I think of Talent Acquisition as a Venn Diagram !

Talent acquisition as a Venn diagram

I think of talent acquisition like a Venn diagram.

One circle represents the candidate. The other represents the client and the opportunity.

Candidates want the circles to intersect, but ideally remain as far apart as possible. No one wants to feel out of their depth, but we all want a new challenge.

Conversely, even the most idealistic hiring managers want the circles to sit on top of each other. Even when they are willing to hire someone who does not meet every key criterion, they are likely to be facing significant internal pressure to make a hiring decision that delivers an immediate impact, particularly in difficult times.

How the market changes the balance

In buoyant markets, the circles move a little further apart. In challenging markets, they move closer together.

In 2020, they effectively sat on top of one another. Organisations had a huge amount of choice and many candidates desperately needed to find a new employer, so they were more willing to compromise on their aspirations.

With the news of the vaccines, 2021 looks markedly better. However, we are not out of the woods yet. When the chips are down, businesses will still want to reduce the risk of their decision and will often turn to the more conservative choice.

Every role needs room for growth

Every role needs room for growth. Otherwise, when the market picks up, the person hired will be approached about something bigger and better, and they may pack their bags and say farewell.

We have seen it before. There are plenty of CVs that show moves between 2008 and 2009, and there will be many more that show the same pattern across 2020 and 2021.

Ultimately, you want to make a hiring decision that pays off over five years, not 12 months.

Finding a fair value exchange

I believe that, as a search firm, our role is to identify a fair value exchange between both parties.

So, what does a fair value exchange look like in this market?

For my money, it is 80/20.

A client should reasonably expect a candidate to bring at least 80% of the required skills to the table. In return, they should expect to teach and develop the remaining 20%.

Deciding what can be learned

As a hiring manager, the challenge is working out which 20% of the role can be learned most easily, and what sits within the 80% that you cannot compromise on.

With this approach, you are more likely to secure strong engagement and make a hire who offers immediate value while still feeling challenged and able to grow within the organisation.

Ultimately, you will be making a decision that pays off for years to come.