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Reinventing talent sourcing globally post covid

Reinventing Talent Solutions Globally

by Charlotte Gurney

The pandemic has changed the pressures on talent sourcing and created a whole new set of obstacles to finding the right people and building a resilient workforce. However, with the right strategy it’s possible to make progress in crafting a productive and progressive workforce - these key areas are the foundations from which every reinvention strategy needs to grow.

A new approach to finding and hiring 
Even in challenging times it’s vital that every work force continues to expand and the pandemic has provided some useful new tools to move forward. For example, the success of video interviews has given organizations a more flexible option for the start of the hiring process. Integrating this and other tech tools could considerably improve talent sourcing, especially where those tools make it easier to connect people to roles based on a deeper understanding of who they are and what they can do.

Moving beyond simple re-skilling 
The pandemic has revealed just how many skills gaps still exist in our workforces, especially when it comes to digital abilities. It’s vital for every business to implement broad digital skills training to ensure opportunities to source talent internally aren’t being missed. In the same vein, learning and development within the business, especially with respect to employees changing roles or work and acquiring leadership skills is just as crucial.

Focusing on the employee experience 
Increasingly, the process of talent sourcing requires attention to the way that employees experience the business, from initial contact to day-to-day work. Connectivity, engagement and inclusion all help to build a positive culture that will attract people to the business and build brand reputation. There are many different analytical tools that are available to businesses today to help get a better picture of how to generate more connectivity and engagement, from social listening tools to analytics.

The importance of retaining existing talent 
There is no escaping the fact that retention is cheaper than recruitment. A big part of this will be ensuring that existing employees feel they are being positively managed - and their performance rewarded. Particularly given the shifts in goals and performance plans created by lockdowns and home working, it’s essential to ensure that performance is being celebrated, managers are well trained in how to handle staff and employee goals are clearly linked to business priorities.

Planning and strategy for the post-covid world 
We have already seen some big shifts in how value is created since the pandemic began and reinventing talent sourcing is going to require a review of planning and strategy to accommodate a new perspective on an existing talent base. This could mean reviewing skills pools to see what is missing and what is required for the future, as well as using the workforce planning tools available to help match staff to suited roles. Research also suggests that many companies today have a small number of roles that are disproportionately important and these may need to be reviewed and restructured.

Covid has presented many challenges but there are also opportunities when it comes to reinventing global talent sourcing with greater effectiveness in mind.