In the rapidly evolving world of enterprise hiring, the topic of contingent workforce often flies under the radar. Traditionally, companies have treated permanent and contingent workforces as separate entities, but this approach can lead to missed opportunities and increased risks. The solution? Total Talent Acquisition (TTA).

Bridging the gap at Yahoo

At Yahoo, we recognised the importance of merging these two streams. More than five years ago, Talent Solutions was brought onboard to integrate permanent and contractor recruitment. Fast track to today, our successful Total Talent Acquisition solution offers an overarching Talent Acquisition (TA) strategy and consistent personnel, tools and processes that span all permanent, contingent (aka contractor and freelancer) and fixed-term hiring across the organisation.

Want to know more? Read all about what we’ve been up to at Yahoo here!

What are the benefits of combining your TA strategy across permanent and contingent workforces?

• Cost Saving: By managing all contingent and permanent recruitment, we ensure visibility and control over recruitment-lead expenditure.
• Candidate Care: We put the candidate experience at the heart of all recruitment activity and where TA can positively influence each interaction, ensuring a positive candidate journey.
• Consistency: Of brand, of points of contact and of experience for all stakeholders. Plus, our team centrally handles the complexities of contractor management and payrolling.
• Talent Pooling: We maintain talent pools that transcend outdated siloed approaches, ensuring mobility and access to top talent regardless of employment type.
• Reduced Time to Fill: By combining both workforces within the TA function, we can influence hiring decisions and in turn enable quicker time-to-fill ratios.

The bottom line:

Embracing Total Talent Acquisition is a strategic move to keep your business competitive. Through integrating permanent and contingent workforce recruitment, you can achieve significant cost savings, enhance candidate care, ensure consistency, leverage broader talent pools, and reduce time-to-fill. At Yahoo, our experience has shown that a unified TA strategy is the key to unlocking benefits and driving organisation success.

Discover our services at Talent Solutions to see how we can help scale your business!

The right project manager can make all the difference between a project that makes it to the finish line and one that doesn’t. If you’re looking to hire a project manager to lead your project and team to success, here’s what you should keep an eye out for.

Skills to look for in a project manager:

1. Change management

Being able to manage change and engage stakeholders throughout the process of a project are key skills that any great project manager should possess. We hear why from Talent Perth Team Lead, Kate Reynolds, “Change management incorporates lots of different behavioural management skills, such as engaging stakeholders and bringing people on the journey of the project with you. The project managers who have these subset skills will command the premium rates in the market and are a very attractive proposition for hiring managers.”

2. Communication

Strong communication skills are an essential competency of any project manager, with the best of the best honing these skills to influence and lead. According to Talent Head of Government, Steve Tompkins, “The traditional project manager role is evolving. Enter the ‘Project Influencer’. The influencer uses EI to build human connections and understand the motivations of their team. They also use data-led logic, critical thinking, and strong communication skills to propose solutions to problems. They don’t just answer to stakeholders, they answer to their team, filling the role of sword and shield for them and fuelling a productive project team where every member feels valued and performs to the best of their ability.”

3. Emotional intelligence

It’s important for project managers to have high emotional intelligence – it’s a crucial part of managing a team and project where timelines and tasks can shift. Steve Tompkins explains that, “By focusing on the emotional needs of their teams, studies have shown that project managers can increase productivity by reducing absenteeism and retaining their best talent. A proper understanding of emotions, both yours and others, is required – making it a necessary leadership skill for project managers all over the globe.”

4. Technical skills: data, AI & automation

Technology is revolutionising the project services space, driving demand for project specialists who can leverage it to create efficiencies and achieve project success. So, which emerging – and existing – technical project skillsets are top practitioners honing? Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence, and Automation all make the cut, with the best of the best leveraging this tech to drive efficiencies in their work. According to Talent Head of Government, Steve Tompkins, “Project management involves a significant amount of data and project managers are increasingly leveraging data insights to make informed decisions, handle projects in a better way, and increase business growth.”  Talent Melbourne Practice Lead, Kylie McManus, also notes that, “Project managers and business analysts with specialised skills in cloud, data, cybersecurity, and popular ERP/CRM systems like Salesforce and MS Dynamics, are in highest demand.”

So, how can you find and hire project candidates who possess these attributes. Here’s what we suggest…

Attract and hire a project manager using these tips:

1. Offer meaningful work

A Talent survey of over 500 candidates revealed that the opportunity for exciting and meaningful work matters most to 85% of these professionals when looking for job. If you’re seeking to attract a top project manager, ensure that you’re selling the role and project in your job ad and interview. Highlight the exciting aspects of the project and the impact it will have on the business, to demonstrate the meaningful work the candidate will be a part of.

