What is talent intelligence, and how does it inform hiring decisions?

Talent intelligence is the use of workforce and labor market information to understand available skills and inform decisions about hiring, development and internal moves. It brings together evidence about an organization’s employees, potential candidates and the market in which it recruits.

An employer planning a new data team, for example, may need to know where people with the required skills are based, which companies employ them and whether existing employees could move into some of the roles. That information helps the business decide where to recruit and what development it may need to provide.

What information does talent intelligence use?

The sources depend on the question being investigated. Internal information may include employee skills, career histories, previous applications and recruitment results. External information can include professional profiles, job postings, salary research and labor market data. Talent intelligence platforms can bring several of these sources together for analysis.

Each source contributes something different. Recruitment records can show how long similar vacancies have taken to fill. Employee profiles may reveal relevant experience elsewhere in the organization. Market research can help identify locations with people working in the required field.

The information needs context. A job posting shows that an employer advertised a requirement; it does not confirm that the vacancy was filled. A professional profile may describe someone’s experience without indicating whether they are interested in changing jobs.

How does talent intelligence help define a role?

Hiring managers often start with an idea of the person they want to recruit. Talent intelligence helps them explore how that requirement compares with the people available.

For example, a manager may ask for experience in a particular industry, knowledge of several systems and a specific qualification. Research might show that few people in the proposed location have that combination.

The recruiter and manager can then discuss which requirements are essential. Someone with experience in a related industry may be able to learn the company’s processes. A system used only occasionally may not need to be an entry requirement.

This gives the recruitment team a more considered brief before the search begins.

How can it inform hiring locations?

Talent intelligence can show where people with relevant skills are concentrated and which employers compete for them. LinkedIn describes location and skills analysis among the uses of its Talent Insights platform.

A company considering two locations for a technical support team might compare the available experience, competing vacancies and compensation expectations in each market.

A larger talent pool does not automatically make one location the better choice. The business also needs to consider working hours, language requirements, customer coverage and whether people would need to relocate.

The research gives decision-makers evidence to weigh alongside those operational needs.

How does talent intelligence support internal mobility?

An employee’s current job title may not describe everything they can do. Previous roles, project work and recently developed skills can make them suitable for opportunities elsewhere in the business.

Talent intelligence can help connect employee experience with open roles or projects. Internal mobility is one of the uses described by both LinkedIn and Phenom.

For example, someone in customer operations may have experience analyzing service data and presenting findings. That could be relevant to an analyst role, even if they have never held that title.

A potential match starts a conversation. The employee’s interests, demonstrated ability and development needs still need to be understood.

How is talent intelligence different from recruitment reporting?

Recruitment reporting usually tracks activity and results within a hiring process, such as applications, interviews, accepted offers and time to fill. Talent intelligence uses relevant information to investigate broader workforce questions.

The two can work together. A report may show that engineering vacancies are taking longer to fill. Further research can examine candidate availability, competing demand and whether the role requirements have changed.

Employers can then decide whether to adjust the search, review the offer or develop some of the required skills internally.

How should employers use the findings?

A useful piece of talent intelligence answers a defined question. It should make clear which roles, locations and time period were examined, where the information came from and what remains uncertain.

Recruiter conversations and hiring results can help test the findings. If candidates repeatedly describe expectations that differ from the research, the team needs to understand why.

AMS One brings together operational, external and talent acquisition data to support analytics and talent intelligence. Within Next Gen Talent Acquisition, that information can help recruitment teams and business leaders discuss workforce needs with a shared understanding of the evidence.