Respect for Talent Acquisition....

Earlier this month I was asked to volunteer in support of the PTA at my son's school. We were planning a large event, a Winter Carnival, requiring many hands to pull it off without a hitch and Volunteer Coordinator was the role that I was assigned....Whew! Now I know why that slot was left open on the sign-up sheet.

This task was no joke. I had to think like a recruiter, find people who were qualified and open to joining this albeit short term organization for a successful operation. There were sign up sheets at cross advertised events, email blasts and text messages. Slowly a very short list of parents trickled in. What next? We put out the flyers...nothing...and finally it was a week before the event and I had almost no one. I was panicking to say the least. Outreach had been attempted with the teachers of some older students, but no guarantees, timing as it was, our openings were available during mid-terms!

So pressing on with reminders of all kinds, 3 days before the event, when all hope seemed lost.... almost 50 students and a handful of parents stepped up to join the cause.

Now you may say that the world of TA is different because we're offering a career, and salary, and benefits, but those don't always motivate people the most. I found many parallels through this experience....

Engaging & gaining commitment from someone especially at scale is a tough job. This is not something that AI and bots can do for sure. We all hope to reach a point of relative accuracy in identifying potential talent through these mechanisms, but selling and maintaining these relationships is the real skill. I know we'll continue to see the role of TA evolve, but credit should always be given to these amazing miracle workers who can get someone so excited in your company that they fill out tons of documentation, up-heave their current situation or commitments, and believe in the impact & sense of purpose they'll feel by joining your carnival!