Talent Acquisition Top Tips

Sep 2

7 min read

September 2nd is Global Talent Acquisition Day is an opportunity for employers and business owners to think beyond simply filling vacancies.

Recruiting the right people is one of the most important decisions any business needs to make. The people you employ influence productivity, culture, customer experience, innovation and, ultimately, business performance. Yet recruitment can sometimes become reactive so for example a vacancy appears, a job advert goes out, and the focus becomes finding someone who can start as quickly as possible.

Whereas a more strategic approach to talent acquisition considers not just who can do the job today, but who can help your business grow tomorrow.

For SMEs in particular, getting recruitment right can make a huge difference. A poor hire can be expensive and disruptive, while finding the right person can bring new skills, ideas and energy into your business.

What is talent acquisition?

Talent acquisition is the broader process of identifying, attracting, assessing and hiring people who have the skills and potential a business needs. It differs slightly from simply recruiting for a vacancy.

Traditional recruitment tends to focus on filling a specific position. Whereas talent acquisition takes a longer-term view, considering:

What skills does the business need now?
What skills will it need in the future?
Where can we find the right candidates?
How can we attract them?
What does our employer brand say about us?
How can we create a positive candidate experience?
How can we develop talent once they join?

This strategic approach can help businesses build a stronger workforce rather than continually reacting to vacancies.

Why does Talent Acquisition Matter to SMEs?

Large businesses may have dedicated talent acquisition teams, recruitment specialists and significant budgets. However, for many SMEs, recruitment responsibilities fall to business owners, directors or managers alongside their existing roles which can then make it tempting to take a short-term approach.

Don't forget recruitment is an investment. The person you employ can have a direct impact on your team's performance and your ability to achieve your business objectives.

Getting talent acquisition right can help SMEs to:

Attract higher-quality candidates
Reduce employee turnover
Fill skills gaps
Improve productivity
Build a stronger employer brand
Develop future leaders
Increase diversity within the workforce
Support long-term business growth

Here are our top tips for all businesses:

First of all start with considering your business needs

Before advertising a vacancy, employers should take a step back and consider what the business actually needs. A job description based solely on what the previous employee did may not reflect what the organisation needs now. So, ask yourself:

What does this role need to achieve?

Rather than focusing purely on qualifications or years of experience, consider the outcomes you expect from the successful candidate. You might also want to consider whether the role itself needs to change. Could technology take care of some tasks?

Could responsibilities be redistributed? Would a different skill set better support the direction of the business? This process can help prevent businesses from simply replacing like-for-like and missing opportunities to improve how work is done.

Recruiting for skills and potential

One of the biggest mistakes employers can make is looking for the 'perfect candidate'. Very few candidates will meet every requirement on a job description and insisting that they do can unnecessarily reduce your talent pool. Instead, consider the difference between essential skills and desirable skills. Could someone with the right attitude, transferable skills and potential learn the technical aspects of the role?

Recruiting for potential can be particularly valuable for SMEs. Someone who is keen to learn and develop with a passion may ultimately bring more value to the organisation than someone who has extensive experience but little interest in progressing. This also makes development and training an important part of your talent acquisition strategy.

Your employer brand matters

Talent acquisition isn't just about what you ask candidates during an interview. It's important to remember that candidates are also assessing you! Your reputation as an employer, your website, social media presence, job advert, interview process and communication can all influence whether someone wants to actually work for you. So, consider what a potential employee sees when they research your business.

For example does your organisation communicate:

A positive workplace culture?
Opportunities for development?
Clear values?
A supportive working environment?
Flexible working where appropriate?
Recognition and progression opportunities?

A strong employer brand can help attract candidates who are aligned with your organisation and make your business more competitive when recruiting. So, make the recruitment process fair and inclusive.

Employers have legal responsibilities throughout the recruitment process

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers must not discriminate against applicants because of protected characteristics including age, disability, race, sex, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, and marriage and civil partnership. This applies to job adverts, shortlisting, interviews and hiring decisions. Employers should therefore ensure that recruitment criteria genuinely relates to the requirements of the role. For example, asking for a particular qualification or level of experience when it isn't genuinely necessary could unnecessarily exclude capable candidates.

