Are You Ready For The Future of Talent Acquisition?

Genine WilsonForbes Councils Member

Forbes Human Resources Council
COUNCIL POST| Paid Program
Leadership
POST WRITTEN BY
Genine Wilson
Genine Wilson is Kelly Services' Vice President of the Pacific region.

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In the last decade, dozens of noted authors have written about the future of work, recommending
new research-driven approaches or viewpoints on how employers should engage with current
and prospective workers. Titles such as Free Agent Nation, The Healthy Workplace and Lead the
Work  are just a few books that offer various calls to action about employee recruiting and
retention.

With so much information covering this topic, it’s difficult to get one’s bearings on what HR and
talent acquisition professionals should actually do. One important source to consider is what the
C-suite thinks. In a poll of more than 800 CEOs, the biggest business challenge they expected to
face in 2019 was attracting and retaining top talent. We're in a time of record-low unemployment
and ample job opportunities, and workers are leaving their jobs at the highest rate since 2001.

It’s not just a U.S. issue, either. A study by the World Economic Forum of nearly 200 growth
companies around the world found that more than 55% of them have experienced talent
challenges ahead of other factors such as regulation and technology. The study clearly
emphasizes that talent is a global challenge.

HR and talent acquisition professionals who have been in the trenches trying to recruit and retain
good employees have known for some time that having the right talent is critical to the success
of a business. And it appears that the C-suite is beginning to agree. What’s next then?
You need a strategic approach to manage your talent supply chain for today’s ultra-fast,
competitive job market that engages with job seekers in real time, fosters communities of
prospective employees, defines sourcing strategies and outlines when to buy, build or borrow
talent.

5 Ways Policymakers Can Help Build A Future-Ready Workforce Today

For example, if you need to bring in or borrow talent, should you use temporary labor, an online
platform or an outsourced relationship? Understanding how the landscape of talent acquisition is
changing will enable you to more effectively drive the business outcomes you want. Here are a
few solutions to make sure you're well-positioned to deal with the future of talent acquisition.

Select And Organize Work Environments With Employees In Mind

People want a workplace that supports their lifestyle. That might mean offering flexible
schedules or working remotely. Or, it may mean providing amenities like a stocked fridge,
fitness benefits and access to shopping. The challenge for employers becomes accommodating
these types of worker expectations with company culture and day-to-day operations if, for
example, they are not in a well-located office building or the nature of their work requires
frequent collaboration.

Despite leaps in online conferencing technologies, some jobs need to be done in person.
Employers must audit those aspects of their culture that are critical to their brand and work
habits. If certain things such as telecommuting, flex time or other such benefits are not a fit, then
clear expectations should be provided during the recruiting process and stated in an employee
handbook. Be careful, though, with how many of these expectations are put in place to avoid
losing top candidates who may need accommodations.

Prepare For Changes From Emerging Technology

Augmented and artificial intelligence (AI), the increase of staffing-related digital work
platforms, and innovations in employee and machine learning are leading disruption technologies
that will affect how people connect with work. For example, some AI technologies such as
robotic process automation have already created, changed or eliminated jobs.

How will your organization respond to these fast-approaching changes in technology that will
require you to hire employees with entirely new skills? Also, with emerging technology, soft
skills will be as important as hard ones, especially in the areas of creativity, data analysis,
problem-solving and innovation. Employers will need to revisit their hiring practices to find
candidates who excel in these areas and create training programs for current employees who will
use these new technologies.

Put The 'Human' Back In Human Resources

Things we used to take for granted (i.e., social norms) are changing very quickly in today’s
hyper-accelerated job market, and preconceived notions about retirement, use of technology and
work preferences are going by the wayside. Baby boomers, like millennials, enjoy remote work
and use it to remain professionally active instead of retiring at age 65. Job seekers want to work
for companies whose purpose aligns with their personal values. And the list goes on. The
challenge is navigating these changing social norms, which vary by job market, industry and,
often, the individual worker.

Employers must understand these changes and address any preconceived notions they may have
about specific segments of workers. It will require a new approach that gets to know them deeply
to understand their attitudes, behaviors and motivations as well as what barriers they need to
overcome. If this sounds like a soft-skills exercise, it is. It’s all about bringing the "human" back
into human resources.

Being prepared for the future of the job market will affect how your organization handles the
pace of change management, sources and recruits team members, and nurtures workplace
collaboration. Along the way, it will be imperative to keep talent’s perspective in mind, since it
will impact your engagement, culture and, by extension, profits.