Talent Acquisition

Talent acquisition refers to the process of identifying and acquiring talented individuals to work at an organization. It’s an important function of recruiting agencies as well as organizations looking to fill job positions on their own.

Unlike the simple act of posting an available job on a job board, talent acquisition is proactive. Ideally, organizations engaging in talent acquisition and retention strategies will create a pool of potential candidates that can be parsed and vetted, thereby revealing the best job seeker for an available position.

In the past, talent acquisition was primarily done through advertising and manual processes. Companies worked with marketers to spread the word about available positions, then vet each application as they came in.

In today’s environment, talent acquisition is facilitated through software, automation, and even AI-driven processes. This is in part because of the changing demographics of the workforce.

The tech-savvy millennial generation became the largest generation in the U.S. workforce in 2016. Not only do they expect recruiters to use software to find them, but they expect technology to play role in the entire hiring process, including onboarding and training.

Here, we’ll explore how talent acquisition software works, why it’s important, and what you should look for in your next solution.

What is talent acquisition software?

Talent acquisition software is software that supports and optimizes the processes of finding, attracting, identifying, engaging, hiring, and advancing top talent. It’s used by companies and recruiting organizations to source talent and select the best candidates to fill specific positions.

In the past, most talent acquisition software needed to be installed on a company’s computers and updated manually. Today, most talent acquisition software is cloud-based. It can be accessed anywhere there is an internet connection and through almost any device, including tablets and smartphones.

Talent acquisition software has also evolved considerably in the past two decades. Legacy talent acquisition systems may have enabled recruiters and employers to search databases, send messages, and manage candidate information, but today’s solutions incorporate technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) recruitment software to make the talent acquisition process even more efficient.

What does talent acquisition software do?

Many organizations rely on talent acquisition software to generate candidate interest in open positions. They may do this through the creation of career pages, by engaging candidates on social media, or through other marketing initiatives, including text marketing, content marketing, and more.

Talent acquisition software often includes features like the following:

• Marketing solutions
• Candidate relationship management (CRM) tools
• Applicant tracking systems (ATS)
• Offer management software
• Onboarding software
• Text and SMS engagement solutions

Ideally, a talent acquisition solution should enable recruiters to manage every step of the recruiting process, from hiring to onboarding and training. This is often accomplished by integrating the software with a talent management solution, employment management software, and other tools to manage the entire employee lifecycle. These turnkey integrations are crucial for obtaining better efficiency and more flexibility in the hiring process.

Where does talent acquisition software fit in the recruiting process?

Talent acquisition software generally fits into the beginning of the recruiting process, as it’s used to attract and engage talent before they become a part of the organization’s database. However, some talent acquisition platforms perform other functions in the recruiting process, such as employee onboarding and talent management.

Talent acquisition teams are usually responsible for the process until the candidate is hired. At this point, human resources (HR) or a manager may step in to train the new employee and familiarize them with their job duties.

But recently, these processes have become more intertwined. Recruiters and hiring managers are beginning to approach talent acquisition holistically, treating it as an important part of the entire employee lifecycle. As such, some types of talent acquisition software exist as modules in an overarching talent management platform that performs many other functions.

Why do employers use talent acquisition software?

Talent acquisition has always been difficult because most of the best talent is already employed and may not be considering new opportunities. But talent acquisition—and hiring in general—have become increasingly complex over the past few years.

In 2018, 67% of recruiters said it was getting harder than ever to find talent. In the same study, 59% of recruiters said there was a shortage in the skilled labor they were looking for because of an increasing number of job openings. Meanwhile, 52% said competition from other companies was making their jobs difficult.

Recruiters, hiring managers, and talent acquisition teams need every advantage possible to source talent from large and increasingly competitive talent pools. Talent acquisition software eliminates manual processes so they can spend more time strategizing and engaging talent organically. It also opens new opportunities for reaching qualified talent through channels like text messaging and social media, and the best solutions use AI to sort and vet candidates quickly.

What to look for in talent acquisition software

Look for a cloud-based solution that’s intuitive and easy to use. Be sure to ask for demonstrations or even a trial subscription to the talent acquisition software before you agree to a contract.

In general, most talent acquisition software should include the following:

• Tools that help your hiring managers stay organized and efficient
• Data analytics and reporting tools
• Integrations with your other talent management and onboarding solutions
• Marketing tools for reaching candidates on their favorite channels
• AI and automation to streamline your processes
• Communication tools that enable you to speak to candidates via text, email, chatbots, and more

Pay attention to reviews and awards relating to the product as well. The best solutions are not only highly-rated by industry professionals, but also by actual users.

iCIMS’ talent acquisition software

The iCIMS Talent Cloud provides recruiters and hiring managers with more ways to attract, engage, hire, and advance the best talent in the marketplace. Our software provides you with innovative features like career sites, text engagement tools, and AI-powered applicant tracking.

To see the iCIMS Talent Cloud in action, contact us today for a demonstration.