TALA Webinar: The Current and Future State of Hiring for Talent Acquisition Leaders

The Current and Future State of Hiring by Industry for Talent Acquisition Leaders

The mission of TALA, Talent Acquisition Leadership Alliance, is to create a safe, no pressure association for corporate talent acquisition leaders to learn, network, and share challenges in a round table environment. This webinar-based discussion aims to address raising concerns of shifting in TA strategies throughout various companies and industries amidst the current pandemic. Attendees will be divided into break out sessions run by Talent Acquisition leaders, as they answer questions from potential job seekers.

Focus Questions Discussed by HR Leaders

Watch the Recording here

What is happening to the TA strategies you were deploying? Are there any results worth sharing?

All TA strategies are susceptible to change in this climate of uncertainty. As most of the workforce transitions to a digital-based platform, companies must recognize their traditional measures of recruiting are currently unsuitable in relation to how society is functioning.

“Internally departments were sharing labor to move projects forward and create skill development opportunities for their employees,” says Sharon Tsao, Contemporary Staffing Solutions.

Which industries are hiring, and which ones are on hold?

During the breakout sessions, attendees had the opportunity to hear from testimonies from various industries. Based upon what was discussed it appeared that many industries have slowly begun reigniting their hiring process, especially in the fields of corporate business, education, software technology, insurance, and healthcare. These industries have had the advantage of being suitable for technological acclimation, as they were forced to transition to digital-based workspaces.

“There is a general consensus that businesses are hiring again. In the corporate offices the freezes are defrosting”, says Abby Post, NFI Industries.

However, other industries, such as retail and hospitality, are proceeding with hires at a much slower pace. Due to the foundation of these industries being centered around physical interaction and service, these professions are having a difficult time with direct hires, as the bounds of the pandemic guidelines provide them with limited room to expand upon their teams.

What challenges are you currently facing?

Jobseekers may face the challenge of being unaware of whether they are being recruited for immediate, specific positions, or if companies are trying to create a pipeline that could possibly lead to a hire somewhere in the future. In cases the answer to that may seem uncertain, it is important for both companies to be specifying their motives and for those seeking employment to be aware of the multiple outcomes.

“Recruiters should be specifying whether they are recruiting for a specific role or building a pipeline”, says Evan Violette, Contemporary Staffing Solutions.

Also, in cases where companies are trying to build a pipeline out of recruits rather than begin hiring right away, jobseekers should make it their mission to maintain the relationship between themselves and potential employers.

“As candidates, we need to be able to follow up with those employers. They’re not going to necessarily follow up with you, you need to follow up with them and be very diligent”, says Lynn Schlegel, Sr. TA Advisor, DaVita Kidney Care.

Another challenge being faced revolves around a lack of technical knowledge or access. With every element of the professional world transitioning to digital platforms, from the jobs themselves to TA processes, those who cannot acclimate to this change are left at a major disadvantage point.

“The interview platforms, the texts, and the various forms of communication are not familiar to every person in every industry”, says Michael Pepe, Professor, Penn State.

How are talent acquisition functions dealing with remote/viral hiring?

Setting the culture. Companies should begin leaning their focus towards establishing and adverting the desired culture of their work environment. Whether that be through more social media engagement or deeper personal assessments of potential hires, it is important they try to establish some outwardly authentic brand.

Out of the different ways were going to be able to vet talent, we think assessment will become a lot more robust. You have probably heard of predictive index, which really monitors your core competency and your traits- its not an end all, but companies are going to have to be really nimble and flexible. Especially in these times of hiring people”, says Steve Pearson, Contemporary Staffing Solutions.

Remote On-Boarding. Although it may not seem like the most enjoyable means of entering a new job, many companies, especially those hiring interns, utilize programs that allow new employees to be acclimated into the workspace without their physical presence. This not only invited the possibility for new remote hires, but it allows those hired a true look at the company’s environment.

(Company) What they did was create videos of their campuses to give that look and feel for candidates to really be able to immerse themselves into the culture without physically being there,”, says Cathleen Beetel, TA, ICON.

What are the projections for hiring in the future?

Digital Interviews. It is difficult to tell what the future will hold; however, it is relatively certain current events will bring about a shift in the hiring process. Regardless of a position’s in-person necessity, in-person interviews are not fully plausible. Companies should be prepared to embrace dependency on virtual interview processes in order to develop the best outlook on potential hires. 

“We discussed how we need to continue to hire for essential businesses within this time and what we’re doing to be able to move the process along for the hiring leaders that need to be able to interview folks that are in customer service types of roles. We talked about the aspects of video interviewing or phone interviewing before moving anyone into and in-person interview to provide safety”, says Angela Bradley, Head of TA, CubeSmart.

Remaining Remote. As we continue to evolve back to where we were, one may notice discussions of certain positions remaining remote. Companies must ask themselves, has the person in this position found success during their time out of the office? And if so, would the best option be for them to continue working where they are?

That can be a viable option. If we continue down this road there may be some positions that can and should remain remote, and in those situations, in order to find the best talent, casting that net may be the best way to go”, says Ryan Galvin, Director, Talent Management, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.   

How are you managing stress for yourself and your team?

Digital comradery. Attendees generally agreed that keeping in communication with coworkers has allowed them to maintain a sense of normalcy and balance. Whether it be in the form of zoom meetings or virtual happy hours, employees testified that seeing and interacting with others over digital platforms relieved feelings of stress and sadness throughout their time spent away from the office.

What advice would you offer jobseekers?

Focus on networking. Ultimately, putting your name out to as many people in your professional industry will enhance your career development. It will not only allow you to gain the most contact out of prospective employers, but it will give them exposure to you and your given skillsets.

Do not give up hope. At some points, the process of trying to find a job in this climate is going to seem impossible. It important you keep your head up and continue pursuing all opportunities with diligence.

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