17 Insights from the 2018 Talent Acquisition Conference

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17 Insights from the 2018 Talent Acquisition Conference

November 08, 2018 | Article

“I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies.”

Lawrence Bossidy, executive emeritus at GE and Honeywell

Bigger Fish: Acquiring Agile, High-Potential Talent for Business Impact

In this era of tight labor markets and low unemployment, diversity and retention remain major challenges for the talent function. Digital technology enhances the talent process, but even the best analytics and tools need to be managed. Savvy recruiters are looking for talent in new places and in new ways. They are paying more attention to process and aligning their talent tools for maximum effect. And they are looking hard at opportunity hires—workers who might not have gotten a second chance at employment before the talent shortage, but who are now proving their worth.

When 94 practitioners and experts met to talk about talent acquisition, we took notes. Here are highlights:

In a tight talent market, recruiters need to look for talent in new places—and if they are looking in old places, they need to do it in new ways.

What does it take to be a recruiter? One seasoned recruiter says you know you’re a recruiter if “you have a sales-y nature, communications skills, positivity, you are IT-literate, and you’re a bit bonkers.” Add to that interpersonal skills, an analytics mindset, an understanding of the jobs you’re recruiting for, and a healthy sense of adventure—because you are going to need them in this competitive market.
Campus recruiting is hardly new. But nowadays it means more than setting up a booth at the career fair. It means fishing where the fish are. If you are recruiting minorities and people with disabilities, go to their conferences and campus student groups. One recruiter of college-age applicants goes to Comic Con festivals.