2. Expand your talent search

Finding top project managers is no easy feat, so to ensure you’re maximising your chances of finding leading project professionals, you’ll want to broaden your options by opening yourself up to different talent pools. Consider opening your role to remote workers to tap into talent from different geographies, using contractors for set project periods, or offering flexible work arrangements, to give yourself a greater selection of candidates to choose from.

It’s also important to consider diversity, equity and inclusion when hiring, ensuring that you’re engaging in inclusive hiring practices to attract a diverse range of candidates. Think – using gender neutral language in job ads, engaging in blind applicant screening, and having a diverse interview panel. This will not only widen your candidate pool, but it’s also the right thing to do. For tips and tricks on hiring with DEI in mind, check out our Talent DEI Hiring Toolkit.

3. Deliver on what candidates are seeking

If you want to attract top project talent, it’s important to make your role – and company – enticing to candidates. This involves delivering on what jobseekers are searching for. Talent research reveals that flexibility, a positive company culture, competitive remuneration, and progression opportunities are all sought after. If you can deliver on this, you’ll have a leg up in the hiring market.

4. Offer variety and opportunities for growth

Diving further into jobseeker expectations, when searching for their next project role, the opportunity for career progression and development matters most to almost half (48%) of jobseekers. For permanent employees, this means the opportunity for promotion and development, and for contractors, this is variety in the role and the likelihood of a contract extension. Talent Adelaide Account Executive, Taliya Lukeman, notes, “Longevity and variety are at the forefront of candidates’ minds when deciding on new work. We are finding that employers who have a clear roadmap in place for providing professional development for new hires are securing great talent.”

5. Sell your brand

Be clear on your EVP and ensure you have a strong employer brand which promotes this to jobseekers. From writing a compelling job ad which sells the role and highlights the perks that come from working with you, through to how you sell your brand and the project to candidates in the interview – it all counts when sourcing top project talent. It’s also important to deliver a positive candidate experience to all job applicants to ensure you maintain your brand in market. Make sure to offer feedback to each candidate after the interview, regardless of the outcome, to ensure each touchpoint with your company is a positive one.

6. Use a dedicated recruiter

Running a project is no easy task, and having the right people on board to see it to success is essential. However, with a busy schedule and hundreds of considerations on your mind, hiring can take up a significant amount of headspace. A dedicated recruiter can take this task of your plate, and with a deep understanding of your business and requirements, they can place top-tier project talent into your company at speed.

At Talent, we can find you the right project managers to keep your project on track. As a Platinum partner to the Project Management Institute (and the only recruitment partner), we understand what it takes to successfully deliver a project. Working with more than 11,000 project professionals around the world, and a global network of clients spanning across all industries, as well as placing over 1,000 PMs in new roles per year, we’re fluent in project management.

Let us hire the best project manager for your next project – get in touch to learn how we can help.

Sourcing top talent in tech, transformation and beyond, is no easy feat. From making your role attractive in market, through to placing job ads and sifting through hundreds of resumes, it’s a high-effort, time-consuming task. If you want to get time back to focus on doing what you do best, it may be time to employ the services of a tech recruitment agency – but what exactly are the benefits of an agency, and why should you consider using one? We dive into it.

Why use a tech recruitment agency?

From saving you time through to finding you hidden talent, here are the benefits you can expect when using a dedicated recruiter:

1. Access to top talent pools

Tech recruitment agencies have wide networks of top candidates to tap into and can source you the best of the best in tech to meet your hiring needs. Whether it’s a top-tier technical architect, or a stellar software developer, they can find and place exactly who you need at speed.

2. Finding candidates with niche skillsets

Dedicated tech recruitment agencies can help you source candidates with niche skillsets. From blockchain to AI, a tech recruiter has the technical knowledge to find the right candidates with the skillsets you’re seeking. Maybe you’re in search of a cybersecurity specialist skilled in cloud security to lock down your systems, or a data analyst with automation competencies to drive efficiencies when analysing data stores. Whatever it may be, tech recruiters can use their tech expertise alongside their extensive recruitment knowledge, to find the professionals you need.

3. Hiring expertise

Recruitment agencies specialised in tech will know what it takes to source top tech talent. They’ll understand candidate drivers, know where top jobseekers can be found, and what great tech applicants look like.

Looking for insights on what’s motivating tech talent when looking for a role? Read our blog on what you can deliver to attract the best in tech.