Recruitment processes should also be accessible. Employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants and interviewees where required.

ACAS gives examples including providing application forms in alternative formats or making adjustments to interview arrangements. You can find more information on this here - https://www.acas.org.uk/recruitment

Be careful with job advertisements

Your job advert is often a candidate's first interaction with your business, so it needs to be both attractive and appropriate.

It should clearly explain:

What the role involves
The essential skills required
The working arrangements
Salary and benefits where appropriate
Location
Development opportunities
How to apply

Avoid language that could unintentionally discriminate against certain groups. For example, phrases such as "young and energetic" could potentially disadvantage older applicants, while unnecessarily demanding particular qualifications or experience could exclude otherwise suitable candidates. GOV.UK provides specific guidance for employers on preventing discrimination in recruitment, take a look here - https://www.gov.uk/employer-preventing-discrimination/recruitment

Don't forget your legal recruitment checks

Once you've identified your preferred candidate, there are still important legal and administrative checks to complete. One of the key requirements for UK employers is checking that an individual has the legal right to work in the UK before employing them. Depending on the individual's circumstances, this may involve checking original documents, an online share code or using an identity service provider. Employers should also ensure they understand any additional checks relevant to their industry or role, such as DBS checks where appropriate. You can find out more about this here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/right-to-work-checks-employer-guidance

Think about the candidate experience

Recruitment isn't just an assessment of the candidate. It is also an opportunity for the candidate to decide whether your business is right for them. Poor communication, lengthy delays or an overly complicated recruitment process can damage your reputation. Even candidates who aren't successful could potentially become customers, recommend your business to others or apply for another role in the future.

A positive candidate experience could include:

A clear application process
Prompt communication
Well-organised interviews
Giving candidates information about what to expect
Providing feedback where appropriate
Keeping candidates updated if there are delays

Recruitment doesn't end when someone accepts the job

One of the most important parts of talent acquisition is often overlooked: what happens after the candidate accepts? A great recruitment process can quickly be undone by a poor onboarding experience.

A new employee needs to understand:

Their role and responsibilities
What is expected of them
Who they report to
How the organisation operates
Where they can get support
What training is available
How their performance will be assessed

A structured onboarding process can help new employees settle in more quickly and feel part of the organisation. It also provides an opportunity to introduce company values and expectations from day one.

Develop the talent you already have

Talent acquisition shouldn't always mean looking externally. Before advertising a vacancy, consider whether someone already within the organisation could develop into the role.

Internal progression can offer several advantages:

The employee already understands the business
Existing knowledge and relationships are retained
Development opportunities can improve engagement
It can support employee retention
Recruitment costs may be reduced

This is where talent acquisition connects closely with learning and development. If employees can see genuine opportunities to progress, your organisation becomes more attractive not only to existing employees but also to potential future recruits.

Build a talent pipeline

You don't have to wait until you have a vacancy to think about recruitment. A talent pipeline involves developing relationships with potential candidates before a specific position becomes available.

This might involve:

Building relationships through LinkedIn
Engaging with local colleges and universities
Offering work experience, placements or apprenticeships
Encouraging employee referrals
Maintaining relationships with previous applicants
Working with specialist recruitment partners

For SMEs, this can be particularly valuable when recruiting for specialist or hard-to-fill roles. Instead of starting from scratch every time someone leaves, you will have already begun building a network of potential talent.

Recruitment is an investment, not just a cost

It is understandable that recruitment can feel like an expense, particularly for smaller businesses. However, the cost of getting recruitment wrong can be considerably greater.

A poor recruitment decision can result in:

Recruitment costs being repeated
Lost productivity
Additional management time
Pressure on other employees
Customer service issues
Increased turnover
Damage to workplace morale

So, to conclude, talent acquisition is about much more than filling vacancies. For employers and business owners, it is an opportunity to build a workforce with the skills, experience and potential needed to support the organisation's future.

By taking a strategic approach to recruitment, creating an inclusive candidate experience, understanding legal responsibilities and investing in employee development, businesses can improve their ability to attract and retain the people they need. The right person isn't necessarily the person who ticks every box. They could be the person with the right skills, attitude and potential to grow with your business.