Think about the last time you applied for a job. What stood out? Was it the polished Job description or the company’s website company’s, or was it the follow-up email that felt genuine, the recruiter who made a well-researched outreach message, or the thoughtful feedback after an interview?
For most of us, it’s the little things—those small, thoughtful interactions—that stick in our memory. These micro-moments define how candidates feel about a company, whether they’re hired or not.
What Are Micro-Moments in the Candidate Experience?
Coined initially in the context of consumer behaviour by Google, micro-moments are the brief, highly focused interactions where decisions are made or impressions are formed. In talent Acquisition, these micro-moments are those seemingly minor but highly meaningful actions that show candidates they’re valued.
They don’t require flashy campaigns or big budgets, but they do require intention and care. And in a world where so much communication feels generic, these moments can make all the difference.
A recruiter taking a minute to send a personalized follow-up after an interview.
Keeping candidates in the loop with timely updates instead of making them wonder.
Sending a proactive, personalized video message using tools like Hintro or Odro —a refreshing human touch in an age of mass AI-generated outreach.
Or even providing a thoughtful, constructive rejection that doesn’t just close the door but leaves it ajar for future opportunities via a Talent Community .
These moments, while brief, can shift a candidate’s perception from “just another applicant” to “someone this company values.”
Why Micro-Moments Matter
People remember how you make them feel. And for candidates, the hiring process can be a nerve-wracking experience. Micro-moments are powerful because they tap into emotional connections—a crucial driver of trust. According to Josh Bersin, trust is the cornerstone of any great employee or candidate experience. When candidates feel valued and respected at every step, they’re more likely to trust the organization, even if they don’t land the role.
Research backs this up. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends, 63% of candidates say their experience during the hiring process reflects how a company treats its people (source). And trust me, candidates are paying attention. Every interaction—or lack of one—contributes to the impression they’ll share with their networks or on review sites like Glassdoor.
Even more telling: a survey by CareerArc found that 72% of candidates who had a poor experience shared it online or with friends (source). Think about that ripple effect. A little effort to personalize your process goes a long way in avoiding a wave of negative feedback.
How to Make Micro-Moments Meaningful
Be Proactive with Updates Nobody likes to feel forgotten. A quick message like, “We’re still reviewing applications, and I’ll be in touch by Friday,” can turn silence into reassurance. Setting expectations is an act of respect—and it costs nothing.
Use Personalization to Stand Out Imagine receiving a short video from a recruiter, tailored just for you. They mention your skills or highlight why your background caught their eye. Personalized video outreach not only grabs attention but also feels authentic in a world filled with Mass produced AI generated emails.
Show Empathy Rejection is hard, but it doesn’t have to be cold. Providing feedback—even a brief summary—shows you recognize the effort candidates put into the process. It’s a simple gesture that can build goodwill.
Balance Technology with Humanity Automated tools are great for efficiency, but they’re no substitute for the human touch. Use AI chatbots and automated emails wisely ideally at the top of the funnel, ensuring they enhance—not replace—genuine connection. The more effort the candidate has gone to in the process the more important it is for the organisation to return the favour in closing the loop. For further information on this topic there are two fantastic deeper reads from my colleagues Craig Hunter and Ellen Cobb
Celebrate the Candidate’s Effort A little gratitude goes a long way. Thanking someone for their time and highlighting something specific they did during the process can turn even a rejection into a positive interaction.
The Bigger Picture
According to the latest Greenhouse 2024 State of Job Hunting report—a survey of 2,500 workers across the US, UK, and Germany—nearly half of US workers are actively job hunting. Yet, 79% of them admit to feeling heightened anxiety in today’s job market. One statistic in the report stood out as particularly troubling: 61% of job seekers reported being ghosted after a job interview, a figure that has risen by 9% since April 2024 (source).
Think about what this means in practice. These are individuals who’ve already cleared the initial hurdles of a crowded hiring process. They’ve dedicated time—often taking PTO, traveling, and showing up in person—to attend an interview. For many, it’s not just about answering questions; it’s about investing emotional energy and hope. The absolute minimum they should expect in return is closure, even if the news isn’t favourable.
Creating these moments isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing you care. Candidates understand that hiring is a busy, complicated process. They don’t expect constant communication or endless hand-holding. But they do expect respect and acknowledgment.
And as we have discussed earlier, candidates talk. The candidate who didn’t get the job today might refer their friend tomorrow because they were treated well. Or they might blast their bad experience to their network, or share the experience on growing sub Reddit’s like r/recruitinghell damaging your reputation. It’s in these small, seemingly insignificant moments that reputations are built or broken.
What’s Next?
If you want to stand out in a competitive hiring landscape, don’t just focus on the big stuff. Start small. Think about the touchpoints in your hiring process where you can inject a bit more thoughtfulness. A personalized note, a timely update, or even a short video message can be the difference between a candidate feeling like a number and feeling like they matter.
