent acquisition process that works for any type of industry.