Regardless of your size, industry or geography, the success or failure of your business often hinges on having the right

talent at the right time. This means that your recruiters, their skills, their expertise, and their ability to think strategically have a bigger impact on your bottom line than you may realize. With so much at stake, your recruiters must know how to go beyond the day-to-day execution of the business and provide strategic guidance that encompasses all aspects of talent acquisition—they must become Talent Advisors.

One of the keys to becoming a true Talent Advisor is having a firm understanding of all types of labor (i.e., full-time, temporary, interns, 1099s, consulting firm) and knowing when it makes sense to leverage each one. Rather than looking at contingent and direct-hire acquisition as separate and distinct processes, recruiters can add more value to a company by having a total talent acquisition strategy that blends the two.

Keeping a total talent acquisition strategy in mind, a true Talent Advisor is distinguished by their ability to:

1. Consult with the business on their end-to-end hiring needs, including timeline, supply and demand.

2. Understand the vendor population and the best approach for acquiring non-fixed headcount.

3. Recommend the use of a contractor when the search efforts for a full-time worker will take longer than the business can wait.

4. Demonstrate the financial benefits that support their recommendations.

5. Manage the strategies that influence the acquisition of all types of talent (i.e., branding, candidate attraction, sourcing, engagement) within one, holistic plan.

6. Refine job descriptions to accurately reflect the work that needs to be done in the short and long-term and to attract the right candidate.

7. Use metrics to provide realistic time frames associated with the identification and recruitment of talent, and provide strategies to overcome company-specific objections.

8. Learn about each business unit including the work being performed, the overall business strategy and the group’s culture to determine the best type of candidate and the impact a hire might have on an organization’s strategic goals.

9. Interpret analytics, ROI, sourcing, and candidate engagement strategies in order to find the best talent for the organization, for every requisition.

Recruiter or Talent Advisor? Nine Ways to Tell the Difference

Tracey Friend, Vice President, RPO Practice, Agile•1

To achieve this level of expertise from their recruiters, companies must provide training that includes a wide range of labor topics such as contingent workforce management, sourcing strategies, and independent contractor compliance. They may also elect to partner with a company that can provide training, additional resources and oversight. As the war for talent wages on, time will show that the companies that have adequately prepared their recruiters to understand their workforce from a holistic perspective will be at a distinct advantage over those that have not.

If you have any questions regarding your own total talent acquisition strategy, please contact us at marketing@agile1.com to discuss your options.

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RECRUITER OR TALENT ADVISOR? NINE WAYS TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE

1 2 3

Consult with the business on their end-to-end hiring needs, including timeline,

supply and demand.

Understand the vendor population and the best approach for acquiring non-fixed headcount.

4 5 6

7 8 9

Recommend the use of a contractor when the search efforts for a full-time worker

will take longer than the business can wait.

Demonstrate the financial benefits that support their

recommendations.

Manage the strategies that influence the acquisition of all types of talent (i.e., branding, candidate attraction, sourcing,

engagement) within one, holistic plan.

Refine job descriptions to accurately reflect the work that needs to be done in the short and long-term and to attract

the right candidate.

Use metrics to provide realistic time frames associated with the identification and recruitment of talent, and provide strategies to overcome company-specific

objections.

Learn about each business unit including the work being performed, the overall business strategy and the groupʼs culture to determine the best type of candidate and the impact a

hire might have on an organizationʼs strategic goals.

Interpret analytics, ROI, sourcing, and candidate engagement strategies in

order to find the best talent for the organization, for

every requisition.

Recruiter or Talent Advisor? Nine Ways to Tell the Difference