A company is a living entity. It’s comprised of many people, all with unique backgrounds and skill sets. One factor allowing individual employees to come together as a cohesive unit, thus driving a company forward, is effective talent acquisition.

Talent acquisition, or talent recruitment, is the act of seeking out, recruiting, and placing individuals into specific job functions based on the needs of the organization and the talents of the applicants.

Global Talent Acquisition Day is celebrated annually on the first Wednesday in September. In 2019, Global Talent Acquisition Day will take place on September 4, and at Southern Management, we will celebrate how our talent acquisition team has shaped our company culture!

4 Ways Talent Acquisition Improves Company Culture

1.) Creation of organizational and team structure to scale growth.

One of the main responsibilities of talent acquisition teams is to deduce how potential candidates envision their personal career trajectories. This is usually accomplished by asking several strategic questions. Looking at the present need of the company isn’t enough, though. As recruiters hire, they must find individuals they believe will help further the company’s long term vision.

There is somewhat of a delicate balance required to move a company forward.  Management staff must be able to encourage the success of their subordinates. Entry-level team members must be coachable and eager to learn. If this balance is lacking, large scale, sustainable growth will be nearly impossible. Without effective talent acquisition teams, human capital (i.e. employees) will be lost and retention will plummet.

As company growth continues, employees must be challenged to grow as well. There are several possible paths to encourage this growth such as changing roles and increasing responsibility. The best talent acquisition departments foster a company culture that encourages the seeking of opportunities for improvement and an eagerness to rise to new challenges.

2.) Ensuring business objective alignment across all teams.

To avoid sticking points in progress or bottlenecks in workflow, it’s important that the talent acquisition strategy is aligned with the broader business objectives. The needs of a company as a whole should be taken into consideration during the hiring process.

Thoughtful hiring looks through an aerial lens. This will create a culture that supports professional growth in tandem with the growth of the company rather than the two being at odds with one another.

Your talent acquisition team should be consistently communicating with the executive and business development teams to determine what skills are needed in the workforce at any given time. Each vacant position should be filled with both the short-term and long-term needs of the department and broader organization in mind.

3.) Proactive hiring and increased retention.

A proactive talent acquisition team chooses to hire before there’s a pressing need. If current employees are unable to accomplish all that is expected of them in the time they have available, they will eventually burn out.  An effective talent acquisition team will constantly be taking the pulse of all different teams and divisions throughout the company to begin the hiring process.

In addition, the talent recruiter’s job doesn’t end when all the papers are signed and the new employee shows up on their first day. To increase retention, it’s crucial that the talent recruitment team continues to check in with managers and executives who oversee the new hires. These discussions allow the opportunity for the talent acquisition team to communicate the new hire’s goals and expectations in the new role. Candid conversation allow employers and employees alike to recognize and accommodate each other’s needs, resulting in higher retention rates. For example, Southern Management has retained 90% of our team year over year. In fact, some team members have been with the company for 20 and even 30+ years due to our talent management team’s efforts to proactively hire and reduce burn out.

4.) Reinforces expectations of behavior and performance.

If you only hire high performers, you’ll build a company culture that also attracts individuals who can keep up with a quicker pace. Tropical t-shirts in the office? You’ll probably attract more laidback individuals that are cool under pressure. It’s a best practice for talent acquisition teams to hire employees who fit within the organization’s unique culture to protect the broader mission and values of the company.

Although talent management teams should attract and encourage diversity, it’s important to realize that both diversity and like-mindedness in the workforce can be maintained simultaneously. The environment fostered should clearly display and reinforce expectations while also creating a safe place for diverse opinions and perspectives. Company reputation emerges out of the culture your talent acquisition team builds through hiring.

The Southern Management Difference Starts With Effective Talent Acquisition

At Southern Management, we pride ourselves on standing out. We have painstakingly created a company culture that is inclusive, caring, eager, and positive. Our employees are always ready to go above and beyond, not only for our residents but for each other, too.

Without our talent acquisition and talent management teams, we wouldn’t be able to recruit or retain the superstars on our roster. As we celebrate Global Talent Acquisition Day this September, we want to communicate how crucial our talent acquisition team is to what we define as the Southern Management Difference. The employees on the talent recruitment team are responsible for shaping every department and community at Southern Management, and they are integral to protecting our unique culture.

Interested in learning more about what makes our team so exceptional? Reach out to someone from our talent acquisition team or explore our current job openings.