So, next time you interact with a candidate, ask yourself: What small moment of care can I create today?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates that 23.1% of all new jobs projected from 2021 to 2031 will be in the hospitality and leisure sector, with the largest increase expected in food preparation and service. Given that there are already an estimated 2 million open jobs in the sector in the US and an aging workforce, this will leave a significant gap in workers to meet demand. The labor market challenges are compounded by the sector having the highest quit rates and the greatest need for in-person work, with over 80% of workers fully on-site.
Battling over the same workers using the same approaches for restaurants, hotels, and retailers will not change the results. In fact, it is risky because while competitors act, those that do not will face higher quit rates and less engaged employees.
Three Strategies to Attract, Hire, and Retain the Best Frontline Employees
Invest in Responsible AI and Thoughtful Automation According to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Technology Landscape Report 2024, 64% of restaurant operators consider their use of technology to be mainstream, yet only 13% think their restaurant is on the leading edge compared to peers. Hiring technology can be a great starting point for investment that will enhance or even transform the experience. Given that in this industry, your candidates are often your customers, it is a great way to embrace and lead the way while also increasing speed and efficiency.
Amplify Worker Voice Constantly seek feedback from your frontline workers, even if it’s hard to hear. Staffing your restaurants, stores, and properties might be step one, but to sustain operations, it is critical to continuously listen and reduce friction so team members are best equipped to deliver on the quality that is most important to guests – happy, friendly, and attentive staff.
Blend Technology with Human-Centered Design 82% of US and 74% of non-US consumers want more human interaction as technology improves. It’s not that humans are resisting technology; quite the opposite. Rather, there are key moments where a human provides connectivity, empathy, and compassion that only human interaction and kindness can deliver. The human touch fosters warm connections and empathy in recruitment, meaning understanding candidates’ aspirations, anxieties, and motivations. By incorporating one or two key touchpoints in a technology-led recruitment experience, candidates have the chance to feel valued and heard as they make a life-altering decision about joining and staying with a company.
In an industry as dynamic and people-centric as retail, restaurants, hotels, and consumer goods the blend of technology and human interaction is not just beneficial – it’s essential. By investing in responsible AI and automation, amplifying the voices of your frontline workers, and ensuring a human-centered recruitment experience, you can create a more efficient, empathetic, and engaging environment that ultimately leads to achieving business outcomes.
Imagine you’re browsing for a new streaming service. You expect personalised recommendations, seamless navigation, and instant gratification. Now, translate that experience to the job search. Candidates today expect the same frictionless journey when exploring career opportunities.
This shift is redefining the role of talent acquisition professionals, forcing them to rethink their strategies and borrow heavily from consumer marketing to create engaging, personalised candidate experiences.
The Rise of Consumer-Grade Expectations
Gone are the days when a candidate’s interaction with a company began and ended with a job advert. Today’s candidates, much like savvy consumers, expect a holistic, personalised journey from the moment they encounter your brand.
According to LinkedIn’s 2023 Global Talent Trends report, 81% of candidates say that their experience during the hiring process influences their decision to accept an offer. In a world where consumers abandon online shopping baskets due to frustrating experiences, candidates, too, disengage from complex or impersonal application processes.
This trend is being driven by the digital-first, on-demand culture that permeates every aspect of our lives. Companies that fail to meet these new consumer-grade expectations risk losing top talent to competitors who offer more streamlined and engaging experiences. SIA’s 2023 Workforce Solutions Buyer Survey found that 70% of talent acquisition leaders identified improving candidate experience as a top priority.
Moreover, companies that invest in enhancing candidate experience have seen a 20% increase in offer acceptance rates.
Parallels Between Marketing and Talent Acquisition
The lines between marketing and talent acquisition are increasingly blurring, with both disciplines focusing on engagement and experience. Just as marketers craft personalised campaigns to attract and retain customers, talent acquisition professionals must curate tailored experiences to attract and retain top talent.
This shift requires reimagining the candidate journey as a consumer journey, where every interaction—whether it’s a job ad, a recruitment email, or an interview—acts as a crucial touchpoint in a cohesive narrative.
Josh Bersin emphasises that organisations excelling in employee experience, starting from recruitment, tend to outperform their competitors by 2.8 times in terms of profitability. This connection underscores the business case for a consumer-grade candidate experience.
For those interested in exploring the importance of employer branding within the broader context of talent strategy, a related article discusses mid-year talent acquisition predictions and their implications for employer branding efforts. LinkedIn’s research supports the growing emphasis on branding, showing that 75% of job seekers research a company’s reputation before applying.
Companies with strong employer branding efforts are twice as likely to attract high-quality candidates, according to SIA’s 2023 Talent Attraction Report. Additionally, 58% of candidates say they would decline an offer from a company with a poor online reputation, regardless of salary.
