It is time to face it. Some companies have strong talent acquisition strategies and some do not. While it may be easy to think that your firm cannot compete with larger, more established firms for top talent, that is not truly the case. Success in talent acquisition is not solely dependent on your company size, your budget, or even your compensation package. Rather, it depends largely upon doing the right things to bolster your strategies and avoiding the wrong things. Here, then, are some common do’s and don’ts for successful talent acquisition: 1) Employer Brand Building Do: Pay special attention to building and bolstering your employer brand. SHRM’s “12 Recruiting Tips from Talent Acquisition Leaders” advises: “Not only must you use your (web)site as a platform to showcase what makes you special to potential candidates, you also need to carry that brand message through all your marketing materials, across social media channels and in the stories you share in person.” Consistency is key to building your employer brand. At every touchpoint with your candidates, make an effort to cement your brand message firmly in the mind of the candidates. Your goal is to paint a vivid picture of what working for your company will really be like so that candidates can easily visualize themselves as employees of your firm. Don’t: Leave employer branding by the wayside. If you are not building your brand, your competitors will be glad to do so. Failure to establish a strong brand message will mean your firm languishes in the dust while competing firms take the cream of the talent crop. 2) Nurturing Top Talent Do: Take a long-range approach to talent acquisition. Focus on building long-term relationships with active and passive candidates. Understanding that talent acquisition involves investment of time and effort in building trust with candidates is essential to success. Don’t: Be short-sighted in your talent acquisition plans. If you are operating on a hire-to-hire basis without concentrating on building a deep pool of talent, you will never achieve your ultimate goal of attracting the best and brightest talent to your firm. 3) Aligning Business and Talent Acquisition Strategies Do: Take time to ensure that your talent acquisition strategies properly align with your overall business objectives. The article “Elements of an Effective Talent Acquisition Strategy” notes: “Effective talent acquisition relies on HR functions that are aligned to the overall business strategy. Simply put, HR must recognize, define, and communicate the value of the business to the people via an active agenda that is clearly seen by all existing and potential employees.” Don’t: Ignore the overall goals and objectives of your firm when recruiting talent. Misalignment in this critical area causes even the best talent to stagnate. 4) Embracing New Approaches and Technologies Do: Realize that talent acquisition strategies must constantly evolve to be effective. What worked over the last decade may have little relevance to top talent today. Embrace new technologies, including hiring software that integrates social media as a recruitment tool and uses robust analytics to better identify and nurture talent. Don’t: Become stuck in a rut with your recruiting and hiring practices. Failure to adopt new methodologies sends a poor message to potential hires and drives top talent away from your firm in droves. eBook: Using Social Media for Executive Search – Learn how to leverage social media in your executive search process more effectively. The Bottom Line Successful talent acquisition is often the determining factor in the overall growth of an organization. By building your employer brand, nurturing top talent, aligning your talent acquisition strategies with your overall business objectives, and embracing new technologies and approaches to talent management, you can attract, onboard, and retain top talent in your field. ThriveTRM is a talent relationship management solution that facilitates talent acquisition with cutting-edge technology. Would you like to see it in action? Schedule a demo today.