Core recruitment capabilities are lacking in firms across the globe as business leaders struggle to get the quality talent they need to compete, according to new research released today by Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) leader Cielo.

The Talent Acquisition 360 report combines the views of nearly 700 C-level executives, business unit leaders and talent acquisition leaders globally on their talent acquisition teams’ performance across 12 key dimensions. The result is a complete picture of the status quo in organizations around the world.

While almost nine in ten (89%) leaders agree that talent is a competitive advantage for their firm, Cielo’s study reveals a significant effectiveness gap between the importance of key recruitment activities and the performance of these activities by the talent acquisition function.

Business unit leaders are particularly critical. Nine in ten (90%) business unit leaders state that delivering quality hires consistently should be the top priority for their internal recruitment team. However, just over half (55%) rate their performance as effective – a gap of one third (33%) compared to just one in ten (14%) among C-level executives.

Other crucial aspects of effective talent acquisition are also suffering. Business unit leaders report major effectiveness gaps in talent acquisition’s ability to provide strategic thinking (35%), make a measurable impact (35%) and demonstrate agility (32%).

Sue Marks, Cielo’s Founder and CEO, comments: “It is excellent news that talent is getting the executive level support that it deserves. But with high strategic importance comes a greater degree of scrutiny. It is striking that business unit leaders – critical stakeholders who are dependent on a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy, competently executed – are so unsatisfied. Talent acquisition is not delivering what the business needs to succeed – a situation that requires urgent action.”

See: 3 Basic Technologies for Talent Acquisition

The Talent Acquisition 360 highlights the four key areas talent acquisition leaders need to address to bridge the effectiveness gap:

• Don’t forget the core: Get back to basics and build up core competencies that are lacking. Start with processes to regularly evaluate the skills of recruiters and supporting team members; commit resources to continuous learning and development; and learn from providers, rather than merely paying for their services.
• Get in-sync with leaders: Business unit leaders have a lack of confidence in talent acquisition’s ability to attract, engage and hire the right talent. Communicate with business unit leaders to ensure effective delivery.
• Consistent quality is vital: Rather than rushing to fill roles, businesses must look at the selection, assessment and screening process to ensure the very best talent is hired into the organization. Measurement is critical to ensuring key attributes and success can be monitored over time.
• Step into strategy: Talent acquisition needs to provide the strategic thinking to shape overall business decisions. Analytics also need to inform in the same way, through the use of KPIs and benchmarking.

Key Principles: 12 Dimensions of Talent Acquisition

The 12 dimensions are broken down into two categories:

Strategic encompasses elements such as business impact and workforce insights. These are capabilities that affect business performance as well as high-level talent acquisition outcomes.

Core includes the operational and process elements that support talent acquisition performance. Each dimension has a role to play in a high-performing talent acquisition function, and together they drive lasting business results.

Six Dimensions of Strategic Talent Acquisition

1. Innovating to meet the demands of the business
2. Providing strategic thinking to shape business decisions
3. Demonstrating agility to meet changing demands
4. Generating insights contrasting workforce needs with the market supply of talent
5. Delivering quality hires consistently
6. Measurably impacting major organizational initiatives

Six Dimensions of Core Talent Acquisition

1. Communicating your employer value proposition
2. Delivering great experiences for candidates and hiring managers
3. Crafting a comprehensive strategy
4. Simplifying recruiting processes
5. Sharpening recruiting acumen
6. Using recruiting analytics to inform business decisions

Marks further concluded: “Businesses now realize that talent is the key to unlocking greater organizational performance. The role of talent acquisition is therefore critical to success. We must not forget that recruitment is a profession – requiring specialist skills and experience – so getting the right recruiters for the job is fundamentally important.”

Also read: Employer Branding: A Proven Strategic Approach in Talent Acquisition

Image credit: saintarnold.co.uk