They’ll also possess a strong understanding of the market and know how to navigate it to find the best of the best – and can also impart this knowledge to you through…

4. Exclusive market intel

Working with jobseekers and employers every day of the week, tech recruitment agencies have in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of the market. Engaging a tech recruitment agency will ensure you have access to exclusive tech market intel that you can’t find elsewhere. Plus, acting as an extension of your business, they will be a strategic partner to guide you through the latest hiring market trends, and will ensure you’re well equipped to make the best decisions when it comes to hiring.

5. Time savings

A recruitment agency will do the heavy lifting for you. From reviewing CVs through to screening candidates and presenting you with the best pick of the bunch, you can save time and effort in the hiring process, and get it back to focus on your most pressing tasks.

6. Access to hidden talent

Sometimes the best tech talent isn’t actively looking. Dedicated recruiters are skilled in headhunting, and can help you find the hidden gems who aren’t currently on the market, significantly widening your talent pool and helping you make a hiring splash.

7. Global reach

Tech recruitment agencies often operate across multiple regions, meaning they can source exactly who you need, exactly where you need them. If you’re seeking a Java developer in Brisbane and a data analyst in Auckland, recruitment agencies with a national or global presence have the people power and relationships to find the candidates you need. Plus, with remote work breaking down the barriers of where professionals need to be located, they can tap into their extensive talent pools across borders, to find exactly who you need.

8. A faster hiring process

Working with a recruitment agency can speed up your hiring process. An agency will look after all the admin work that goes into sourcing new talent – from writing job ads, to reviewing CVs, setting up interviews, and running reference checks, they’ll look after all the hiring details so you don’t have to. Plus, with years of experience, they can quickly pick out the candidates who will be the right fit for your team, and present only the front-runners to you for consideration – reducing your time to fill.

9. A partner to your business

A tech recruitment agency will act as a partner to your business, becoming your go-to for all your hiring needs. Plus, with a long-term partnership with your company, they’ll understand the ins and outs of your business and culture, and can source the best candidates for your needs – those who not only have the right skills and experience, but are also the right team fit.

At Talent, we act as a strategic partner for your business, understanding your requirements to find and place top-tier tech talent into your company, while also guiding you through the shifting hiring market.

With a foundation in tech, we’ve been working with top talent since the birth of Javascript, and have connected thousands of contract and permanent professionals across almost every sector to the world’s leading companies.  We know what it takes to find the best in tech, transformation and beyond, and can help you to build world-class teams.

Ready to get started? Get in touch today.

Did you know that 70% of projects fail? If you’re about to embark on a project, you need the right people leading the way. They can make all the difference between your project being part of this statistic or defying the odds and coming out on top. So, how do you go about building a world-class project team that can take your project and company to new heights? Here are our top tips:

1. Determine your deliverables

First things first, you need to scope out your project objectives and deliverables. This will guide everything you do, especially when it comes to your project hiring plan. Determine what you’re planning to achieve with your project and the resources you’ll need in terms of funding, tools, time, and most importantly, people, Consider the project professionals you want to bring on board and the competencies you need in your project team to achieve success.

2. Scope out the skills you need

If it’s a tech project, are you in search of project practitioners with AI and data skillsets, or if it’s a Marketing program of work, is it team members with graphic design and automation competencies? Consider what’s essential to your project and build a sourcing strategy around this.

While technical skills and certifications are essential, if you want to build a world-class team, there are attributes beyond the day-to-day technical know-how that you should also look out for. In other words, those people with the right attitude, charisma, and influence. Look for a mix of technical skills and strong interpersonal skills (think – stakeholder management and emotional intelligence) when sourcing, to ensure you have the right people on board to achieve project success.

3. Plan your people strategy

So, you’ve determined the skills you need in your team for your project to be successful. Now it’s time to develop your sourcing strategy. Consider the type of talent you need and where you’ll find top candidates. If your project is short-term, you may consider engaging contractors for a set time period, however, if it’s longer-term, permanent employees may be your best bet.

Uncover more about contract and permanent hiring options here to determine which option best suits your team.

4. Consider how you’ll source top talent

Once you’ve determined the people you need, it’s time to plan how you’ll source them. Will you post job ads online, rely on referrals, or use a dedicated recruiter? Or maybe headhunting is more your speed. Consider your in-house capabilities, and then determine if you’re equipped to do the heavy-lifting or if recruitment outsourcing is the better option.

