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No matter what kind of talent acquisition director you are, there’s a lot of buzz and movement in the talent world right now. With so many challenges and uncertainties around, it can be challenging to know what your top priorities should be. Taking into account all the factors in today’s business climate, here are five priorities for TA directors to focus on right now.
Top 5 Priorities for Talent Acquisition Directors
(And how to achieve them):
- Watching the numbers
- Supporting your team
- Improving candidate experience
- Illustrating ROI
- Taking care of yourself
Priority #1: Watching the Numbers
Tracking operational metrics on your recruiting process is the most effective way to identify opportunities for improvement. Leveraging technology that provides on-demand data analytics will give you a headstart—and save you loads of time—when it comes to evaluating your recruiting efforts. Use the insights you glean from data analytics to develop strategies and plans for improving your future results. For the biggest bang, look at short-tail metrics often, such as time to hire (link to forthcoming blog post), and involve your team in brainstorming ways to move the needle.
Priority #2: Supporting your TA team
The success and efficacy of talent acquisition directors rely as much on their teams as it does on their individual performance. Over the past few years, your team may have faced some of the same challenges facing employees across your organization, such as low engagement and higher turnover. Fortunately, there are many ways to support your team so they can deliver the best results. The most effective TA leaders use a combination of strategies to empower their team members, help them feel seen and accepted, and equip them with the tools and tech they need.
Priority #3: Improving Candidate Experience
There will never be a time when investing in the candidate experience is not a good idea. The most successful TA directors—those who win awards for their candidate experience—are proactive and consistently work on improving the experience through the entire recruiting funnel. This includes hosting virtual informational events to engage with passive candidates and cast a wider net, moving candidates more quickly through the recruiting process, and ensuring a great onboarding experience. For more tips and strategies on improving candidate experience, read our guide here.
Priority #4: Illustrating ROI
Yes, data analytics is so important that we had to list it twice. One of the most crucial aspects of a talent acquisition director's job is proving the return on investment to members of the C-suite and/or the board. This is often where long-tail metrics like time to fill and cost per hire can be invaluable—especially if you can show improvements over time. Being able to tell the story of your team’s impact with numbers (and charts and graphs, if you so desire) is essential for getting buy-in for new tech investments and securing your seat at the table.
Priority #5: Taking Care of Yourself
No matter how talented or skilled you are as a talent acquisition leader, you can’t succeed if you experience burnout or illness as a result of neglecting your needs. We encourage all TA leaders to set boundaries around work/life balance as a way of taking care of themselves as well as to set an example for their teams. It’s also important to consider how your decisions and actions impact your job performance and career potential. Find ways to work toward outcomes that benefit your employer and yourself at the same time—and don’t be afraid to toot your own horn when it comes to sharing your accomplishments. TA directors who advocate for themselves may have an easier time achieving their career goals—and they tend to be more effective in their roles along the way, too.
Don’t Get Distracted
In today’s fast-changing business climate, talent acquisition directors have a lot of responsibilities—and a lot of things on their radar. From economic uncertainty to growing interest in new technology (like generative AI, for example), it’s easy to understand how some TA leaders can get overwhelmed and effectively paralyzed because they just don’t know what’s important. No matter what’s happening in the world, TA leaders have a responsibility to stay informed—but they should always focus most of their efforts and attention on the things they can directly influence. While these priorities may shift slightly from time to time, there isn’t likely to be any point in the future where the five priorities we’ve outlined above become obsolete.
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Like this post? Try these!
- What Kind of Talent Acquisition Director Are You?
- TA Leaders Share Advice for Navigating Current Recruiting Challenges
- 4 Ways for TA Leaders to Help Their Recruiting Teams Accelerate Their Wins
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