The world of talent acquisition is changing — and for the better. After all, candidates have never been more informed, thanks to tools like review sites and social media. And they’ve never been better able to make career decisions based on such deep understandings of culture and the talent it takes to make organizations great.
For recruiters and hiring managers, a new generation of recruitment technology has made it possible to get a bird’s eye view of their programs and how to adapt them to changing business goals, thanks to modern solutions that offer seamless collaboration and automated workflows.
Meanwhile, talent leaders and the C-Suite are working together more closely to map out strategies for success. As they help their organizations navigate an emerging world of interconnected processes, systems, and teams, they’re adapting to meet new expectations.
In talking to thousands of companies on top of their hiring game, here are three new expectations we hear falling on talent leaders in 2019:
Expectation #1: Talent leadership is business leadership
Today’s talent leaders are expected to help drive business success through their hiring programs and strategies. From entry-level positions to critical roles at all levels, each new hire is a chance to contribute the skills necessary to move the business forward.
But grappling with a changing world isn’t easy. According to Deloitte’s 2019 Global Human Capital Trends, 80% of respondents said that today’s leaders face unique requirements. Effectiveness requires a nuanced approach, one that draws on new competencies such as leading through change, embracing ambiguity, and understanding AI-driven technologies.
Talent leaders can adapt to meet these demands by:
- Taking a proactive approach to anticipating and solving problems
- Constantly showing the value of their team’s work to the organization
- Continuing to innovate through implementing smart systems and platforms
- Being honest about what’s needed to meet goals
For more advice from the experts, check out The Insider’s Guide to Becoming a Talent Leader.
Expectation #2: Work should be meaningful for everyone
The human experience is now, more than ever, at the center of work. Without engaged, motivated employees, organizations will struggle to stay competitive — and the gap between companies who engage their people vs. those who don’t will only widen in the years to come.
Consider this: employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6X more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work, according to Salesforce research. And a report by The Engagement Institute found disengaged employees cost U.S. companies up to $550 billion a year.
Talent leaders are expected to help build workplaces where employees feel included, supported, and engaged. And once that culture is established, source and hire talent that will add to it. Doing so speeds up hiring, saves money, and makes scaling sustainable.
No surprise, then, that proactive sourcing continues to be the most effective way to hire externally. New research from Lever shows it only takes an average of 43 sourced candidates to make a hire, compared to 109 applied candidates.
New to sourcing? Start a campaign with these 7 Email Nurture Templates to Speed Up Hiring.
Expectation #3: Data needs to back up every big decision
Data has cracked open most industries and departments, yielding rich insights for business leaders to make informed decisions. Now, recruiting and HR are benefiting from the same visibility into their outcomes, thanks to talent analytics and workplace insights.
But as a 2017 Gallup article stresses, data is only useful if it is applied the right way. Look too closely, and you’ll miss the big picture. Which is why it falls on talent leaders to spearhead the mining and harnessing of their organizations’ talent data — and shape it into useful takeaways.
Internal metrics are a good start, but the real magic happens when you can put them into a wider context with industry benchmarks. Only then can you understand how your recruiting program compares to average results — so you can make changes to stay competitive.
For example, new Lever data has revealed that:
- Sourcing has become 40% more efficient since 2016
- Hiring internally is almost twice as efficient as referrals
- 30-40% of your onsite interviews should lead to an offer
[Speaking of industry norms, stay tuned for our 2019 benchmarks report coming out soon!]
Exceed these new expectations with the right technology
One of the hurdles blocking talent leaders from meeting these expectations is having the wrong recruiting software in place. Learn how to convince your C-Suite to make the change to a modern solution in our eBook, How to Get Your CFO’s Buy-in for Better Recruiting Software.