The Talent Acquisition Odyssey

The Talent Acquisition OdysseyKey Challenges inthe Road Ahead

ContentsIntroduction

Changing Talent Pools

Candidate Experience

Strategic Workforce Planning

Making D&I Happen

The Evolving Role of RPOs and Working with Omni

Contact Us

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1. Introduction

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1. Introduction With the tentative end of lockdown and social distancing rules, new trends are emerging in talent acquisition (TA). And, as any organisation knows, new trends bring new challenges.

TA teams have been forced to adapt in order to continue attracting, assessing and

onboarding talent for a new era. Virtual interviews and hybrid or fully remote working

practices were put in place to handle immediate issues associated with lockdown, but what

elements can we expect to be carried forward in the long term?

Additionally, with some TA leaders dealing with significantly reduced teams and increased

workloads, what new processes will be necessary to ensure organisations can continue to

recruit new skills?

And as businesses resume their pre-pandemic growth plans, TA teams are under more

pressure than ever to adapt and be agile to cope with surges in demand, increased

competition for skills and a continuing unpredictable jobs landscape.

In this guide...We delve into some of the key challenges facing TA teams right now, including:

• Changing talent pools

• Candidate expectations

• Strategic workforce planning

• Diversity & Inclusion (D&I)

We also explore why there is now an increased reliance on external recruitment partners

and the significant value they can bring to organisations.

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The Talent Acquisition Odyssey: Key Challenges in the Road Ahead

2. ChangingTalent Pools

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2. Changing Talent PoolsOrganisations in a broad range of sectors are still dealing with the severe skills shortages that existed before the pandemic. Additionally, new working practices have led to a requirement for fresh skills that were never part of the plan.

The current boom in vacancy levels means candidates, particularly those with niche skill-

sets, have multiple opportunities. Such a candidate-driven market means employers face

challenges retaining talent and, when an employee does leave their role, it is becoming

increasingly difficult to replace them.

Organisations also report high numbers of candidates dropping out after the interview

stage, turning down offers or reneging on their acceptance before starting. While this

suggests there is still an appetite for people to explore new opportunities, such attrition

is a concern and a fresh challenge for TA teams. Such activity is thought to be down to two

key factors:

Virtual processesThere is speculation amongst talent experts that the virtual nature of recruitment and

onboarding is leading to a lack of engagement and commitment to an employer.

Counter offers The aforementioned difficulty in replacing employees exiting a business means employers

are providing attractive counter offers, preferring to buy back in order to retain valuable

skills and avoid entering the war for new talent.

The struggle to recruit has forced employers to focus on retention and question whether

they are doing enough to keep hold of their talent. Offering more money and being

ready with counter offers when employees already have one foot out of the door is not a

sustainable strategy, so many are exploring ways to add value to their overall proposition.

For example, organisations operating in industries that had not previously offered any

flexibility in working hours or location are seeing a reduction in turnover now that flexible

working has proven viable.

Attracting, hiring and keeping talent in 2021Some actionable steps TA leaders and resourcing teams can take include:

Creating remote positionsIn the same way that flexible working is helping retain employees, it can be a valuable tool

for talent attraction. Hybrid working is a popular choice for many organisations in 2021,

but this can still limit talent to a particular geographical area. If roles are not location-

dependent, consider making them fully remote to broaden the candidate pool.

Defining the employee value proposition (EVP)People want to know what it is like to work at a company and make sure it is worth taking

the leap. Potential employees want to know what the business stands for and connect with

its mission, vision and values. Omni’s Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey 2020, created

in partnership with the CIPD, confirmed that organisational values are the most important

element of an employer brand when it comes to attracting candidates. Following this is pay

and benefits and career development opportunities. To find this out, candidates will likely

explore a company’s website, social media channels, news and online reviews, so an EVP

must be clear and consistent across all relevant communications.

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Realigning expectations The more detailed a job description is, the less likely someone will tick all of the boxes. Making

too many demands reduces the pool of potential hires and can even work to discourage those

who fit the bill. While certain roles require specific skills and qualifications, look at areas

where some flexibility can be introduced.

It’s also documented that females in particular are also more likely to rule themselves out if

they don’t meet all the required criteria. As a result, job ads are becoming more stripped back

to solely focus on essential criteria, removing ‘desirable’ altogether.

Looking inwards The best employers understand that the greatest source of talent is already inside their

organisation and will embrace internal development or mobility programmes. Nurturing

an existing skills base means fewer recruitment costs and an increased ability to future

proof critical roles. However, it is essential to remain realistic about timescales. Developing

internal skills takes time, planning and cooperation, making it a less appropriate option for

organisations in need of talent right now.

