Who is a talent acquisition specialist? HR titles explained

It is becoming increasingly common to see Talent Acquisition Specialists employed in HR departments. This is due to the change in attitude toward the employee that is now evident among companies in various industries. We have moved from claiming that the employee is the organization’s workforce to think that there is potential in the people hired, which the company can harness to achieve its goals. How does a Talent Acquisition Specialist help in this difficult task by influencing the recruitment processes?

Talent Acquisition Specialist – table of contents:

1. Talent management strategy – why should you have one?
2. Talent Acquisition Specialists – responsibilities
3. Additional responsibilities of the Talent Acquisition Specialist
4. Talent Acquisition Specialists – summary

Talent management strategy – why should you have one?

The emergence of the position of Talent Acquisition Specialists has come as a natural turn of events at a time of increased competition in the labor market, high turnover in jobs and a change in the approach of employees to their work (especially the expectations that companies must meet). The days when both smaller and larger companies in various industries could easily find employees who fully met their requirements are definitely gone.

Today, we are seeing different needs expressed by employees – in terms of, among other things, being able to do their jobs (e.g., flexibility in terms of where and when they perform their duties), taking care of their work-life balance and wellness, and providing adequate space for development.

This is where a talent management strategy can bring benefits, as it makes (if properly implemented) an employee stay with the company for the long term. One of its elements is the hiring of Talent Acquisition Specialists to help find the best job candidates – that is, talents who will support the company in achieving its long-term goals by using their experience, hard and soft skills, or other abilities.

The existence of such a position is the result of thinking of employees as individuals who contribute to the success of the company, rather than merely carrying out individual, top-down mandated duties. It is precisely this approach that is now expected and eagerly embraced, especially by those in Generation Z and Alpha entering the job market.

Talent Acquisition Specialists – responsibilities

The main task of a Talent Acquisition Specialist should involve searching for and interviewing individuals who seem to be a perfect fit for the company. Thus, such a person works closely with the HR Specialist and Hiring Manager to find the ideal candidate for the job. As part of this process, they jointly identify recruitment needs and selection criteria and then take steps to attract people interested in the offer (for example, by adding job ads or interviewing potential candidates during sourcing on LinkedIn). They also take part in recruitment interviews, examining the candidate’s experience, skills and personality.

Keeping in mind that recruitment processes work both ways, the Talent Acquisition Specialist takes care at the same time to properly present the company looking for an employee, convincing the candidate that this is a place worth working for. In the next step, he or she screens and assesses whether the person will be suitable for the duties indicated and whether he or she will find his or her place in the team he or she will join.

Additional responsibilities of the Talent Acquisition Specialist

However, the work of a Talent Acquisition Specialist is not limited to mere participation in recruitment processes when the need for a new person arises (e.g., after a layoff or due to company growth). We can also distinguish other duties performed by an employee in this position, such as, among others:

• Conducting employer branding activities (taking care of employer brand development, such as on social media channels),
• Taking part in job fairs to generate interest in available opportunities,
• Creating job descriptions (in anticipation of the company’s recruitment needs),
• Participation in succession planning processes (hiring of people for leadership positions),
• Maintaining contact with former and potential employees.

Talent Acquisition Specialists – summary

The position of Candidate Acquisition Specialist is beginning to gain recognition more and more often in search ads, which should not be surprising to anyone. The change in the approach to hiring people is apparent at first glance – the emphasis on attracting talent that will take care of the company’s growth was born as a result of many processes currently taking place in the labor market (including changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic or new generations entering the market, familiar with the Internet since childhood and have different needs than their parents). Companies need to adapt to these phenomena, and hiring a Talent Acquisition Specialist will help in this regard, among other things.

Read also: AI in recruitment.

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