2018 talent acquisition strategy ppt powerpoint presentation diagram graph charts

Alright, so you'll want to nail four main things: employer branding, how you source candidates, the actual candidate experience, and tracking your data. Most places totally bomb the candidate experience part though - like, they'll spend months building a great brand then make people jump through ridiculous hoops to apply. Your sourcing should mix active recruiting with those passive candidate pools. And honestly? Get your hiring managers on board first or you're fighting an uphill battle. I'd start by walking through your current process and finding where candidates are probably getting frustrated. Analytics will show you what's actually working vs what you think is working.

Dude, you're sitting on a goldmine of hiring data and probably don't even realize it. Track which job boards actually send you decent people instead of just guessing. Look at your best employees - what patterns do they share? Phone screens killing your candidate pipeline? The data will show you that too. Honestly, most companies just wing it when they could be way smarter about this stuff. Pick something easy to start with, maybe how long it takes to fill different roles. You'll be surprised what you discover once you actually look at the numbers instead of going with your gut every time.

Look, employer branding is basically your secret weapon for getting good people to actually want to work for you. Top performers have choices - they're not just desperate for any job. So you need to show off your actual culture and values, not just throw money at them. Honestly? Skip the corporate BS about being "innovative." Instead, put real employee stories on your careers page and social media. Way more convincing than generic fluff. Plus it shows you're not trying to hide anything sketchy about the workplace vibe. When candidates see authentic stuff, they can picture themselves there - that's when you win.

Honestly, most companies mess this up by hiring just because they have the budget - totally backwards. Start with your 1-3 year business goals first. What do you actually need to hit those targets? Map out the specific skills and roles that'll get you there, not just "good hires." Get your leadership aligned on priorities before you even think about posting jobs. Then figure out which talent gaps would actually block you from executing. Your hiring plan should directly tie to revenue goals or whatever metrics matter most. Being super intentional about each role makes all the difference - I've seen too many startups burn cash on random hires that don't move the needle.

Stop relying on the same job boards everyone uses. HBCUs are goldmines for talent, plus women's coding bootcamps and veteran groups. NSBE and Grace Hopper conferences too. LinkedIn's obvious, but honestly? The best people aren't always scrolling for jobs there. PowerToFly's solid for women in tech. Your current team can help - just tell them you're focusing on diversity and referrals will actually be useful. Oh, and dig into where your best diverse hires came from before. That data's probably sitting somewhere collecting dust, but it'll show you exactly which channels actually work.

Honestly, you'll save so much time with AI and ATS tools. The ATS handles the boring stuff - sorting resumes, tracking where candidates are in the process, keeping all your messages organized. No more digging through endless emails (thank god). AI does the heavy lifting on screening resumes and can even schedule interviews for you. Just make sure you set up your filters right from the start or you might accidentally weed out solid candidates. I'd probably start with just one tool first. Don't go crazy adding everything at once. Trust me, it's worth it for high-volume recruiting.

Focus on both speed and quality - that's where the real insights are. Time-to-fill and cost-per-hire show if your process is efficient. But retention rates and quality-of-hire? Those tell you if people actually want to stay. Don't sleep on candidate experience scores either - word spreads fast about crappy interview processes. Oh, and keep your hiring managers happy since they're stuck with whoever you send them. Honestly, just pick 3-4 metrics that align with what your company cares about most. You'll go crazy trying to track everything.

Honestly, just don't ghost people - that's like the bare minimum but so many companies still do it. Give realistic timelines upfront and actually follow through. Quick updates after each stage go a long way too. Your application process should be simple, not some endless maze of forms. Oh and make sure your interviewers are actually prepared because nothing's worse than someone clearly winging it. Even when you reject candidates, try to give real feedback if you can. I'd start by looking at your whole process like you're the one applying - where would you get annoyed? Fix those parts first.

Honestly, the hardest part is figuring out if someone's actually a good culture fit when you're just staring at each other through screens. Building real connections is tough without meeting in person. Tech issues are inevitable too - wifi always crashes at the worst moments, obviously. What's worked for me: invest in decent video software and have backup plans ready. Multiple short calls beat those exhausting 2-hour marathon interviews. I do behavioral questions and try virtual team intros so candidates can meet everyone. Oh, and be super upfront about your remote culture from day one. People need to know what they're signing up for, and honestly it saves everyone time if they can rule themselves out early.

Honestly, compliance can't be something you slap on at the end - build it right into your whole process from day one. Write standardized job descriptions focused on what actually matters for the role. Train your managers on forbidden interview questions (I swear people still ask about birthdays somehow). Document everything the same way every time. Structured interviews work best - same core questions for everyone applying to similar positions. Oh, and if you're doing background checks in the US, you've got to follow FCRA rules. Create systems that naturally avoid bias, then check them regularly for gaps.

Honestly, weekly check-ins are a game changer - just you and the hiring managers going over open roles and where candidates stand. No more of that "wait, what happened to Sarah from last week?" nonsense. Build some shared scorecards too so you're both judging people on the same stuff. Oh, and definitely show them your sourcing numbers - they need to see how hard it actually is to find good people sometimes! I'd start with whoever's already cool to work with, then use those success stories to win over the trickier managers. Trust me, it beats constantly putting out fires.

Honestly, social media is huge for recruiting now. LinkedIn's the obvious one for professional stuff and targeted outreach. But Instagram and TikTok? Total goldmines for younger talent - they actually show what your workplace is really like. Twitter's solid for connecting with industry people too. The trick is being real instead of just posting boring "now hiring" garbage. Employee stories work way better. Day-in-the-life content, behind-the-scenes stuff, your actual vibe. People can smell fake company culture from miles away, and trust me, they'll avoid it. Start by checking what platforms your dream candidates actually use. Then audit your current presence - might be more depressing than you think!

Honestly, onboarding can make or break retention - like 20% of new hires bail within 45 days if you mess up their first experience. Don't treat it as something separate from recruiting though. Start those onboarding conversations during final interviews and get buddies assigned before they even show up. Set clear 30-60-90 day expectations upfront. The whole point is making them feel ready and connected from day one, not thrown to the wolves. Build out a solid 90-day plan minimum and actually check in on how they're feeling at each stage. It's way easier than hiring replacements constantly.

Your current employees are honestly your best source for figuring out what's broken in your hiring process. They'll tell you straight up if new people are missing key skills or if your job posts are total fiction compared to the actual role. Recent hires especially - they remember what the interview process felt like and whether it prepared them for reality. Managers can spot patterns too, like which interview questions actually predict who'll succeed. And nobody knows your company culture better than people dealing with it daily. I'd start with quick surveys for new hires and check with managers about performance trends.

Honestly, AI screening tools are everywhere now - companies can't get enough of them. Skills-based hiring is finally beating out the whole "must have a degree" thing, which is about time. Remote recruiting isn't going anywhere (thank god). Employee referrals are having a moment again since those hires actually stay put. Oh, and everyone's obsessed with candidate experience now - probably because people were complaining on Glassdoor. Data analytics for predicting who'll succeed is getting pretty sophisticated too. I'd pick one or two of these to try out soon though. The talent war is only getting messier.