Recruitment and Talent Acquisition Trends

Talent acquisition is more critical than ever. Success depends on having the right people in the right roles. However, traditional recruitment methods are leaving many talent acquisition teams frustrated, over-stretched, unrealistically-tasked and financially burdened. We explore talent acquisition trends and what savvy employers are doing to acquire the talent they need at the cost they can afford to grow their businesses.

Talent Acquisition Trends

Imagine this scenario: you are tasked with not only finding top talent but also managing internal recruitment, overseeing succession planning, ensuring an outstanding candidate experience, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) within your organisation. On top of that, you are constantly under pressure to cut costs and deliver results. Sound familiar? Many heads of talent acquisition find themselves in this challenging position, and the traditional recruitment methods they rely on often fall short.

 

The Flaws of Traditional Recruitment

 

1. Recruitment Agency Fees

Traditional recruitment agencies have long been a go-to solution for finding top talent. However, their fees can be pricey, often taking a substantial bite out of your recruitment budget, especially when volume hiring. While there can be merit in working with a trusted recruitment agency consultant, particularly at the senior-level, these fees can make it difficult to justify the expense, especially when stakeholders expect the internal recruitment department to absorb and reduce external support.

 

2. Expensive Job Boards

Job boards are another traditional recruitment tool, but they come at a high cost. Posting job listings on both popular and niche job boards can quickly add up, making it an expensive option, particularly for organisations with high turnover or those looking to fill multiple positions simultaneously. It’s important to understand your cost per CV and employee acquisition, allowing you to focus on those job boards that yield the greatest return through programmatic job board advertising and/or other marketing channels that can attract talent, thereby sidestepping job boards altogether.

 

3. Internal Recruitment Challenges

Managing internal recruitment requirements while handling other critical talent functions is a juggling act. The TA function has been growing exponentially in recent years, with TAs getting tasked with increasing responsibility, including succession planning, DE&I, talent benchmarking…the list goes on! According to a study by Workvivo, 98% of HR professionals in the US and UK say they felt burned out, with respondents feeling emotionally drained, overwhelmed or even dreading work. On top of the concern about the toll facing the TA department (yes, they’re employees too!), it can lead to reduced efficiency and potential oversights.

4. Neglecting the Candidate Experience

A poor candidate experience can damage your employer brand and deter top talent from applying. Worse yet, it can also prompt employees to leave. Traditional recruitment methods often fail to prioritise the candidate experience, leading to lost opportunities, inefficient (and ineffective) hiring and a less diverse pool of candidates.

5. Limited Success with DE&I

Achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion goals in recruitment requires a strategic approach which extends beyond internal DE&I statements and rhetoric. Many traditional recruitment methods and processes tend to overlook these essential aspects of talent acquisition, perpetuating a lack of diversity within organisations.

 

The Solution: Employer Branding and Recruitment Marketing

To address these recruitment challenges effectively, forward-thinking organisations are turning to employer branding and recruitment marketing as key talent acquisition trends. Here’s why this approach is a game-changer:

 

1. Cost-Effective Recruitment

Employer branding and recruitment marketing services offer a more cost-effective alternative to traditional recruitment methods. By leveraging digital marketing strategies, you can attract top talent without the hefty fees associated with recruitment agencies and job boards.

 

2. Streamlined Internal Processes

Outsourcing recruitment marketing allows your talent acquisition team to focus on core responsibilities like succession planning, DE&I initiatives, and ensuring an exceptional candidate experience. This streamlined approach boosts efficiency and productivity.

 

3. Elevating the Candidate Experience

Recruitment marketing services prioritise the candidate experience. They employ digital strategies that engage candidates from the first touchpoint, ensuring a positive impression of your organisation. This approach attracts high-quality talent who are not only skilled but also excited to join your team.

 

4. Championing DE&I

Recruitment marketing services can help you craft inclusive and diverse hiring strategies. They use data-driven insights to target underrepresented talent pools, fostering a more inclusive workplace that aligns with your organisation’s values and objectives.

 

5. Harnessing the Power of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is the heart of employer branding and recruitment marketing services. By leveraging social media, search engine optimisation (SEO), email marketing, and content marketing, you can reach wider and more diverse talent pools. This approach is both cost-effective and highly targeted.

 

Digital Marketing and Talent Acquisition Trends

The digital age has transformed how we connect, communicate, and engage with the world. It’s time for recruitment to catch up. Digital marketing not only provides a cost-effective solution but also offers a strategic advantage in the competitive talent landscape.

 

1. Social Media Recruitment

Depending on your audience and talent pool, platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (and even Tik Tok) are powerful tools for finding talent. Through targeted advertising and engaging content, you can attract candidates who align with your organisation’s values and culture.

 

2. SEO and Content Marketing

A well-optimised careers page, job postings and engaging content can significantly boost your visibility among potential talent pools. SEO techniques ensure that your job listings and employer brand content rank high in search engine results, increasing your reach, delivering inbound traffic and converting more visitors into applicants!

 

3. Email Marketing

Email campaigns can nurture candidate relationships, keeping potential hires engaged throughout the hiring process and reactivating talent that may already exist in your CRM. Personalised emails and timely, often triggered, communications enhance the candidate experience, enable candidate retention, facilitate compliance and increase the likelihood of successful hires.

 

4. Data-Driven Decision Making

Digital marketing provides valuable data and analytics that can inform your recruitment strategies. You can track the effectiveness of your campaigns, identify areas for improvement, and adjust your approach in real-time.

 

Recruitment is broken today for many heads of talent acquisition teams who struggle with exorbitant agency fees, expensive job boards, internal recruitment challenges, and the demanding task of managing multiple HR functions. Furthermore, neglecting the candidate experience and DE&I initiatives can hinder an organisation’s growth and reputation.

 

The solution lies in embracing employer branding and recruitment marketing services that leverage the power of digital marketing. This approach offers cost-effective recruitment, streamlined internal processes, an elevated candidate experience, and the ability to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion. By harnessing the potential of digital marketing, organisations can revolutionise their talent acquisition efforts and secure the best talent for their teams while maintaining a competitive edge in the evolving job market.