by If you are interested in the human resources area and wish to help companies find the best recruits, the job of a talent acquisition specialist may be a good fit for you.
This is a fairly new position, but it has already become essential for the human resources department.
These specialists are responsible for finding, acquiring, and hiring the best talents.
To succeed in this job, you need a great deal of hard work and dedication.
Article Table of Contents
Who is a Talent Acquisition Specialist
Talent acquisition specialists focus on finding and recruiting the best employees for the companies they work at.
In this position, the specialist should be up-to-date with the operation of social media and technology, and the latest trades in the industry.
Working with Hiring Managers
One of the main duties of the talent acquisition specialist is cooperating with hiring managers.
They help find the best candidates to fill various positions in the company.
These specialists work closely together to find, interview, and hire employees of the highest quality.
Hiring managers ensure that specialists understand the requirements and qualifications for the job so that they are filled with the applicants who truly meet the qualifications.
Finding the Best Candidates
Talent acquisition specialists use various tools to find the best candidates.
They use various social networking platforms, job search engines, send information to the job fairs or participate in them representing the job.
They can also physically go to educational establishments to recruit directly there.
The main objective of this is to establish relations with potential talent.
In general, they are also the ones scheduling interviews and preparing the candidates for them.
It involves checking the resumes and cover letters and critically judging their performance at the interview.
Checking Candidates Backgrounds
Talent acquisition employees have to make a background check of the candidates, administer drug tests and get references about the potential employees.
Completing the Paperwork
Another essential responsibility for this specialist is ensuring to submit all paperwork to the potential candidate.
If they are hired, talent acquisition specialists should help them make arrangements for job orientation.
When you’re looking for a job in this position, you can also find the ads titled as recruiters or talent recruiters, which are other titles for the talent acquisition specialist.
Responsibilities
The job of a talent acquisition expert is highly demanding with a wide range of responsibilities.
The needs of every company are specific, but the general responsibilities of the specialist are common despite the field and industry of the hiring company.
- Work with hiring managers to determine the staffing needs of the company.
- Ensure to use the right criteria to find the best candidates.
- Use professional networking sites and social media platforms to get in touch with the best available candidates.
- Planning the interview and selection process including screening calls, interviews.
- Collect, process, and analyze the information about candidates including resumes, contacts, and social media.
- Ensuring the job descriptions properly define the needs of the company.
- Put together the questions for the interview to properly test the candidate and reflect the specific requirements of the position.
- Analyze previous branding initiatives of the company and help optimize the future ones.
- Participate in job fairs to work directly with potential recruits.
- Help with the creation and organization of the recruitment events.
- Analyze trends to forecast the quarterly and annual hiring needs by the departments.
- Establish long-term relations with potential and previous candidates who may later fill new positions.
Skills and Qualifications
This is a specialized position that calls for a range of talents, skills, and qualifications.
Some of them are common for other positions as well while others are specific for this job.
Interpersonal:
This job is closely related to connecting and working with people, so the recruiters need strong interpersonal skills.
Not only will you have to communicate with colleagues and supervisors but also assess the skills, traits, and personal qualities of other people.
Recruiters have to ensure that the candidates fit the company, so they should know how people’s qualities and traits will work in the environment for which they are considered.
Some jobs may be suitable for any type of people while others require certain qualifications such as customer service skills, ambition, etc.
With excellent interpersonal skills, recruiters can determine how one person or another will fit in a team.
Communication:
While other professionals interview with potential candidates along with recruiters, talent acquisition specialists are the first to connect with both parties.
Therefore, they need excellent written skills to get in touch with the candidates, come up with a list of the right questions, etc.
They also must have strong verbal skills as they have to follow up with the candidates, communicate with hiring managers, and other supervisors determining who will be considered for a position.
Other Skills and Qualifications
There are some additional skills you need to possess if you wish to become a great talent acquisition professional:
- Ability to build long-lasting relations.
- Self-motivation.
- Ambition.
- Drive to success.
- Certification and proficiency in MS Office packages and other apps.
- Experience in Human Resources.
- Experience in recruiting or related areas.
- Wide knowledge of topics specific to the industry.
- A proven record of success in previous positions.
- Experience in the industry for which you are recruiting.
- Experience with recruiting through the full lifecycle.
- Certification in Human Resources.
- Training and experience in the Applicant Tracking System.
Salary Information
According to Glassdoor, the average median salary of the recruiters is about $70,000.
At the lowest, it starts at $51,000 annually with $98,000 at the highest level positions.
The difference being that vast is determined by various types of corporations and companies hiring recruits.
Also, it can depend on the location of the HQ of the company or local hiring offices.
With the higher living costs in the city or state, the salary is higher as well.
As estimated for the fourth quarter of 2017, the average mid-range salary in the US was $44,564.
That means that even the lowest salary of the talent recruiters is above average.
Conclusion
If you enjoy working with people regularly applying your interpersonal and communication skills, you will find the position of a talent acquisition specialist extremely fulfilling.
Additionally, you will get decent pay as well as a chance to travel.
This job is time-consuming and requires a lot of focus, but it pays off allowing you to work with the best talents in the field of your company.