The Talent Acquisition Process Guide for 2024

2023 was a breakthrough year for the recruitment industry, as artificial intelligence and data analytics transformed the way employers and candidates interacted. With the help of advanced algorithms, new tools and AI tech, talent acquisition processes are now more advanced than ever. The pandemic-induced shift to remote and volatile job markets and worker supplies have now made talent acquisition professionals’ roles critical for every industry. Here’s a look at what to expect in 2024 in terms of keeping your talent acquisition process up to speed with the rest of the world.

Tuning Your Talent Acquisition Process for 2024

Get Comfortable with Remote Work & Virtual Hiring

Remote work is no longer a temporary solution or a perk, rather, it is now a permanent reality for many workers and employers. According to a survey, 83% of employers say the shift to remote work has been successful for their company, and 55% of employees reveal they prefer to work remotely at least three days a week after the pandemic. [1]

What does it mean to your organization? One thing, you need to adapt your talent acquisition process to the remote work environment and embrace virtual hiring as the new norm. Virtual hiring involves using online platforms and tools to conduct interviews, assessments, and onboarding of candidates.

Virtual hiring offers many benefits, such as reducing hiring costs and improving hiring efficiency. However, it also poses some challenges like ensuring a consistent and fair hiring process, maintaining a human connection with candidates, and providing a positive candidate experience. To overcome these challenges, you need to invest in the right technology, train your hiring teams, and communicate clearly and frequently with candidates.

Strive for Diversity and Inclusion

DE&I are not only moral imperatives, but also business imperatives. A report by McKinsey shows that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile, and companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity on executive teams were 36% more likely to outperform their peers. [2]

It is apparent that you need to include diversity and inclusion as a strategic priority of your talent acquisition process. Keep in mind that diversity and inclusion involve not only hiring people from different backgrounds, identities, and perspectives, but also creating a culture of belonging, respect, and empowerment for all employees.

To achieve this, you have to adopt a holistic and data-driven approach to diversity and inclusion, such as setting clear and measurable goals, eliminating bias and barriers in the hiring process, providing training and development opportunities, and fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment. Check out our guide on diversity metrics to get started on tracking your diversity and inclusion efforts.

Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment is Here to Stay

There is an obvious reason why AI has not come down from the top-ranking trends. It is transforming the way employers recruit and hire talent. AI can help automate and streamline various aspects of the talent acquisition process, such as sourcing, screening, matching, scheduling, and engaging candidates. AI recruiting can also help enhance the quality and accuracy of hiring decisions, by providing data-driven insights and recommendations.

As fantastic as it is, AI is not a magic bullet that can replace human judgment and interaction. AI is only as good as the data and algorithms that power it, and it can also have unintended consequences, such as creating ethical and legal issues, eroding trust and transparency, and affecting candidate experience. You can avoid these pitfalls by using AI responsibly and ethically, by ensuring data quality and security, auditing and monitoring AI systems, and involving human oversight and feedback.

Stop Ignoring Data & Analytics

For starters, data analytics can help you improve your talent acquisition process by providing evidence-based and actionable information, such as identifying talent gaps and needs, measuring hiring performance and outcomes, and optimizing hiring strategies and tactics.

However, data analytics is not a simple or straightforward process. It requires having the right data, tools, skills, and mindset to collect, analyze, and interpret data effectively and efficiently. It also requires having a clear and shared understanding of the business goals, questions, and metrics that guide the data analysis. To leverage recruitment and HR analytics, it’s is essential to invest in data science expertise and analytics tools.

Candidate Experience Matters More

Employer branding and candidate experience are closely related and interdependent. A strong employer brand can help attract and engage more and better candidates, while a positive candidate experience can help reinforce and enhance the employer brand.

According to a survey, 78% of candidates say the overall candidate experience is an indicator of how a company values its people. [3] So, it’s important for you to pay attention to your employer branding strategy and candidate experience and ensure they are consistent and aligned with your organizational values, culture, and goals. You can start by understanding your target talent segments, then craft and communicate a compelling employer value proposition, and provide a seamless and engaging candidate journey.

Improve Your Talent Acquisition Process for the Coming Year

Now that you know some of the key hiring trends for 2024, how can you improve your talent acquisition process to align with them? Here are some best practices that can help you create and optimize your talent acquisition process for the coming year:

1. Delight Your Candidates

Candidate experience is not only a trend, but also a necessity. A positive candidate experience can help you attract and retain more and better talent. On the other hand, a negative candidate experience can damage your employer brand and reputation, and cost you time and money.

To improve your candidate experience, you need to put yourself in the candidates’ shoes and understand their needs, expectations, and preferences. You also need to design and deliver a candidate journey that is simple, fast, and convenient, and that provides clear and timely communication, feedback, and support.

