Talent acquisition and recruitment may sound like the same thing, but they are two different disciplines. When you know the difference, you can choose the direction you should be heading.  

While recruitment seeks to fill job vacancies, talent acquisition focuses on the overall human resources landscape with an eye toward the future of a company.

Read on to learn more differences between recruitment and talent acquisition.

Recruitment 

While talent acquisition might sound like more of a long-term solution for a company, don’t turn a blind eye to the importance of recruitment! After all, job vacancies need to be filled, and recruiting talented applicants for these jobs is essential.

Recruitment, however, has its pitfalls. Some of the people you hire may move on to another company in a year or two. Planning for the long-term acquisition of talent may be the best strategy. 

Talent Acquisition

Talent acquisition doesn’t simply focus on hiring an outstanding candidate for an open job. It seeks to identify the future superstars of the company. 

Candidates with great management and organization skills can be projected for executive or specialist positions in the future. 

Like any other investment, the value of talent acquisition will appreciate over time and pay off down the line. That’s why it’s not only important to attract these talented employees, but also to retain them by helping them buy into your vision for their potential.

Talent acquisition does not only focus on job applicants but also a company’s employees. A talent review can help a company realize the attributes of their current workforce to identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Recruiters can even offer to conduct a talent review to help a company learn what positions it should fill now and in the future.

Moving from Recruitment to Acquiring Talent

Making the transition from recruitment to talent acquisition can be a challenge because we all deal with daily deadlines and to-do lists. Shifting the focus to long-term solutions isn’t easy.

The best way to acquire top talent is to offer something competitors lack. A strong benefits package and a welcoming corporate culture could be keys to acquiring a future leader of the company.

Another important factor is understanding the company’s succession plan and long-term growth strategy. If a company knows it will add three vice presidents in the next five years, now is the time to acquire those future leaders.

If a job candidate has a valuable set of skills, it’s more important to get them on board with the company than to make sure their skills match up with a current job opening.

Recruiting professionals and companies alike would be wise to realize the value of a talent acquisition strategy. While top candidates will not be right for every job, cultivating a deep roster of talent could help to fill an important position that may not even exist yet.