At times, we all need assistance seeing the forest through the trees. That’s why a Customer Advisory Board (commonly called a CAB) program can be so impactful and one of the reasons Datapeople started to invite our customers’ most inspiring Talent Acquisition (TA) leaders to the table two years ago. Our CAB members inspire and challenge us and help ensure our strategies, decisions, and initiatives align with market needs. They are accretive to substantially progressing the critical role of talent acquisition in business success helping us see and take action on critical Talent Acquisition trends.
This week, I was pleased to lead our first quarterly Datapeople CAB meeting of 2024. Joining us was an incredibly diverse line-up of global leaders from a wide range of industries. Each operates in unique talent and geographic markets, but I strongly believe they collectively have their pulse on the latest trends in the recruiting industry. The Datapeople CAB includes some of the most admired, and largest, employers in the world. The following provides an overview of their global impact, influence, and expertise.
- Collectively employ half a million employees throughout the globe
- Multiple Fortune 500 Companies
- 16 VPs and Sr. Directors of Talent Acquisition
- 3 of Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024
- 3 of Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2023
This blog summarizes their investments in the most important Talent Acquisition Trends to secure the future they envision for their company and team. A future focused on unlocking talent acquisition efficiency, securing hiring manager alignment, and responsibly embracing exponential technologies like AI.
The Datapeople CAB members highlighted these top Talent Acquisition trends for 2024:
1. Prioritizing efficiency
85% of CAB members cited TA efficiency as a top priority and critical unlock to the future of talent acquisition. With imperfect data about future hiring needs and aspirational timelines, TA teams are focusing on working smarter, not harder. A necessary component of this includes integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts seamlessly to maximize impact. Sometimes, major efficiency can be unlocked in the details. More quickly aligning thanks to collaboration, a superior employer brand, and eliciting stronger and more reliable signals from applicants can provide incredible efficiency gains.
2. Hiring manager alignment
Our CAB members were quick to point out that maximum efficiency for an entire hiring process can only be accomplished by improving hiring manager alignment. While the causes of inconsistent alignment are varied, they shared proven solutions. First, they highlighted training (for both TA and HMs) as a major investment and unlock. Further, they shared horror stories about how TA teams commonly overlook crucial interactions like the intake meeting. Next, they were resolute in their belief in the power of symmetric SLAs, recommending this template. As a summary of this playbook, I encourage you to watch a webinar where Coda shares how they’ve secured high-performance relationships with hiring managers.
3. The rise of Generative AI (GenAI)
AI is no longer a curiosity but a strategic priority for most TA teams, a critical component of the future of talent acquisition. Many teams are actively piloting off-the-shelf solutions like ChatGPT or Microsoft CoPilot as well as exploring what TA and HR vendors already in their technology stack offer. They recognize the potential but have yet to find a use case that delivers the requisite experience and value while addressing legal and ethical concerns.
A prudent but open-minded approach to GenAI is smart. As Bloomberg found, even the ChatGPT, the engine that powers most AI embedded into HR and TA platforms, is biased. Thus, Datapeople advocates for responsible AI with guardrails to prevent bias. Our blog post, “The Future of Talent Acquisition, Powered by Responsible AI,” outlines our commitment and the principles that we believe will not only ethically and legally protect but also focus delivery on workflows and experiences most impactful to talent acquisition.
Talent acquisition trends to secure the future of talent acquisition
I am thankful for our Datapeople CAB. We at Datapeople are so much better because of their expertise and insights at our sessions together. After our session, I am more resolute than ever in the belief that the future of TA lies in a blend of efficiency, strong hiring manager alignment, and the responsible use of AI. Datapeople is committed to providing resources and solutions that help organizations navigate evolving Talent Aquisition Trends to reach their fullest potential today and well into the future.
This blog post is just a starting point. We encourage you to explore the resources linked above and reach out to Datapeople to learn more about how we can help you build a winning and future-proof talent acquisition engine. An engine that powers hiring success today and business growth tomorrow.