Some of the ways you can enhance your candidate experience are:

• Optimize your career site and job postings to make them mobile-friendly, user-friendly, and SEO-friendly. No one wants irrelevant applicants due to misleading or poorly worded JDs.
• Streamline your application and screening process to make them easy and quick, and avoid asking for unnecessary or redundant information. The companies with the worst candidate and job application experiences are likely to only get last-resort jobseekers rather than quality talent.
• Use video interviews and pre-employment assessments to provide a flexible and interactive way to evaluate candidates’ skills and fit.
• Provide regular and constructive feedback and updates to candidates throughout the hiring process, and avoid leaving them in the dark or ghosting them.
• Ask for candidates’ feedback and suggestions to improve your hiring process and candidate experience.

2. Leverage social media and tech hiring tools

Social media and technology are powerful tools that can help you reach and engage more and better candidates, and improve your hiring efficiency and effectiveness. Social media can help you showcase your employer's brand, culture, and values, and connect with potential and passive candidates. Using technology can also help you automate and streamline your hiring process, and enhance your hiring quality and accuracy.

Here are some ways that you can leverage social media and hiring tools:

• Test various social media job post formats for your job posts to determine what works for your target market
• Use social media groups, communities, and hashtags to join and start relevant conversations, and to build and nurture relationships with your target talent segments.
• Use social media analytics and tools to source and screen candidates based on their social media profiles and activities.
• Use technology platforms and tools, such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), to manage and track your hiring process, and to store and access your candidate data and documents.
• Use technology solutions and tools like AI, chatbots, video interviews, and assessments, to automate and enhance your hiring process, and to provide data-driven insights and recommendations.

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3. Partner up with educational institutions and diversity organizations

Partnering up with educational institutions and diversity organizations can help you expand your talent pool, diversify your workforce, and improve your employer's brand and reputation. On-campus recruiting at educational institutions, such as universities, colleges, and vocational schools, can provide you with access to qualified and motivated candidates, who are eager to learn and grow. At the same time, diversity organizations, such as associations, networks, and groups, can provide you with access to diverse and talented candidates, who can bring different perspectives and experiences to your company.

Let’s take a look at some best practices in partnering up with educational institutions and diversity organizations:

• Participate in and sponsor career fairs, events, and workshops, and showcase your company and opportunities to potential and passive candidates.
• Establish and maintain relationships with career counselors, professors, and alumni, and seek their referrals and recommendations for candidates.
• Create and offer internship, apprenticeship, and mentorship programs, and provide opportunities for students and graduates to gain practical skills and experience, and to learn about your company and culture.
• Support and collaborate with diversity organizations, and demonstrate your commitment and support for diversity and inclusion, and attract and engage diverse and talented candidates.
• Provide and promote learning and development opportunities, and encourage and support your employees to join and participate in diversity organizations events.

4. Continuous learning and upskilling is the key

Continuous learning and upskilling is the key to staying relevant and competitive in the fast-paced and dynamic talent market. It involves providing and pursuing opportunities for employees and candidates to acquire new knowledge, skills, and competencies, and to enhance their existing ones.

Continuous learning and upskilling can help you improve your talent acquisition process by enabling you to:

• Retain and develop your current employees, and reduce turnover and hiring costs.
• Attract and engage more and better candidates, who value learning and growth opportunities.
• Build and maintain a talent pipeline, and prepare for future talent needs and challenges.

Some of the ways you can foster a culture of continuous learning and upskilling are:

• Conduct regular and comprehensive skills assessments, and identify your organization and employees' current and future skills gaps and needs.
• Provide and support various learning and development programs, such as online courses, webinars, workshops, certifications, and degrees, and tailor them to the individual needs and goals of your employees and candidates.
• Recognize and reward your employees and candidates for their learning and upskilling achievements, and celebrate their progress and success.
• Encourage and facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among your employees and candidates, and create a learning community and network.

Reinforce Your Talent Acquisition Process with the Right Tool

Aside from following the best practices mentioned above, implementing a powerful tool can also help you further improve your talent acquisition process and achieve your hiring goals.  

Manatal enters the scene as a cloud-based and AI-powered ATS that is packed with innovative features that can help improve your talent acquisition process, including:

• Social media recruiting: Manatal allows you to source and screen candidates from various social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and more, with just one click. You can also enrich your candidate profiles with social media data.
• Candidate experience: Manatal also enables you to provide a positive and memorable candidate experience, by offering a seamless and interactive communication and feedback system. You can also use Manatal to create and send personalized and branded emails and SMS to candidates, as well as to schedule and conduct interviews and assessments with candidates within a few clicks.
• AI and data analytics: Manatal leverages AI and data analytics to help you automate and enhance your hiring process, and to provide data-driven insights and recommendations. Manatal is able to match candidates with jobs based on their skills and fit. It can also rank and score candidates based on their qualifications and performance. Plus, you can use Manatal to generate comprehensive reports and analytics and improve your strategy for the next recruitment campaign.

Conclusion

The talent market in 2024 will be more competitive and dynamic than ever. It’s important to stay sharp and keep up with the changing trends. By following the best practices and using the right tool, you can create and optimize your talent acquisition process for the coming year, and gain a competitive edge in attracting and retaining the best talent for your organization.

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Citations

1. PWC

2. McKinsey

3. LinkedIn