What Does a Talent Acquisition Specialist Do

Talent acquisition is the strategic approach to sourcing, evaluating and acquiring new employees that align with long-term organizational goals. Talent acquisition specialists focus on ongoing strategies that anticipate organizational hiring needs and support the job candidate lifecycle.

Hiring managers often receive countless applications for a single position but struggle to find the right hire. Talent acquisition specialists help companies source and hire the best candidates with strategic methods that align with overall organizational goals.

Employers spend an average of $4,129 per job on hiring in the U.S., which is why it is important to have effective talent acquisition processes in place.

What Is Talent Acquisition?

Talent acquisition refers to the strategic process of identifying, evaluating and acquiring new employees for an organization. Human resources professionals , hiring managers and other professionals make up the talent acquisition team. Together, they develop and implement processes to find the best possible skill, experience and personality fit for the organization’s needs.

Talent Acquisition Specialist vs. Recruiter: What’s the Difference?

People often refer to talent acquisition and recruitment interchangeably, but they provide separate functions. A recruiter is an element of the talent acquisition team who collaborates with the hiring manager to find and screen people best suited for a role. Focused on short-term needs, recruiters regularly search for candidates for immediate job openings.

Talent acquisition specialists focus on finding talent for long-term organizational goals. They use ongoing strategies based on human resources planning to find specialists, leaders or executives with specific or exceptional skill sets that meet organizational needs.

Responsibilities of a Talent Acquisition Specialist

To recruit and retain the best staff, talent acquisition specialists must align their processes and strategies with company and departmental needs. For a successful talent acquisition strategy, specialists handle a range of responsibilities that support the candidate lifecycle.

Lead Generation

The first step in identifying top talent is sourcing from various talent pools. Starting with a comprehensive job description, talent acquisition specialists can generate applicant leads through avenues such as social networking , industry events and online communities .

Attract Talent

To attract talent that best aligns with the organization's goals and culture, talent acquisition specialists must ensure that company branding stands out. In addition to promoting culture, specialists should provide a clear overview of compensation and benefits to differentiate their company from competing employers.

Sourcing Candidates

Sourcing candidates involves vetting the leads generated from the initial talent identification. Once talent acquisition specialists engage with and evaluate leads, such as through social and professional networks or in-person events, they eliminate unqualified candidates and move qualified ones to the talent pipeline for consideration. This type of pre-screening efficiently targets ideal candidates to streamline later steps of talent acquisition.

Candidate Screening

The candidate screening process evaluates qualified applicants. During this stage, candidates complete preliminary assessments and phone or virtual interviews to determine if they meet the necessary skill levels and competencies for the role. This step also gauges candidate interest level, salary expectations and other important details.

Schedule Interviews

Those on the shortlist of final candidates must complete one or a series of interviews, such as panel , group or progressive executive interviews. Talent acquisition managers help design the interview process and questions for each job opening and determine important qualities or competencies candidates must show during interviews.

Positive interview experiences can also influence up to 80% of candidates’ decisions to accept a job offer, highlighting the importance of designing streamlined and engaging interview processes.

Advise Hiring Managers

Based on resumes, screening and interviews, talent acquisition specialists provide feedback to hiring managers. They may also advise hiring managers to ensure ethical and fair hiring procedures and provide insights into any diversity or inclusion factors to consider.

Follow Up with References

Thoroughly checking references is a crucial step in hiring decisions. Talent acquisition specialists may contact candidates’ current or former managers and colleagues to verify qualifications, experience or other employment details. Some organizations even request background checks before finalizing job offers.

Hire Best Candidates

With the final candidates narrowed down, talent acquisition, the hiring manager, human resources and other stakeholders collaborate to determine the best hire. Talent acquisition specialists may implement a system for evaluating candidates to streamline and ensure fairness in the final decision, such as evaluative software or a grading system.

Onboard New Employees

The talent acquisition process doesn’t end at a job offer. Although onboarding and training aren’t typically the responsibility of the talent acquisition team, the onboarding process leaves new employees with a final impression of the hiring process and introduces them to their new workplace.

Onboarding integrates new employees into the organization and may include team introductions, workplace orientations and benefits information. A streamlined and effective onboarding process helps employees build a positive connection with company culture and expectations, which can improve retention and loyalty by up to 50% .

Develop Metrics to Measure Success

To ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the talent acquisition process, talent acquisition specialists analyze metrics for attracting and retaining candidates. Some of these metrics include:

• Time to fill: The length of time it takes to fill open job positions.
• Quality of hire: The long-term productivity and success of a new employee.
• Cost per hire: Considers the expenses involved in talent acquisition.
• Offer acceptance rate: The number of candidates who accept job offers.

Regular analysis and reporting help organizations identify and address shortcomings and opportunities in their talent acquisition strategies.?

Final Thoughts: How to Be an Effective Talent Acquisition Specialist

Here are a few strategies for a successful talent acquisition process:

• Forecast: Identify and prioritize roles that are hardest to hire for. These jobs likely include senior or niche roles that can take several months to fill. Anticipating these job openings can help find the right person for the job or fill the opening on short notice.
• Build a pipeline: Creating a system that regularly identifies, tracks and maintains potential candidates can streamline the talent acquisition process. Larger organizations may need specialized software or platforms to organize acquisition activities, while smaller companies may keep track with a simple spreadsheet.
• Collaborate: Aligning talent acquisition goals with the entire organization, its various departments and employees can assist with sourcing quality candidates. Employee referral incentives, talent searches and other collaborative initiatives can lead to a greater talent pool.
• Get specific: Although narrowing talent searches to a smaller pool may sound counterintuitive, it can lead to higher-quality hires. Specifying skills, experience and other relevant factors creates a smaller pool of more qualified candidates that is easier to network and engage with.
• Invest time: Effective talent acquisition takes time, and rushing the process can cause misaligned hires, unengaged employees and poor retention rates. Learning about candidates through multiple interviews and meetings may be tedious, but it helps both talent acquisition specialists and candidates gauge expectations, culture fit and other important factors.

Top Takeaways

What Does a Talent Acquisition Specialist Do?

• Filling job vacancies costs employers an average of $4,129 per hire, emphasizing the importance of an effective talent acquisition process.
• Talent acquisition refers to the strategic process of identifying, evaluating and acquiring new employees that support long-term organizational goals.
• Talent acquisition specialists work in every stage of the candidate lifecycle, collaborating with department heads to develop long-term strategies and anticipating future hiring needs.

(Reporting by NPD)