However, before going out to market, you’ll first want to consider your Employee Value Proposition and build a strong employer brand that will attract people to work with you. For that reason, it’s important to…

5. Deliver on what project professionals want

If you want to source the best project professionals for your team, it’s a good idea to deliver on what they’re seeking and promote this throughout the entire recruitment process – from job ad through to interview. Project professionals are looking to work on projects that matter and are seeking opportunities for growth. A 2023 Talent survey of over 500 tech professionals highlighted that the opportunity for exciting and meaningful work matters to 85% of respondents, alongside the opportunity for career progression and development, which matters to almost half (48%) of respondents when looking for a job. They are also searching for flexibility, a positive company culture, and an organisation with a strong ESG commitment, when looking for their next project role. Offer this and promote it in your dedicated careers hub, job ads, when speaking to candidates, and via your socials, and you’ll have a better chance of attracting – and retaining – the best.

Once you’ve got this down-pat and have determined how you’ll source project candidates, it’s then important to have a speedy recruitment process where you…

6. Act agile

Top project professionals may have multiple job offers on the table, so if you want to bring the best on board, you need to act fast. A quick recruitment process – from interview through to offer – can ensure you’re not missing out on top talent, and will help you fast-track your project to success by having the right professionals in your team.

Uncover more recruitment tips and market insights to help you build a successful project team, in our Project Services Hiring Market Snapshot.

7. Sprint to project success

Hiring is no easy task, and with hundreds of considerations on your mind when it comes to running a project, sourcing talent for your project team can take up a lot of time and headspace. Use a dedicated recruiter to take one task off your plate, and get time back to focus on what you do best – delivering a world-class project.

At Talent, as a Platinum partner to the Project Management Institute (and the only recruitment partner), we understand what it takes to successfully deliver a project. Working with more than 11,000 project professionals around the world, and a global network of clients spanning across all industries, as well as placing over 1,000 PMs in new roles per year, we’re fluent in project management. Let us help you sprint to the finish line when it comes to hiring, by finding and placing top tier talent at speed. Ready to get started? Get in touch.

Enterprise people leaders have big shoes to fill – constantly. We took the most common hiring challenges faced by our clients and put together our best tips into a guide you won’t want to miss.

Learn more

What are jobseekers’ deal-makers and deal-breakers when it comes to work? We’ve dived into the numbers to uncover what you should offer to not only attract but also retain the best. Let’s get into it:

1. Flexibility

The most important thing that jobseekers are searching for from a role is flexibility. A Talent poll revealed that flexibility is the most important thing candidates are seeking, even beating out salary. Flexible work is so important that another survey revealed that 45% of employees would be willing to take a pay cut in exchange for remote work. With flex work a non-negotiable, ensure this is on the table if you want to secure top talent.

Don’t forget, flex work isn’t just about working from home. It can be provided in the way of compressed work weeks, job sharing, flexible start and end times and a whole heap more. Talent People & Culture Lead, Georgia Townsend comments “It’s not as simple as flexible working or not flexible working—the debate is constantly evolving far beyond a yes or no question. What we’ve found is the best way to get the most out of everyone and to keep our culture alive, is to truly understand what drives our people. The magic answer is that not one size fits all.” Uncover the latest in the flex work landscape in our blog “Behind the headlines: What’s really happening with flexibility”.

2. A competitive salary

Money matters to jobseekers, however, expectations vary across the globe when it comes to the cash. In the US, the tech market is full of opportunity, seeing strong competition and high salaries for skilled tech professionals. Across Australia and New Zealand, however, salary expectations are shifting as the market changes. Where candidates were demanding significant rates during 2021-22, the market is starting to stabilise, and rates are beginning to correct themselves – largely due to recent layoffs and a slow in hiring. As a result, Taliya Lukeman, Talent Adelaide recruitment expert notes that, “Candidates are much more open to seriously negotiating their salaries because they can see how tough the market is post-COVID.”

Discover more about salary expectations in our More Than Money Salary Guide 2024.

3. Opportunities for progression

Candidates are seeking to work on projects that matter and are looking for opportunities for growth – so much so that it could be a determining factor when it comes to the roles they accept. A Talent survey of over 500 tech professionals revealed that the opportunity for exciting and meaningful work matters to 85% of respondents, alongside the opportunity for career progression and development, which matters most to almost half (48%) of respondents when looking for a job. Talent Adelaide recruitment expert, Taliya Lukeman, observes that when sourcing candidates “There are more questions around progression and what that looks like for a candidate. We are finding that employers who have a clear roadmap in place for providing professional development for new hires are securing great talent. Longevity and variety are at the forefront of candidates’ minds when deciding on new work.” Ensure you’re offering your people an opportunity to engage in valuable work that will progress their career, and make sure their advancement journey is visible from the get-go, so they know that there is a future with your organisation.

