May is always a busy time of year. Typically, I’m shuttling from one conference to another and trying to squeeze in as many client meetings as possible before summer vacation hits. Having my two daughters with birthdays nine days apart, there have been many years when late flights and midnight cupcake baking went hand-in-hand.
However, the last two Mays have been different. Last year nothing happened, and this year, it seems like everything is happening.
Even since I started to write this article, the CDC announced that vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks indoors.
I feel like shedding the masks is a good metaphor for what many of us in talent acquisition are doing. We are shedding the status quo of the pandemic as we re-discover the world of recruiting. Except, that world isn’t what we necessarily thought it would look like post-Covid.
A year ago, many companies had frozen headcount. Still others were doing major layoffs. But today we can’t hire quickly enough. Requisitions that were on hold for months are now open — yet we also suddenly have attrition that no one was expecting.
I now see many TA professionals “pulling down their mask,” taking a leap, and starting new roles as they address evolving challenges around employer branding, recruitment process outsourcing, diversity hiring, and creating TA centers of excellence..
However, all these aspirations can also get lost behind day-to-day tasks. Nevermind the reality of budgets and time that affects TA ambitions in very fundamental ways. As many of us are working longer hours with longer lists of to-dos, we often find ourselves needing to move the needle without the budget or headcount we expected.
But there is change in the air. The next few months will be go-time, a real opportunity to go to a new level within your own job or to go to one of the many companies calling you to make the move.
I’ll be talking about all this with two TA leaders this Thurs., May 20 — Lisa Smith-Strother, vice president and global head of employer and diversity TA branding at RELX, and Brian Gilbert, head of TA for Motional. During our webinar, “Boosting Effectiveness in Talent Acquisition – on Any Budget,” we will discuss creative, innovative, and cost-effective ways to make an impact on TA in your organization, including:
Additionally, we’ll share some of the key learnings and myths around outsourcing. For example, is it worth bringing in valued partners to allow your internal team to shine and do what they do best? We’ll look at how outsourcing recruitment solutions can create an extension of your team. We’ll also give real-life examples of navigating internally and partnering with marketing and hiring managers willing to join you on the journey.
Ultimately, we can’t guarantee what the future will bring, but we can certainly help build a guide to the learnings over the last few years and the last few months. So come with your questions, or just drop in for an engaging and interactive conversation to help you move your TA strategy front and center to help you prepare for the future — whatever it will look like.
Register here for “Boosting Effectiveness in Talent Acquisition – on Any Budget,” on Thurs, May 20. (Registration includes a 10% discount to attend ERE Digital, May 25-27.)