HR TechnologyTalent Acquisition

New Sourcing Approaches

Organizations should leverage a unique mix of tech-driven solutions to diversify their talent pools.

By Zee Johnson

Hiring a new age of workers requires new age approaches. While some proven methods can still be employed, others are due for a much-needed upgrade.

Ian Blake, global technology strategy director for Allegis Global Solutions, says that to successfully source in today’s market, organizations must welcome change with open arms. “Recruitment is going to have to be done differently in order to engage the workforce of the near future because their expectations are going to be different,” Blake says. “Companies have to be open and ready for that change—it’s an interesting new frontier.”

One of the ways leaders can approach hiring differently and source quality talent is by leveraging technology, most pertinent being assessments. “Using assessments and other evaluations helps filter people in rather than filtering out,” Blake says. “You’re adding more variety to your talent pool than you traditionally would, so using different tools and techniques allows organizations to reach a more diverse slate of candidates.” He also says that aligning assessment technology with an organization’s core competencies can make a big difference.

A powerful aspect of sourcing technology is that it can be used to tailor assessments to an organization’s needs. Since many companies are looking for the same type of talent at the same time, Blake says there are a variety of assessments that can be leveraged for sourcing, including:

  • behavioral;
  • psychometric;
  • cognitive; and
  • skills-based.

With each of these types of assessments, Blake says today’s technology will be able to generate candidate information, automate the assessment process, and surface high-quality candidates quicker. Using these assessments also allows you to source talent from non-traditional areas as your parameters for inclusion are different.

Tech has increased drastically in importance, especially in recent years, and being resistant to advancements could cost organizations in the end. “I think tech is going to be a core part of every company’s long-term hiring strategy, and if organizations aren’t adapting and willing to buy into this new approach, I think they will fall behind,” Blake says. “They’re going to lose out on talent or struggle to retain talent compared to the competitors in the market.”

In today’s market, TA leaders will need to design a new hiring blueprint, one that incorporates these sourcing tactics to their advantage. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Blake says. “Organizations need to work with their workforce solutions partner to build the right technologies into their hiring processes. Be bold, be intentional, and remain agile as the landscape is going to continually shift.”

Tags: HR Technology, Talent Acquisition

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