4. A positive company culture

Candidates are seeking out a positive culture in the companies they decide to work for. A Talent survey revealed that a positive company culture matters most to 76% of tech candidates when looking for a job. Ensuring that you are creating a positive workspace, listening to your team members, and nurturing your people can go a long way in attracting and retaining top talent. However, this isn’t something that should only be reserved for your permanent employees. Your contingent workforce is also seeking out a positive working culture and connection with your permanent teams. Ensure you’re delivering on this and you’ll have a leg up in attracting and retaining the best. Talent People & Culture Advisor, Brandon De Souza, shares that “company culture is incredibly important as it has such a widespread impact on a business, studies show that a strong culture leads to higher retention rates and improved business performance. It should be built on strong foundations and is the responsibility of everyone, not just one team. Having a company that is built on transparency, trust and diversity is a solid start for any business.”

5. A DEIB commitment

A Deloitte survey of 1,300 full-time employees found that 80% of respondents see inclusion as an important factor when choosing a new employer. If you’re seeking to attract top candidates and keep them on board, DEIB should be on your priority list. A diverse working culture also statistically increases job satisfaction for employees, and improves levels of trust. The happier your people are, the more likely they’ll stay – helping solidify your teams and increase staff retention.

Deliver on these candidate expectations and you’ll be one step closer to attracting high-performing talent – and keeping them by you for the long haul.

So, are you ready to start building world-class teams? We can help. At Talent, we’ve placed thousands of professionals across almost every sector to the world’s leading companies. Get in touch to see how we can help you source the best of the best, helping you take your company to new heights.

With different generations currently in the workforce, it’s not just age that sets these groups apart. Beyond salary, what does each group expect from their employer? From Gen Z to Boomers, we dive into what each generation is seeking from a role. Let’s get into it:

Gen Z (born 1997-2012)

Gen Z are the most recent generation to enter the workforce. Having grown up in the digital age, Gen Z are digital natives and are seeking a technologically-integrated workplace, with 80% wanting to work with cutting-edge technology. Flexibility is also a key expectation of this group, with 40% of Gen Zs considering flexible workdays a determining factor when considering whether to accept a job. Social activism, increased environmental awareness, and a commitment to inclusion are also hallmarks of this group, with DEIB and environmental sustainability being key considerations for Gen Zs when weighing up employers. One survey found that 83% of Gen Z jobseekers consider a company’s DEIB commitment before accepting a role, while a Talent survey revealed that a company’s commitment to environmental sustainability impacts 71% of Gen Z candidates’ decision to accept a job. Progression and development is also highly sought after by this group, with Gen Z expecting employers to provide continuous learning and professional development opportunities.

TLDR; What this generations wants:

• A technologically-integrated workplace
• Flexible work options
• A company DEIB & ESG commitment
• Learning & development opportunities

Millennials (born 1981-1996)

Experiencing the advent of the internet and social media, millennials grew up in a time of growing awareness of global issues, thus seeing them prioritise social justice in both a work and social context. According to a Talent survey, 75% of millennials cite DEIB as a top business priority. Millennials also highly value flexibility – 75% who are presently in hybrid or remote roles would consider looking for a new role if their employer asked them to work in office full time. Unlike the generations before them, millennials are more likely to job-hop – 21% of millennials have changed jobs within the past year, over three times the amount of non-millennials who have done the same. To keep them on board, ensuring candidate expectations are met is key.

Millennials are also becoming parents, which is creating a significant shift towards gender equality. Both mothers and fathers have strong expectations to be supported by employers, not just in terms of parental leave support but also accommodating return-to-work arrangements. Millennial fathers are taking advantage of parental leave arrangements more than ever before. For millennial women who have come through their careers watching Gen X mothers work hard to secure flexible arrangements, flexibility is no longer considered a perk or privilege – it’s a minimum expectation.

TLDR; What this generations wants:

• A company DEIB & ESG commitment
• Flexible work options
• Paid parental leave and support when returning to work

Gen X (born 1965-1980)

Gen X grew up during a transformative era, seeing the end of the Cold War, alongside technological and societal shifts. In the workforce, Gen X are noted to be self-sufficient and results-oriented. Career stability is highly important to this generation, with one survey noting that 35% of Gen X values job security the most in the workplace. Alongside stability, meaningful work is also highly valued by this group, as revealed in a McKinsey study. Work-life balance is also a key expectation of 86% of employees in this generation, with an EY survey revealing that 29% of Gen X who are considering leaving their job in the next year would be enticed to stay if they were offered hybrid/work from home arrangements. Wellbeing initiatives are also important, with 78% of Gen X employees considering wellness programs and benefits as “must-haves”.

