TA = Time to Adapt

Coming off the back of a couple of RL100 summits last week, my grey matter has been doing flips.

And this certainly isn't the feeling of everyone, but a few talks really set my brain alight and I wanted to put it down, well here.

The world of work is changing fast, and Talent Acquisition might need to change too. Think about this: With companies getting smaller and using more AI and automation in exchange for human labour, the way we hire might need to shift. Fewer employees could mean fewer hires, especially from outside. This change could make us rethink how we (TA) add value.

Imagine if hiring and firing became more sudden and less predictable. Corporate layoffs are happening more often. Companies might cut jobs to boost their stock prices, which could make a full TA team seem less necessary.

Maybe our future is less people and a move up the food chain of HR value. As an RL100 member recently said, "Move into higher-value HR work, particularly focused on the big strategic questions." We could shift into roles that cover all bases and focus on creating value beyond just cutting costs.

Talent Acquisition professionals have unique skills that could be really valuable in new areas. Here’s a top ten list of how TA could add value to HR, when hiring stops:

1) Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP): TA people know the talent market and workforce trends. They could help companies plan for future needs and make sure the right people are in place to meet goals.

2) Internal Mobility: TA experts are great at spotting talent and matching skills to roles. They could help employees move within the company, filling open roles quickly and keeping talent engaged, which saves time and money on hiring.

3) Talent Data Management: TA folks are used to using data to make hiring decisions. Sometimes. They could apply this skill to manage talent data, spotting trends and predicting future needs to help make smart decisions.

4) Offboarding: Making sure employees leave on a positive note can keep relationships strong and even lead to rehiring them later. TA teams are good at managing transitions and could make offboarding smooth and respectful. This could be huge in a market making more redundancies than hires.

5) Employee Development: TA professionals understand the skills needed for different roles and could identify gaps in the workforce. They could focus on developing current employees, preparing them for future roles and promoting continuous learning. Big win.=

6) Employer Branding: No brainer.

7) Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: TA gets DEI. More than most. They could use this experience to promote diversity and inclusion within the company, leading to a more innovative workforce.

8) Employee Engagement: Keeping employees motivated is crucial. TA professionals could develop strategies to boost engagement, using their knowledge of what attracts and keeps top performers.

9) Succession Planning: TA experts know how important it is to have the right people in the right places. They could identify future leaders and ensure smooth transitions, which is vital for long-term success.

10) Change Management: TA are used to dealing with change and uncertainty in hiring. This makes them well-suited to help companies navigate changes, supporting employees as they adapt to new situations.

Even if our industry changes and potentially gets smaller, the skills we bring are still valuable. It’s about adapting and finding new ways to contribute. The future is about being flexible and thinking ahead. Let’s consider these possibilities and show how we can still provide real value in this evolving landscape.

And this is all, if the need to hire on mass never comes back, which it might, or might now. Who actually f'ing knows right now?