Aditya Pal Singh is the Head of Talent Acquisition at Informatica, India. He is a seasoned Talent Acquisition professional having a vast experience of 17 years in the field of Talent Acquisition. Prior to Informatica, he has worked with reputed organisations like- Accenture and Sasken Technologies Limited. He is an alumnus of Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies.
Talent acquisition leaders should have a keen knowledge of the talent landscape to become the drivers of success to get the right people in the right roles at the right time.
Talent acquisition and recruitment have emerged as the two most important skills required in this competitive and challenging job market. Most companies today need to refine these two skills if they wish to be successful. But business success is mainly driven by employees- it starts and ends with a company’s talent. Some of the leading companies are talent-first companies putting a greater emphasis on its people. Without the right people in place, it would not be possible for talent acquisition to function or grow. Every successful organisation understands that it cannot innovate, grow, and outperform its competitors if it doesn’t have talented individuals on staff. People are the largest investment any company will make to ensure business’ future success. Therefore, prioritising talent acquisition is important to any business to build relationships with top talent in the industry.
Talent acquisition is not just about filling open positions but it takes into account a long-term view. A talent acquisition leader engaged in acquiring talent has to find the best hire for the job. This means that everything—from identifying, attracting, on-boarding talent to skill development and culture fit —is considered when a candidate is “acquired” rather than recruited. Today, the role of a talent acquisition leader has become increasingly complex and highly challenging one. Despite people being branded as an organisation’s best asset, talent acquisition leaders have to deal with reduced budgets as well as other internal and external pressures which make their role an increasingly difficult one. But talented and articulated talent acquisition leaders can make all the difference to an organisation’s success by becoming the brains behind the strategy, the minds behind the direction and the people behind the teams.
Below are some of the most important must-have skills that Talent Acquisition leaders should have:
1. Team Development
You need to invest in your team else they will not be invested in you. Identifying the required skills and providing the right resources and support for team members to train and develop effectively whilst encouraging them to do so.
2. Stakeholder Management
A TA leader should have the knowledge and ability to work with and influence stakeholders and leaders across the business to support (and invest in) the in-house recruitment function.
3. Motivational Leadership
Leading by example as an ambassador for your team and organisation with a clear focus on ethics, diversity, open communication, teamwork, and values that showcase and promote the employer brand and employee value proposition.
4. Organisational Leadership
Understanding the concept of running a lean recruitment function by designing, building and implementing more productive ways of working and demonstrating return on investment.
5. Negotiation Skills
The art of negotiation is a crucial part of any job, and for recruitment, it is no exception. You may find yourself negotiating with clients, vendors, and colleagues on a regular basis. If you start with an offer that is too low, you may put an immediate end to the dialogue. If you start with an offer that is too high, you may find yourself paying over the odds when you finalise the deal.
6. Social Recruitment
I feel this is the most important part since social recruitment can help in creating a positive first impression of the organisation which can attract prospective employees. Identifying different recruitment channels online, and understanding how to promote the employer brand to capture candidates’ interests and keep them engaged.
7. Data Analysis
This is the basis of any to every assumption. You need a great working tool which will give you inputs on what all you have done and which direction you are going.
8. Practical and Tactical Workforce Planning
Moving from reactive recruiting to proactive, best in class talent acquisition through accurate forecasting that enables recruitment teams to build the right talent pipeline.
9. Succession Planning
Understanding the needs of the business and building a reputation as an employer who supports diversity and inclusion to attract and develop leadership talent.
10. Mobile Recruitment
Providing candidates with a seamless mobile job search and application experience, and enabling hiring managers and recruiters to screen and select the right candidates through mobile devices.
11. Management development
Supporting managers as they lead and develop their teams to become accredited in-house resourcing practitioners.
With Talent acquisition leader’s role becoming increasingly complex and demanding, any talent acquisition manager must create a healthy balance of the above traits. The talent acquisition leaders will have to demonstrate exceptional leadership, resourcing, and talent management expertise to stay relevant and irreplaceable.
