Talent attraction and retention are still very much high on the corporate agenda. It’s increasingly becoming clear that HR directors and CEOs across Europe are focused on attraction, development and retention of the right people in order to give businesses the competitive advantage needed for future growth. But it appears that the new skills shortages across the globe may turn out to be even more complex than before.

We asked Sue Brooks, MD at RPO and talent management specialists Ochre House, to look at how this landscape is changing, and what companies will need to do to in the future…

“With the economy still at an uncertain stage, markets are changing at a faster pace than perhaps at any other time in history. As a result many companies are accepting that the business models which made them successful in the past could have little meaning even in the very near future. In order to thrive they may therefore need to acquire talent from sources well outside their traditional comfort zones. For HR and recruitment professionals this task is daunting indeed.

It is clear from the increasing number of discussions taking place on this topic, that many professionals have realised the traditional model of recruitment, which focuses only on the immediate need, is now hopelessly outdated. Indeed, many organisations are starting to challenge the convention that a post should either be vacant or near vacant before it is seriously addressed.

What is needed instead is a combination of both internal and external market mapping and pipelining to create ‘total workforce planning’. But few, if any businesses, have as yet managed to turn this ideal into a reality.

Whilst many HR specialists see the need to pipeline talent, they are often hampered by generic requests for “100 of X next year’ or inadequate workforce planning at grass roots level. Yet most businesses plan their sales activity well in advance so why not talent acquisition? The problem appears to be a perception that resourcing is a cost rather than a value led activity. Continue reading “Applying Sales and Marketing Strategies to Recruitment” »