TLDR; What this generations wants:

• Job security
• Meaningful work
• Work-life balance
• Flexible work options
• Wellbeing programs

Boomers (born 1946-64)

The Baby Boomer generation is often characterised by a strong work ethic and loyalty to employers. They value job security and stability, with 42% citing job security as the most important aspect of work. This generation values loyalty and a long-term commitment to their employers, with over 40% of US baby boomers remaining with their employer for over 20 years, and 18% for more than 30 years. Meaningful work, learning and development, and mentorship opportunities  are also key to this group, with McKinsey research highlighting that Baby Boomers value meaningful work almost as much as compensation. A Deloitte study also found  that Baby Boomers are looking to share their knowledge through mentorship. Alongside these opportunities, health and wellbeing benefits are also valued, with 79% of Baby Boomers considering wellness programs as essential from employers.

TLDR; What this generations wants:

• Meaningful work
• Learning & development opportunities
• Mentorship opportunities
• Health and wellbeing benefits and programs

Ready to find the talent of a generation?

It’s no easy feat to attract and retain top talent, but with knowledge of what each generation wants, you’ll have a leg up when it comes to sourcing candidates of all ages.

We can also help. Get in touch to uncover how we can source the best of the best for your teams in tech, transformation, and beyond.

How can you attract the best in tech, transformation and beyond? In 2024, the hiring market is shifting. With more and more candidates on the market as a result of company cost cuts and layoffs, employers are increasingly finding themselves in a position of power. However, with the global tech skills shortage sticking around, demand for hard-to-find, highly skilled talent isn’t going anywhere. So, if you want to bring the best on board, here’s what you need to know:

1. Ensure flexibility is still on the table

Top tech candidates are still seeking flexibility from their employers, so it’s important that this is on offer. If you want to bring the best in tech on board, meeting your people’s needs when it comes to flex work is key. Where you can’t offer remote work, what else can you bring to the table to ensure your people feel supported? Think – flexible start and end times, school drop off and pick up times, and compressed work weeks.

Uncover more about what you can offer your people when it comes to flex in our blog that dives into all that’s happening with flexible work in 2024.

2. Offer opportunities for progression

One of the biggest things jobseekers are searching for when it comes to a job is the opportunity for career progression and development – in fact, a 2023 Talent survey of over 500 tech candidates revealed that it matters most to almost half (48%) of these professionals when looking for a job. Our recruitment experts have also noted that candidates are starting to ask about progression opportunities with prospective employers from the get-go. Talent Adelaide’s Taliya Lukeman notes, “employers are being asked about progression opportunities more directly in interviews or through us”, meaning if you want to attract the best, you need to be making these opportunities clear upfront. Highlight the journey a candidate can have with your company and the development opportunities on offer, to help them see a future with you.

3. Consider your ESG commitment

Tech candidates are more conscious of their environmental and social impact than ever, so much so that it even influences their working life, seeing jobseekers looking to align with companies whose values in this space match their own. In fact, 59% of tech candidates have said that a company’s commitment to environmental sustainability influences their decision to accept a job offer. If you want to attract the best, CSR and ESG initiatives should be a priority for your company for the year ahead.

Not sure where to start? Check out our Sustainability: Awareness to Action Insights Report to hear from jobseekers themselves on what they’re seeking.

4. Prioritise your company culture

Your company culture can make or break a candidate’s decision to work with you. According to a Talent survey, 76% of tech jobseekers cited that a positive company culture matters most to them when looking for a job. Building a strong and inclusive working environment is key to this – whether it’s delivering on perks that your people want, ensuring there’s transparent business communication, or making sure DEIB is prioritised, it all makes a difference to your people. Talent’s People & Culture Lead, Georgia Townsend, shares her advice on building a leading culture “what we’ve found is the best way to get the most out of everyone, driving engagement and keeping our culture alive, is to truly understand what drives our people. For example, what are they really looking for out of flexibility? How can we marry that to business needs to optimise business performance? The magic answer is that not one size fits all. And what works now didn’t work one year ago and may need to be revisited in a year’s time.”

Uncover how business leaders across the globe are leading the way when it comes to company culture in our podcast series here.

But remember: a strong company culture isn’t something that only extends to your permanent employees. Ensure your contractors feel involved too – after all, they are seeking connection with your company and a sense of belonging with permanent teams. A happy workforce is a productive workforce, so create this inclusive culture and you’ll be reaping the rewards.

5. Use a dedicated recruiter

At Talent, we’ve been working with top tech talent since the birth of Javascript. For over 25 years, we’ve placed thousands of professionals across almost every sector to the world’s leading companies – and we can help you too. Get in touch to uncover how we can find you the best tech talent for your teams.

