Lecture Notes: Becoming More Strategic in Talent Acquisition

Introduction

• Speaker: Alexis Smith, Marketing Lead for LinkedIn Canada
• Emphasis on reducing operational tasks, focusing on strategic roles

Featured Speaker: John Vlastelika

• Background: Over 20 years in Talent Acquisition (TA) and recruitment
• Founder of Recruiting Toolbox
• Focus on actionable strategies to be more strategic in TA roles

Key Themes

• Strategy in Talent Acquisition:
  • Not high-level; detailed, actionable strategies
  • Focus on practical, real-world applications
  • Emphasis on speed, quality, and diversity

Strategic Actions and Insights

1. Engage Hiring Managers Pre-Funnel

• Activities:
  • Build thought leaders among hiring managers
  • Encourage engagement in industry communities
  • Use brand ambassador programs
  • Host webinars with subject matter experts
• Examples:
  • Autodesk trains hiring managers to engage online
  • Encourage non-interview conversations with passive candidates

2. Analyze and Optimize Hiring Sources

• Internal vs External Hiring:
  • Review internal and external source allocation for high-volume roles
  • Example: Exo shifted focus to internal hires for certain roles
• Epic Games Case Study:
  • Expedite hiring to meet project deadlines by redistributing resources

3. Improve Time to Fill

• Efficiency in Screening and Interviewing:
  • Reduce steps in screening process
  • Outsource tech screens to save time
  • Consolidate interview teams to reduce interviewers

4. Optimize Candidate Experience

• Diversity and Inclusivity:
  • Set up candidates for success
  • Provide detailed feedback post-interview
  • Use Google’s model for interview preparation transparency
• Uber:
  • Offers Q&A sessions with executives for candidates

Building a Culture of Recruiting

• Train and Empower Hiring Managers:
  • Set expectations and provide training
  • Survey hiring manager performance too
• Recognition and Metrics:
  • Highlight successful hiring manager practices
  • Use performance metrics to drive improvement

False Negatives and Decision Making

• Avoid False Negatives:
  • Misalignment in definitions for roles and diversity leads to missed hires
  • Example: ESPN tracking rejected candidate success at competitor firms

Conclusion

• Strategic TA Practices:
  • Focus on speed, quality, diversity
  • Run towards complex problems for career growth

Additional Resources

• Slides and Materials Available:
  • URL: recruitingtoolbox.com/TC19
  • Speaker invites sharing of strategies via social media or direct communication

These notes reflect the main themes and takeaways from John Vlastelika’s lecture on being strategic in talent acquisition. They provide a guide to enhance strategic thinking and application in recruitment roles.