Although the terms are similar and sometimes used interchangeably, there is definitely a difference between talent acquisition and recruitment. Recruitment is generally looked at as a short-term solution, filling vacancies when needed. Talent acquisition is more focused, with the goal of being long-term employment, and using a strategy to plan ahead to find specialists, future managers, and other leaders for your company.
Short-term vs. long-term
Managers need to have a basic knowledge of the strategic nature of talent acquisition when it comes to planning long-term staffing solutions for their teams. Having a long-term goal in mind helps the business move towards its overall vision and is essential to achieve goals.
It’s important to think ahead several months when you need to fill management or specialist positions. For example, many tech positions can easily take six months or more to fill, and you don’t want to leave your teams in a lurch during a sensitive period.
Should we be acquiring or recruiting?
Is your business expecting faster than normal growth for the next several quarters? If your answer is yes, then a talent acquisition strategy can save you time finding great candidates to carry that growth forward.
Competition is stiff, and every business benefits from talent acquisition strategies. Helping your employees by focusing on making sure you have the right person for the positions you offer reduces stress and ensures meeting goals quicker. The best organizations are always scouting the best talent for their jobs, planning ahead to protect future needs.
How do I start acquiring talent instead of recruiting?
First of all, get organized, a good starting point for smaller companies is the use of spreadsheets to keep talented candidates organized. Once your business grows, you can switch over to specialized software designed for the purpose, or hire a recruiting and staffing company to help you streamline the process and take the bulk of the work off your plate.
Next, you need to work on building your brand as an employer, as this can be your biggest strength. Better brands lead to more talent reaching out to you for positions that will benefit your company.
Thirdly, get your name out there, and make sure to identify groups where specialists in your field gather. Create an online presence for your brand, and start building relationships with smaller efforts such as commenting, following, and promoting in social networking sites, especially channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Drawing the best talent isn’t a one-time-only event for a company looking to grow. This is a process that will last years, as companies should continually be networking and building relationships with experts in their fields. Leveraging the connections staffing agencies have already created can also greatly serve you in this area.
Talent acquisition efforts are rewarded
Recruitment is necessary at times for every business and each team. Taking the time to focus more robustly on talent acquisition can feel like more work up-front, but you will find that it helps build the best possible teams. Long-term strategies lead to more cohesion, satisfaction, and better productivity overall.
If you are in search of help filling employment positions in Colorado, let CNS (Colorado Network Staffing) help you find your next skilled acquisition. Our employing companies are looking for the best and brightest talent and trust us to provide exactly that. Contact us at 303-430-1441 and discover why our clients come to us to fill their staffing needs faster and with more reliability!