Engaging an external partner Talent attraction is a key focus of an external talent specialist, like an RPO provider, meaning

they have the know-how and resources to connect to unidentified people. Using established

connections and attraction techniques, they can conduct searches that engage passive talent,

presenting them with opportunities within your business in the most skilled and subtle

manner.

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3. CandidateExperience

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3. CandidateExperienceUnemployment rates have not gone up as much as expected over the last 12 months meaning that, across many sectors, we are still operating in a highly candidate-driven market. Rather than candidates trying to fit the criteria of a job requirement, employers are trying to attract candidates using all of the tools at their disposal.

Key to this is creating a positive, engaging and seamless candidate experience, especially

now that many businesses have made the switch to digital interview and screening

processes. Building a solid candidate experience goes much further than getting

prospective employees to think highly of a hiring process. In fact, a positive experience

improves an employer brand, meaning talent teams will have more success recruiting

employees for other roles in the future. Furthermore, it increases the likelihood of

returning applicants.

On the flip side, a negative candidate experience can directly impact a company’s bottom

line. It has never been easier for individuals to share their experiences, whether via social

media, blogging or review sites. There are several reasons that a candidate experience can

fail, including:

Taking too long to hire Not only are today’s candidates talented, tech-savvy and well-informed, but they are also

in high demand (and know it). As such, they will have high expectations when it comes to

candidate experience and will not tolerate being made to wait, whether that is due to a

process with too many stages, long lead times or a lack of communication.

Employers must strike the right balance between taking enough time to screen candidates

and managing expectations without taking so long that they lose out on the best applicants.

It is crucial to identify any bottlenecks and address them, so both offers and rejections can

be made efficiently.

Lack of engagement The rise of virtual interviews, assessments and onboarding has granted organisations

easier access to talent pools. However, there is concern that virtual hiring processes are

impacting engagement. While it is more convenient for candidates, it is also easier for

them to no-show, be that for the interview or even their start date. Also, a virtual process

can negatively impact a candidate’s ability to get a real feel for a company’s culture or the

working environment, weakening the early bond between employer and potential new

employee.

Frequent communication with candidates should be a top priority. It is vital to give them

regular updates on the process, next steps and any foreseen delays, as well as answer any

queries they might have promptly. Preferably, employers will do this ‘in-person’, whether

that is over the phone or via video conferencing (rather than email), with a point of contact

established throughout the entire process.

Well planned objective selection processes are also key here, as if it is felt that companies

are grappling to make offers and are therefore cutting corners to interview and select

people, the perceived validity or value of the interview, and thus the role and company will

reduce, which will also lead to dropouts and candidates withdrawing.

When it comes to virtual onboarding, employers are encouraged to go out of their way to

integrate a new hire into the company culture by introducing them to employees outside of

their immediate team or department and creating opportunities to connect on a personal

level.

As hybrid working becomes commonplace, so too will hybrid recruitment processes, with

employers seeking to maintain the efficiency of remote contact while re-introducing

essential face-to-face connections where it is safe and possible.

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Using the wrong technologyInvesting in the wrong digital tools to recruit and onboard risks a lot more than wasted money.

It wastes time and energy, plus the goodwill of the people asked to adapt to the technology.

Crucially, candidate experience will also suffer.

Mistakes commonly made include investing in software that does not integrate with an

existing tech stack, choosing software that is difficult to use or lacks scalability, or one that

does not align to candidate and employee needs.

Omni works with a high number of tech providers at all stages within the resourcing process and with each customer need and requirement comes with it a different recommended solution. A clear scope and understanding of outcomes and objectives is the best place to start versus looking at what the latest trend is elsewhere.


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4. StrategicWorkforcePlanning

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4. Strategic WorkforcePlanning

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Although a longer term solution, effectively planning future demand will quickly pay dividends whilst those that don’t will continue to be reactive. Effective planning allows for strategic interventions to be thought through and less knee jerk. Knowing the skills required for future success and where gaps exist is the cornerstone for modern TA strategies and critical to tackling skill shortages. Today’s unpredictable market means workforce demand planning may never return to the pre-pandemic models. Additionally, an increase in high volume, short notice projects coupled with diminished TA resources means both short and long-term workforce planning is a challenge.

Having the right skills in the right place at the right time to meet business objectives

sounds simple. However, there are added layers of complexity when considering the cost of

resources, whether there is the right blend of skills, and whether it delivers the flexibility

organisations need.

To predict the resources needed both short and long-term, employers must combine

manager insight (what does the business think it needs?) with budgetary considerations

and market trend analysis, including benchmarking data from other organisations. The

more informed the planning, the easier it is to maintain flexibility and mitigate risks.

