A guide to understanding talent acquisition vs. recruitment for organizations

Talent acquisition and recruitment are terms that are often used interchangeably. However, there is a crucial difference between talent acquisition and recruitment, with both involving different approaches and strategies.

Recruitment is a short-term approach to hiring skilled candidates to fill current vacancies in the organization. It is a linear strategy that has specific end goals and uses passive sourcing methods to find applicants for open job roles. Recruiters mainly rely on the company website, job boards, and applicant tracking software to find new talent for any job role in any industry.

The recruitment process is usually started when someone in the organization leaves their position. HR professionals then begin posting the job description online across various digital platforms. They may also utilize skills tests, behavioral tests, cognitive ability tests, personality tests, etc., to screen suitable candidates. Recruitment generally has a predetermined, standardized process for hiring suitable candidates.

The difference between talent acquisition and recruitment is quite significant, but both are used to identify potential talent for hiring purposes. However, unlike recruitment, talent acquisition is a long-term strategy that is developed by the leadership and the organization’s HR department. Talent acquisition focuses on the awareness of the long-term goals of the organization and offers an adaptive and flexible approach to hiring. The main aim of talent acquisition is to attract candidates with specialized skills that are crucial for the organization to achieve success and remain competitive in their sector.

Apart from using applicant tracking software, the company website, and job boards, talent acquisition is about actively seeking top talent. HR professionals tap into online forums, industry events, social media, conferences, and communities where they can network with specialists. Instead of a hard sell, HR professionals focus on establishing and nurturing relationships over time, developing a strong pipeline of skilled candidates who are good cultural fits for the organization.

Recruitment strategies

Optimize the career page:

A well-designed career page is essential because candidates expect to find a careers page on an organization’s website. The page can be used to promote open job roles and share content and information about the benefits of joining the organization, company culture, mission, vision, etc.

Optimize job postings:

Ranking high on search engine result pages ensures visibility for job postings. Therefore, organizations need to optimize the postings for online search and target relevant primary and competitor keywords to optimize the job posting for higher visibility.

Harness the reach of social media platforms:

Social media platforms have a wide reach, and they are a great way to reach suitable candidates for open job roles. Apart from optimizing the organization’s official website, companies must also share posts about job openings across social media platforms.

Employer branding content:

Creating employer branding content may require some time and effort, but it is a great way to build authority through insightful content that can be shared across multiple platforms. Starting a company podcast, writing blogs, and recording recruitment videos are some of the content creation ideas that can be considered.

• Analyzing job requirements and assessing the job specifications and skill requirements for an open position.
• Creating accurate job descriptions and postings that clearly convey the skills required for the job role.
• Screening candidates through resume reviews and assessment tests and performing background checks.
• Conducting interviews and asking questions to determine the suitability of a candidate for the job role.
• Extending job offers to the selected candidates, negotiating, and guaranteeing that the right compensation is offered based on the qualifications of candidates and market trends.
• Welcoming hired candidates to the organization, managing their onboarding, and ensuring they settle well into their new roles.

Employer branding

It is crucial to create brand awareness for the organization to attract top talent.

Recruitment marketing

Using inbound marketing, candidate engagement and management, candidate experience strategies, etc., to promote job opportunities in the organization.

Talent sourcing

Proactively searching for passive candidates who may be suitable for the future business goals of the organization. Sourcing takes time and multiple interactions, and networking events, professional associations, and social media can accelerate the process.

Building a talent pipeline

Identifying, nurturing, and recruiting talent so a pool of skilled candidates can be created to fill open positions in the organization as the need arises.

• Working with leadership and management to identify the overall goals of the organization. Understanding the needs of every department to gather insights into their requirements in the long term.
• Assessing the competencies and responsibilities of the existing workforce to understand if there is any skills gap. Checking employee records for their performance evaluations to determine which skills are needed for achieving business goals.
• Developing a strategy that outlines attracting and recruiting the right candidates to meet organizational goals based on the skills required.
• Implementing talent management programs to help employees develop the competencies and skills required. These initiatives can include various forms of learning and development, like mentoring, training, coaching, etc.
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of talent acquisition and management strategies.

Focus:

Recruitment focuses on short-term hiring needs for filling immediate openings. On the other hand, talent acquisition focuses on building relationships with potential candidates and long-term human resource planning.

Scope:

Recruitment aims to fill open positions efficiently and quickly with top candidates and is transactional. Talent acquisition is a strategic approach that aims to create a positive employer brand and candidate experience.

Sourcing:

Recruitment involves reactive sourcing, where job ads are posted and candidates are screened for the job role. Talent acquisition involves proactive sourcing, where a talent pipeline is created, and passive candidates are engaged.

Candidates:

In recruitment, candidates are assessed based on their current skills and qualifications according to the requirements. In talent acquisition, candidates’ growth potential within the organization is considered.

Benefits:

Recruitment is ideal for addressing immediate hiring needs, while talent acquisition offers long-term benefits, including reduced time-to-hire, better quality of hires, and enhanced workforce planning.

It is vital for organizations to develop robust talent acquisition and recruitment strategies to attract and retain skilled candidates. The talent acquisition strategy should cover different aspects, such as employer brand, sourcing channels, pre-employment assessment strategies, and onboarding processes. It should have a long-term approach that aligns with the organization’s goals and helps identify, engage, and nurture top talent. The recruitment strategy should focus on developing clear and concise job descriptions, optimizing career page, and improving social reach.

Mercer | Mettl offers a range of pre-employment assessments and solutions that can be used to establish a well-defined, scientific skill-based talent acquisition approach. Explore customizable aptitude tests, psychometric tests, behavioral, domain-specific, and coding tests to evaluate job-relevant skills of candidates for dedicated positions.