Does Talent Acquisition have a “seat at the table”? The answer is —
Wait. Did you just groan at that phrase? If you’re like many of your colleagues, you’re probably tired of hearing it endlessly — to the point that it’s almost become trendy to roll your eyes when someone says it because we’re all supposed to be so past such outdated expressions. Or because of course there’s a chair for Talent Acquisition. After all, what CEO nowadays doesn’t believe that getting the right talent is paramount to business success?
And yet…
Deep down, you know that what many CEOs say is not what many CEOs believe. Does Talent Acquisition have a seat at the table? Yes. Sadly, it’s the kids table. The adults are in a whole other room.
That’s the finding of a report released yesterday by TLNT Research and underwritten by Bounty Jobs. Talent Acquisition’s Evolution to Strategic Business Partner surveyed HR and TA professionals and found that:
- Only 28% of organizations regularly consult their TA teams about important decisions. 39% rarely, if ever, do.
- Only a third of respondents agree that business strategy or goals are adjusted as a result of recruiting’s input.
- At 36% of organizations, the TA budget has either been cut or remains unchanged over the last four years.
The report also shows that about 4 in 5 CEOs see the availability of talent as a threat to the growth of their organization. As a result, you’d think that companies would recognize talent acquisition as the highly strategic function it is.
And yet…
As the report points out, “The evolution of recruiting from administrative function to strategic asset is still in its infancy.”
And yet there is hope. The report is not all doom and gloom. Quite the contrary. It features first-hand accounts from talent acquisition professionals on how they’ve made their departments more strategic. Additionally, it will help you elevate your own role and that of your TA department by diving into key questions:
- What’s driving strategic talent acquisition right now?
- Why are companies still struggling with strategic talent acquisition? Why do they need to build a case for it?
- How can you transform your talent acquisition function through a better approach to people, process, and technology?
There are way more revelations, insights, and tips than I could possibly fit into this post, so check out the report and let me know your own thoughts on the state of talent acquisition both in general and at your own organization. Comment below, share your thoughts in our Facebook or LinkedIn groups, or email me directly at vadim@ere.net.