Start the process by addressing the following questions:

• What skill-sets and mindsets do we need to continue to operate, grow and evolve in a time of continuous disruption?

• How can we augment our sources of talent to position our business to meet future needs?

• Where will we go for rapid access to skills if critical talent is unable or unwilling to return to the workplace?

With this information, employers can explore the different approaches forward-thinking

organisations take to estimate future workforce requirements.

Here are some of the steps to consider when developing a strategic workforce plan:

Strategic AnalysisAn environmental scan allows an organisation to map out the risks and challenges it may

face in relation to its market, workforce demographics, skills shortages, competitors,

emerging industry trends and impact of technology.

Having a vision in place along with clear desired outcomes is essential. Is the vision

realistic, are key stakeholders bought into it and is there a strategy to deliver it? Strategic

workforce planning is all about aligning a business strategy with workforce needs.

Therefore, a vision of success must be in place before attempting to create and implement

a strategic workforce plan.

Requirement (Forecast)Understanding the roles that allow a company to deliver upon its business strategy is

vital. Understanding demand in general across the business is necessary, and companies

often capture this information locally at an operational level. To create a company-wide

strategy for workforce planning, this information must be shared centrally. Tactics such as

forecasting, scenario planning and trend analysis play a key role here.

Talent and Availability GapsOnce there is a good understanding of current and future demand, the next step is to

establish where the skills gaps are and who is already within the business to fill those gaps.

Data is critical and is where many organisations struggle.

Omni helps organisations look at the current data available in relation to an existing

workforce, external labour supply, capability and capacity gaps, and further metrics that

allow for much greater insight into the talent availability and gaps for an organisation.


Strategic InterventionsAt this stage, it is time to look at how a business can fill the gaps in its workforce. There are seven interventions Omni uses to

carry out such analysis bound together by effective strategic workforce planning reporting and tracking, the most common

among them being:

• Build Developing talent within the organisation

• Bridge Redeployment to new roles inside or outside of the organisation

• Buy Hiring external talent into the organisation

• BorrowAccessing external talent such as contingent labour, outsourcing, partnerships and secondment.

Budget and timeframes will have an impact as to which of these strategic interventions are prioritised. The interventions

are also helpful when looking at scenario planning. Under certain circumstances, a business may need a different ratio of

strategic interventions depending on what they are and how they evolve. It is important to consider that any changes to

the configuration of the workforce may also impact organisational design and its target operating model.


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5. Making D&IHappen

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5. Making Diversity &Inclusion HappenDiverse and inclusive companies find and nurture the best talent, increase employee engagement, and improve customer willingness to buy.

Despite D&I rising to the top of the agenda for many organisations in 2021, many are

still facing challenges when implementing strategies that deliver. While companies are

investing more time and resources into D&I than ever before, some report a lack of real

change. Implementing a strategy that helps attract, recruit, onboard and retain diverse

talent requires time, intent and robust planning. Here are the key areas of focus for any

organisation looking to improve it’s D&I performance:

Analyse

It’s vital to establish areas for improvement from the outset. Look at the employer brand

from a job seeker’s perspective. People want to see themselves represented in a business

and, if they do not, they may be less inclined to engage. Employer branding messages

extend further than a ‘Meet the Team’ page on a website to cover the design of working

practices, job design and your communication style. Online language checkers are available

for those unsure of the suitability of the language used in recruitment advertising, for

example.

Rethink• Requirements. Reassess job descriptions to focus on behaviours and attributes

rather than just experience and credentials. Formal education and years of experience

do not necessarily equate to talent and competence. Hence, review the specific

behaviours employees need to succeed for each role and establish how these can be

identified and measured, along with what skills can be trained.

• Advertising. Changing the language used in job adverts can attract a wider pool of

talent. The previously mentioned online language checkers are good tools to ensure

adverts do not contain language that is biased towards a particular demographic.

Additionally, where roles are advertised is crucial. Look at the job boards and

channels the organisation usually posts to and whether more can be added to reach

new audiences.

• Policies and benefits. For some groups, such as those with care responsibilities,

physical disabilities or mental health conditions, the ability to work flexibly is crucial.

Offering flexibility, such as working from home and alternative working hours, helps

attract diverse candidates and longer term is likely to reduce employee turnover.

• Technology. Utilising the right recruitment technology can have significant impacts

on hiring outcomes. Software that can hide potentially influential information

(photographs, names, dates of birth) has been around for some time. On the other

hand, artificial intelligence and psychometric assessments that can boost diverse hires

by shortlisting based on behaviours are a more modern addition. Such tech is not a

quick fix and needs to be well planned and validated to ensure there is no bias for any

minority groups. Selecting the right partner and tool therefore needs to be a well

considered purchase.