Do you ever feel like your talent acquisition efforts are trapped in a perpetual cycle of justifying expenses rather than driving real business impact? As a leader in Talent Acquisition, navigating the perception of your department as a mere cost centre can be frustrating, especially when you know the strategic value you bring to the table. But what if there was a way to break free from this paradigm and showcase the true commercial driver that talent acquisition can be?

In the ever-evolving landscape of business operations, the role of talent acquisition has often been relegated to the sidelines, seen as a necessary but heavy expense, particularly during economic shifts. However, this mindset not only undermines the potential of your team but also poses significant risks to your organisation’s agility and long-term success.

Through many years working with leaders like you across all industries, we and our partners at SmartRecruiters have seen firsthand the challenges many face when it comes to getting a seat at the table.

So, how can you shift this narrative and position yourself as an indispensable partner in driving business outcomes?

It begins with understanding the current state of your TA function through a comprehensive audit and being open to change. Transforming your TA requires a shift in mindset – it’s not merely about filling roles but about becoming strategic drivers of business outcomes.

Instead of framing your TA as an expense or cost centre, it’s vital to portray it as a commercial driver that directly influences business success. Ensure that you measure what matters to the C-suite and directly align your metrics with organizational objectives. These can include: hiring velocity (i.e. on time), quality of hire, hiring budget, offer acceptance rate, hiring manager satisfaction, employee turnover rates, and diversity and inclusion metrics.

By focusing on these metrics and presenting data in a clear and compelling manner, you can effectively demonstrate the strategic value of talent acquisition to the C-suite. It’s not just about filling roles; it’s about driving business outcomes, fostering innovation, and ensuring long-term success. Embracing this holistic approach positions you as an indispensable partner in shaping the future of your organisation.

Additionally, beyond metrics and data, cultivating relationships with key decision-makers is paramount for you to influence strategic initiatives. This involves not only demonstrating the value of your TA through metrics but also fostering open communication channels and actively participating in strategic discussions. By building trust and credibility with decision-makers, you can influence decisions related to resource allocation, technology investments, and organizational priorities. Additionally, showcasing success stories and highlighting the direct impact of talent acquisition initiatives on business outcomes can further solidify your position as a strategic partner.

Ultimately, by measuring what matters, actively engaging with decision-makers and influencing strategic direction, you can elevate the role of talent acquisition and drive meaningful business impact.

Ready to transform your startup hiring strategy? Contact us today to learn how Talent Solutions and SmartRecruiters can help you achieve hiring success in your business.

Achieving mastery in this concept requires alignment across several fronts: your TA team, your business leaders, your processes, your technology stack, and your employer brand. When all these elements work in sync, the reward is access to a sustainable “river” of talent that’s readily available when you need it most.

Now, you might be wondering how to implement this approach effectively within your organisation. Here are a few strategies to consider:

• Get your execs on board with a more fluid way of working: Talent rivers carry talent in and out of your organisation. They enable on-time and on-budget hiring, so long as the business is equipped to embrace dynamic resourcing. What’s this look like in practice? It means challenging default tendencies, like always replacing a permanent leaver with a new permanent hire. Or hiring a full-time role because “it’s what we’ve always done”. This isn’t just about changing how work is being done, it’s about making you don’t miss out on the best-fit talent just because their work preferences don’t happen to perfectly match yours.
• Continuous talent sourcing: Adopt a proactive stance towards talent acquisition by continuously sourcing and engaging with potential candidates, even when you don’t have immediate openings. Leverage tools and platforms that allow you to maintain ongoing relationships with talent.
• Strategic talent mapping: Identify key talent segments relevant to your organisation’s current and future needs. Develop targeted talent pipelines to ensure a steady influx of talent in critical areas.
• Enhanced candidate experience: Focus on delivering a positive candidate experience throughout the talent acquisition process. This includes personalised communication, transparent feedback, and streamlined application processes. This is especially important when building advocacy among your candidates or hoping that contingent workers will return in the future.
• Employer branding: Cultivate a strong employer brand that resonates with your target talent pool and ensure you are front of mind whenever your needs match . Highlight your organisation’s values, culture, and opportunities for growth to attract top talent.

By embracing the concept of talent rivers and implementing these strategies, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the dynamic landscape of enterprise hiring.

Ready to equip yourself with the latest tactics to build top-tier teams? Check out our Beyond the basics: Hiring guide for enterprise leaders and get in touch with us.

In the fast-paced world of hiring, the adoption of an Applicant Tracking System, ATS, can make or break the recruitment process. As we navigate through the biggest challenges of hiring in our Beyond the basics: Enterprise hiring guide, it’s crucial to address the common pitfalls that enterprise leaders face and give our advice to navigate these challenges with ease.

