Create a Talent Acquisition Strategy
Outline a strategic plan to optimize foundational elements and elevate the TA function.
- Talent acquisition (TA) functions face many demands and competing priorities. TA needs to not only fill roles quickly but also fill them with the right talent. Managing current demands while planning for future talent needs means TA is simultaneously fighting fires and trying to prevent new ones.
- TA’s attempts to manage these competing pressures often focus on improving TA processes. Although process is a key element of TA, a more holistic examination is required to identify and close strategic gaps that are preventing a stronger contribution to organizational success.
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- Get advice, coaching, and insight at key project milestones
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Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Being strategic goes beyond having an efficient TA process; it requires a holistic review of the TA function and careful selection of strategic projects. TA strategies have the greatest impact on organizational success when foundational TA elements are optimized to deliver on current and future talent needs.
Impact and Result
- Use a defined framework to create a TA strategy that identifies TA strategic objectives and the projects needed to support the organization’s priorities. Holistically assess and optimize the foundational strategic elements of TA – candidate awareness & experience, TA process & accountability, TA technology, and TA competency – to elevate TA as a strategic function.
Talent Acquisition Strategy
This program has been approved for continuing professional development (CPD) hours under Section A of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Log of the Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA).
McLean & Company is recognized by SHRM and can award Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®.
HR Certification Institute's® (HRCI®) official seal confirms that McLean & Company meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.
How to complete this course:
Use these videos, along with the Project Blueprint deck above, to gain an understanding of the subject. Start with the Introduction, then move through each of the Course Modules. At the end of each Module, you will be required to complete a short test to demonstrate your understanding. You will complete this course when you have completed all of the course tests.
- Number of Course Modules: 5
- Estimated Completion Time: 1.5 hours
Learning Outcome
Create a talent acquisition (TA) strategy that optimizes foundational elements and supports the organization’s talent needs.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Identify how implementing a TA strategy can benefit your organization.
- Recognize how to optimize the four TA foundational elements.
- Learn the steps involved in creating a TA strategy.
- Discover how a TA strategy supports the organization’s priorities.
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Course Modules
Create a Talent Acquisition Strategy - Intro: Optimize foundational elements to elevate the TA team
Create a Talent Acquisition Strategy - Module 1: Determine TA strategic objectives and define metrics
Create a Talent Acquisition Strategy - Module 2: Review candidate awareness & experience and TA process & accountability
Create a Talent Acquisition Strategy - Module 3: Review TA technology and TA competency
Create a Talent Acquisition Strategy - Module 4: Select strategic projects and implement the TA strategy
Workshop: Create a Talent Acquisition Strategy
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Determine Strategic Objectives
The Purpose
Determine talent implications and create strategic directional statements.
Key Benefits Achieved
The talent implications and strategic direction of the TA strategy determined
Activities
Outputs
Review information gathered from strategic documents and external labor market scan.
Determine talent implications.
- Talent implications relevant to TA
Identify and prioritize talent implications relevant to TA.
Create strategic directional statements associated with talent implications.
- TA strategic directional statements
Module 2: Conduct Gap Analysis of TA Foundational Elements
The Purpose
Review candidate experience and identify gaps in current state.
Key Benefits Achieved
Candidate awareness and experience reviewed and foundational TA element gaps identified
Activities
Outputs
Review candidate awareness and experience data gathered.
Identify gaps by assessing the current state for candidate awareness and experience and TA process and accountability.
- TA foundational element gaps identified
Module 3: Prioritize Gaps to Address
The Purpose
Identify and prioritize TA gaps to address.
Key Benefits Achieved
- TA foundational elements gaps prioritized based on size and importance to focus resources
- Defined strategic projects to address gaps
Activities
Outputs
Identify gaps by assessing the current state for TA technology.
- Identified and prioritized TA foundational element gaps
Prioritize gaps based on size and importance.
Determine potential strategic projects and initiatives to address gaps.
- Strategic projects defined
Module 4: Select Strategic Projects
The Purpose
Select and create a roadmap for strategic projects.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Strategic projects are assigned owners and roadmaps are created
- The communications for the TA strategy are outlined for the relevant stakeholders
Activities
Outputs
Identify gaps by assessing the current state for TA competency.
Review strategic projects and assign project owners.
- Owners assigned strategic projects
Draft a roadmap.
- Roadmap of strategic projects
Outline communications to relevant stakeholders.
- Communication to stakeholders outlined
- Completed draft of TA Strategy Presentation Template
About McLean & Company
McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
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Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 14 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Determine strategic objectives
- Call 1: Discuss talent implications.
- Call 2: Identify and prioritize talent implications relevant to the TA function.
- Call 3: Establish TA strategic objectives and defined metrics.
Guided Implementation 2: Conduct gap analysis of TA foundational elements
- Call 1: Conduct a gap analysis of candidate awareness & experience strategic practices.
- Call 2: Conduct a gap analysis of TA process & accountability strategic practices.
- Call 3: Conduct a gap analysis of TA technology strategic practices.
- Call 4: Conduct a gap analysis of TA team competencies.
- Call 5: Prioritize gaps based on their size and importance.
Guided Implementation 3: Select strategic projects
- Call 1: Review candidate awareness & experience gaps.
- Call 2: Review TA process & accountability gaps.
- Call 3: Review TA technology gaps.
- Call 4: Review TA team competency gaps.
- Call 5: Select strategic projects.
- Call 6: Outline a communication plan.
Contributors
- Tracie Brack, Talent Acquisition Consultant, Inflammatix, Inc.
- Mariane Drouin, Manager, Talent Acquisition Strategy, BRP
- Charlotte Normand, Manager, Talent Acquisition & Attraction Strategy, Solotech, Inc.
- Matt Charney, Recruitment Solutions and Strategy Leader, QuantumWork
- Humza Khan, Senior Advisor, Talent Acquisition, Photon Control, Inc.
- Simon Parkin, Founder of The Talent Company, Author of Hiring Right
- Jim D’Amico, Global Talent Acquisition Leader, Celanese
- Chris Mahar, Manager, Talent Acquisition, J.D. Irving
- Eileen Timmins, VP, Human Resources and Administration, 1WorldSync
- Michael De Guzman, Talent Strategy Director, Loblaw Companies Limited
- Stephen Muscat, Senior Director Global Talent Acquisition, Morneau Shepell
Create a Talent Acquisition Strategy
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