The role in brief:
The Talent Acquisition Specialist is responsible for sourcing, attracting, and hiring top talent to meet the staffing needs of the agency. This role involves developing and implementing recruitment strategies, managing the full-cycle recruitment process, and building strong relationships with candidates and hiring managers.
Working with:
- Internal: Agency senior management, recruiting managers; HR and Talent Acquisition managers.
- External: Recruitment vendors and suppliers, consultants and advisors, industry peers and networks, schools and colleges Government bodies such as those promoting apprenticeships.
Responsible for:
- With management and HR, developing and implementing effective recruitment strategies to attract high-quality candidates to the agency.
- Collaborating with hiring managers to understand staffing needs and job requirements. Developing and writing job descriptions and person specifications which allow candidates to make an informed assessment of the job and its requirements.
- Using various channels (e.g., job boards, social media, professional networks) to source potential candidates. Writing job ads which attract the right candidates but are specific enough to exclude others.
- Building and maintaining relationships with preferred suppliers to ensure a talent pipeline for current and future hiring needs.
- Reviewing applications to identify qualified candidates and produce a shortlist. This will involve evaluating candidates based on job requirements and possibly using assessment tools and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Using data to make informed hiring decisions is becoming increasingly important, although collecting, analysing and interpreting it can be complex and time-consuming.
- Conducting initial phone screens and arranging interviews with hiring managers.
- Ensuring that candidates get a positive experience throughout the recruitment process. Communicating regularly with candidates to provide updates and feedback.
- Promoting the company’s brand and culture to attract top talent. This may involve representing the agency at job fairs, career events, and other recruitment activities.
- Maintaining accurate records of recruitment activities and candidate information. Generating reports on recruitment metrics and DEI statistics for HR and management, and to provide insights for continuous improvement.
Those who succeed are:
- Able to manage multiple projects and priorities, with strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
- Knowledgeable about the employment laws and regulations around recruitment. Have a strong understanding of DEI principles and best practice.
- Familiar with social media, recruitment databases and the various ways of reaching out to potential candidates.
- Able to build relationships at all levels of the agency and with suppliers and other outside contacts.
- Proficient in using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and other recruitment software.
- Up to date with Government initiatives around hiring – for example knowing when and how much the Government contribute to the salary of an apprentice.
Where they come from, and where they go…
They will often have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, although this is by no means mandatory. They will usually have experience in a Talent Acquisition role, either within a business or from a recruitment consultancy.
They will usually move on to similar but larger, roles or senior positions in other agencies or companies. Sometimes this role is part of a developing career in HR, Talent Acquisition or other management.