• Data. Collecting and acting on data is vital to measure the success of a D&I strategy.

It should be collected at each stage of the recruitment process and start with an

environmental scan and understanding of the demographics of your target population,

and then the practical side of hiring - applications, shortlisted candidates, first and

second stage selection and offers. It is then important to look at how inclusive the

culture is, so measuring retention, engagement, and promotion is critical. Such data

will help to identify any patterns or particular areas that require attention. Taking this

to a granular level will also allow you to spot if there are any particular demographic

groups that require specific attention.

• Take responsibility. It is not enough to claim an organisation is diverse and

inclusive; it must be demonstrated. Transparent internal and external reporting on

diversity strategies and processes will ensure it remains a priority and that the right

people are held accountable. Many FTSE 100 companies are now sharing diversity

figures each year and the steps they are taking to improve.

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Sharing regular updates with employees will also help grow and nurture an internal culture reflective of D&I, further boosting the employer brand to diverse talent.

Engaging with an external partnerPartnering with an external talent partner, like an RPO provider, can add real value to D&I strategies in the following ways:

• Attract and retain diverse talent. Working with a partner that specialises in building employer brands and

boosting candidate experiences will help to ideally position an organisation to attract, recruit and retain diverse talent

over both the short and long term.

• Access to a diverse talent pool. Employers looking to increase the diversity of a workforce need to widen their

search channels. External talent providers provide access to an extensive network of candidates and can draw upon

relevant forums and networks that internal talent teams may not be aware of. Equally, they can relay best practices

and share insights from other businesses facing the same challenges.

• Driving efficiency. Revising an approach to D&I is labour intensive. Partnering with an external specialist can keep

hiring projects on track, drive efficiencies and enable TA teams to focus on other business-critical tasks.

• Become an ally for internal talent teams. A talent specialist with a proven track record in driving D&I

strategies can support teams looking to achieve company-wide support. The experience and expertise they bring to

the table can help gain the buy-in and trust of all relevant stakeholders.


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6. The EvolvingRole of RPOsand Workingwith Omni

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6. The Evolving Role of RPOs and Working with OmniRPO - More value than you thinkFor many years, RPOs have been the ideal solution for businesses looking to hire at scale and reduce costs - providing partnership and joint accountability for TA strategies.

Now, many TA and resourcing teams that made redundancies at the beginning of lockdown

are struggling to get these recruiters back or find replacements as they begin to scale

again. It has meant there is a greater appreciation of the value of good quality recruitment

professionals. As such, there has been a shift to more immediate and transactional

requirements to fill gaps in internal teams as vacancy levels rise.

While this has led to an immediate rise in project-based or short term RPO engagements,

businesses are also more acutely aware they must future-proof resourcing strategies and

acknowledge the role that long-term RPO partnerships may play in this.

Employers see opportunity, through strong relationships with RPO providers, to extend

capacity and capability, offering protection for both delivery and employer brand.

Omni has successfully adapted to this relationship shift to offer broader consultancy

solutions, supporting clients on the wider challenges impacting their recruitment, adding

the flexibility and partnership value that organisations need.

About Omni Omni RMS is a Resourcing Transformation Specialist and the UK’s leading independent provider of RPO services.

By applying our 23 years of experience and specialist knowledge, we work with

organisations to help them understand their resourcing effectiveness, benchmark this

against industry best practice and build solutions that create competitive differentiation.

We work collaboratively with organisations to help them stand out in the talent market,

enabling them to attract the best-fit talent in the shortest possible time and at the most

cost-effective price – whether for permanent hires or contingent workers.

Our specialist teams work alongside your business to assess your resourcing effectiveness

and help you to improve the way you resource for the better.

Some of our core services include:

• RPO - expert recruitment teams to do the heavy lifting in the recruitment process and engage both active and passive candidates

• Managed Service delivery for contingent workers, including Statements of Work

• Training of internal talent acquisition teams and hiring managers, e.g. best practice in inclusive resourcing

• Assessment & selection design and delivery

• Support with Workforce Demand Planning and Internal Mobility programmes

• Diversity & Inclusion - developing and embedding best practice into your talent acquisition processes

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7. Contact UsIf you have any questions about the content inthis guide or would like to find out more aboutwhat Omni RMS can do for your business, ourteam would love to hear from you.

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Email: [email protected]

Omni ManchesterCharter HouseWoodlands RoadAltrinchamCheshireWA14 1HF

Phone: 0161 929 4343

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The Talent Acquisition Odyssey