Here’s how you can get ahead:

Insist on integration: Look for an ATS solution that offers scalability and flexibility to adapt to your evolving requirements.  Ensure that your ATS can seamlessly integrate with other essential tools in your tech stack and ones that may be added in the future. These integrations go both ways – into core enterprise tools like HRIS/HCM and communications platforms, as well as into complementary applications catered to specific steps of the talent acquisition and management lifecycle. Prioritise solutions that support APIs or offer pre-built integrations with popular third-party applications. This approach minimises data silos, streamlines workflows, and enhances overall efficiency.

Workshop the needs of all stakeholders: It might sound simple, but too often examples like poor candidate experiences or a perceived lack of ATS reporting capability are a result of not taking the time to consider the needs of every stakeholder along the recruitment journey. So long as it’s correctly configured from all perspectives, the right ATS can be a catalyst for industry-leading candidate experience, recruiter productivity and strategic workforce planning all at once.

Consider the big picture when considering AI: There is a trend among newer ATS market entrants to major on their AI-enabled capabilities. Other players are incorporating AI in pockets of their platform. Needless to say, there are some transformative pieces of software out there. But, in 2024, AI is not quite the be-all and end-all some industry commentary would have us believe. Following on from the point above, do your due diligence to ensure that your chosen ATS can deliver across the entire hiring lifecycle, uses AI in the places that make sense for your needs, complements your business tech stack and is backed by reliable supporting infrastructure from a service perspective.

Conduct regular health checks on your ATS set-up: Did you take note of your ATS provider’s latest product release? Do you have a plan for how you’ll utilise these new features to enhance your current processes? Don’t fall into the trap of set-and-forget. Instead, stick to a regular cadence of quick system once-overs and build continuous improvement into BAU to ensure you’re not missing out.

Get in touch to find out how we can help you beat common enterprise hiring struggles.

When it comes to startups, you are who you hire. But getting hiring right can be incredibly challenging, especially if you’re a founder who has to wear many hats. While navigating the hiring process can be complex, with the right knowledge and strategies, you can assemble an extraordinary team to propel your venture forward. Through many years working with startups and scale-ups at all growth stages, we and our partners at SmartRecruiters have seen firsthand the common pitfalls that they typically encounter in the hiring process. Here are some of the key hiring considerations for startup founders:

1. Maintaining culture during rapid growth and change.

One of the biggest challenges for startups is maintaining their unique culture as they rapidly grow and undergo changes. It’s crucial to ensure that as new team members come on board, they align with the company’s values and mission. Founders must actively foster a culture of transparency, communication, and inclusivity, even as the team expands. Regular check-ins, team-building activities, and clear communication of company values can help reinforce the desired culture.

2. Effective workforce planning: getting the right skills in at the right time.

Workforce planning is essential for startups to ensure you have the necessary skills to drive their growth. Identifying skills gaps and prioritizing hiring accordingly is key. Founders often find it challenging to delegate hiring decisions, but empowering leaders within the organisation to make informed hiring choices based on the skills the business needs can streamline the process and ensure the right talent is brought on board at the right time.

3. Building an employer brand.

Developing a strong employer brand is vital for attracting top talent to a startup. Startups often lack the brand recognition of larger, more established companies, making it crucial to articulate a compelling vision and value proposition for potential employees. Founders naturally have incredible passion for the work their company is doing and their vision for the future. We understand that harnessing this energy into a standout brand presence among your potential future employees isn’t an easy task when you’re also trying to build a brand to attract customers and investment, too. Nevertheless, it’s an essential activity and we recommend a focus on showcasing the company’s culture, mission, and opportunities for growth. It’s also important to “pull back the curtain” and give prospective candidates an idea of what it’s really like to work with you. Informal “day in the life” style content is very effective for quickly accelerating your employer brand.

4. Implementing and maintaining the right tech stack.

Choosing and managing the right recruitment and HR technology stack is essential for startups to operate efficiently and scale effectively. It’s essential to select technology solutions that can adapt and grow alongside the business. Whatever you choose to implement, make sure the analytics capability provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of hiring processes and enable data-driven decision-making. Additionally, ensuring that there are dedicated resources to manage and maintain the technology stack prevents it from becoming a burden on existing team members. As we say, just because you can drive a Ferrari, doesn’t mean you can service it.

Ready to transform your startup hiring strategy? Contact us today to learn how Talent Solutions and SmartRecruiters can help you achieve hiring success in your business. And check out our A-Z Hiring Guide for startups for even more top tips.