The Immersive. team led by Neil, our resident Employer Brand expert is doing some research around 'what next' in talent acquisition. It's partly looking back to how talent leaders and their organisations have survived Covid, what have we all learned and what the future holds.

Interviews with… Matt Dean, Talent Acquisition Manager, ISG

NH: What for you have been the key organisational and people-based learnings from Covid?
MD: I think some organisations were far too quick to rush into furloughing and making redundancies. It felt all too easy to save a little bit of money then, without thinking through what this might mean. If you know your business is going to come through something like Covid, even if there is some short-term pain, to really double down and make a positive statement regarding people and talent acquisition creates impact and differentiation. It should be about responding positively to talent pools, particularly while other organisations are probably doing the opposite. This makes such a huge statement as regards the EVP. 

NH: Is there anything you and/or the business is particularly proud of over the last 18 months?
MD: Keeping the TA team together and functioning well has been, for me, a real achievement, despite all the pressures. The culture of the organisation has remained strong and positive. There are a lot of demands on the TA team and to see them functioning well and delivering for the business, regardless of their experience levels, is really satisfying. It’s a really connected, cohesive team – a lot of this is down to effective, empathetic onboarding. 

On a personal level, it’s been really pleasing to feel more connectivity to the family. You are more appreciative of how time spent with family is really important. 

NH: How do you see the talent market today and in contrast to that pre-Covid?
MD: Pre-Covid, the market seemed entirely typical in terms of how we operated and what candidates were looking for. There was far less focus around work/life balance and hybrid working. It was all about progression and money. Today, it feels like a crazy market. We’re recruiting for our own team right now. I think applications are probably a tenth of what would have been the case pre-Covid. I think the last year or so has given people the opportunity to think about what they want, about what’s important to them. And it isn’t always work and it isn’t always the office. The balance we can offer candidates in terms of work/life is critical. 

People have really come to the conclusion that their previous way of working meant they have missed out on other things. Other things that they feel are hugely important. 

There are still a lot of people who seem tentative about moving around. They see the economy as being unpredictable and they are wary about making a move. We’re still hearing a lot of people say ‘I’m not sure if this is the best time to move’. There are people who are definitely in a holding pattern, trying to understand how the economy and the labour market will develop. 

But if they are willing to move, then when they are in the office, when they are in the country are questions they want answers to. 

People are very reluctant to commute – they want the quickest possible journey into an office. They won’t put up with what they put up with pre-Covid. Even journeys into the office that, pre-Covid, would have been acceptable, no longer are.

“There are less candidates out there, less people applying, but more demand, more vacancies”

The overall market is still sorting itself out. However, I do feel that those organisations now insisting that their people spend five days in the office risk either losing employees or having to offer them something extra. Contrast this with those organisations who are telling candidates that as long as they live up to three time zones away, then they are happy to have them onboard. These organisations have widened their candidate pools significantly as a result. 

The great resignation? I don’t think many candidates are quite there yet. But they will be.

NH: Are you seeing more collaboration between TA, training and development, etc?
MD: I can see the links between development and recruitment becoming more tangible and happening earlier on during someone’s on-boarding. Our organisation is getting better at moving people around the business not only for the benefit of that individual but also for the benefit of our client offering. The more rounded our people are, the more likely they are to stay and the more useful they are to us. We are a broad based, diverse organisation – we have to be able to offer such diversity of challenge to our people. 

NH: What for you are the key resourcing challenges you and your organisation faces over the next year?
MD: One of our key challenges is to convince our line manager population just how important it is to look after their people. To reduce their reasons for wanting to leave us. Looking after our own people, minimising departures, treating them as they wish to be treated is key. We want our people to grow, like we want our business to grow. The two are closely related. We need to make sure our hiring processes reflect the candidate market, particularly as regards speed and efficiency. Because the market has turned so quickly, many hiring managers are not necessarily aware that this is absolutely a candidate market. 

Over the next few weeks we’ll be interviewing more people about their Covid experiences, be sure to bookmark this page.

About
Neil Harrison is recognised as a leading employer brand specialist, creating insights and actionable intelligence around key people audiences. Internal employee communities as well as external talent pools. These are insights which will help drive informed EVPs and their associated employer brands. Factors such as Brexit, as well as a tightening labour market, mean that organisations serious about talent acquisition need to act based on knowledge rather than guesswork.