Programmatic and Social Activation: The Game Changers
As talent acquisition evolves, programmatic advertising and social activation are revolutionising how companies attract talent.
Programmatic advertising has evolved beyond simple automation to become a highly intelligent system. Today’s platforms leverage AI and machine learning to continuously analyse and adapt to candidate behaviour in real-time. This allows for hyper-targeted adverts that resonate with specific candidate personas, optimising not just placement but also messaging as conditions change.
Companies using these advanced programmatic strategies have seen up to a 30% increase in candidate engagement and a significant reduction in cost-per-hire, according to SIA. The ability to predict and respond to candidate preferences makes programmatic a powerful tool in modern talent acquisition.
Social activation has evolved far beyond simple job postings. Today, it’s about crafting engaging, authentic content that connects with audiences on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. The focus has shifted to storytelling and creating a compelling brand narrative that resonates with potential candidates on a deeper level.
Companies leading in this space use data-driven insights to tailor their content, leveraging trends and platform-specific features like Instagram Stories or TikTok challenges to create more interactive and immersive experiences. This approach not only attracts candidates but also builds a lasting connection with your brand, transforming social media into a powerful tool for talent acquisition.
Predicting the Future: On-the-Spot Personalised Content Creation
The next frontier in talent acquisition is the ability to create personalised content on the spot that resonates with the candidate persona in real time. Imagine AI-driven tools that generate tailored job descriptions, emails, or even video content on demand, based on a candidate’s interactions with your brand.
This level of personalisation, powered by machine learning and real-time data analysis, will transform the candidate experience from a transactional process into a dynamic conversation.
Jonathan Kestenbaum, Managing Director – Tech Strategy & Partners at AMS, has highlighted the importance of this trend, noting that the future of talent acquisition lies in the ability to deliver hyper-personalised content at scale, creating a more engaging and tailored experience for candidates.
The Role of Emerging Technologies: AI, Blockchain, VR, and Beyond
Emerging technologies are driving this transformation, offering new ways to deliver consumer-grade candidate experiences.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): I know you’ve probably heard more than enough about AI, but in my opinion, it’s still underhyped. AI isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a game-changer in recruitment. It streamlines the entire process, offering real-time updates, personalised job alerts, and even AI-generated interview questions that adapt to a candidate’s responses.
According to the Everest Group, companies that integrate AI and automation into their talent acquisition processes are 35% more likely to fill positions faster than their competitors. Beyond efficiency, AI enhances predictive analytics, enabling companies to anticipate not just candidate success, but also cultural fit and long-term retention—critical elements in delivering a consumer-grade candidate experience.
Blockchain: Before you tune out, thinking this is all about cryptocurrency, let me clarify—this isn’t about Bitcoin or speculative investments. Blockchain in recruitment is about a secure, shared ledger that enhances transparency and trust. By securely storing candidate data and verifying credentials, blockchain technology can significantly reduce the time and cost of background checks, ensuring the authenticity of candidate qualifications.
This aligns perfectly with today’s consumer-grade expectations, where transparency and data privacy are more important than ever. As Jonathan Kestenbaum points out, blockchain, though still emerging, has the potential to revolutionise how we manage candidate data, making the hiring process more secure and trustworthy.
Virtual Reality (VR): VR is emerging as a powerful tool in the recruitment process, particularly for immersive job previews and virtual office tours. According to a PwC report, VR is four times faster than traditional methods at training employees and offers a more engaging experience. VR allows candidates to explore work environments and company culture before they even step through the door, making it a game-changer for remote or international candidates.
However, as explored in an article on navigating the metaverse, VR and the metaverse present both opportunities and challenges for talent acquisition, requiring careful consideration to avoid potential pitfalls.
Mobile-First Strategies
With over 90% of job seekers using their mobile devices to search for jobs (according to Glassdoor), adopting a mobile-first approach is no longer optional—it’s essential. Indeed research indicates that 65% of people would abandon a job application if it isn’t mobile-friendly.
Leading hotel chains and fast food brands have implemented mobile-first recruitment processes, allowing candidates to easily apply and track their application status on the go. This not only increases application rates but also enhances the overall candidate experience.
Remote and Accessible Candidate Processes
The pandemic has solidified remote hiring as a standard practice, with 70% of talent professionals agreeing that virtual recruiting is here to stay, according to LinkedIn. Ensuring that these processes are accessible to all candidates, including those with disabilities, is crucial.
Companies that prioritise accessibility by using platforms compatible with assistive technologies are broadening their talent pools and demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity.
Hiring as a Team Sport: Accountability and Collaboration
Delivering a consumer-grade candidate experience is not just the responsibility of recruiters—it requires a collaborative effort across the entire hiring community, from hiring managers to onboarding teams. This collective responsibility ensures that every touchpoint in the hiring process reflects the company’s values and provides a consistent, positive experience.
Technology plays a crucial role in this collaboration. Tools like AI-driven platforms and shared dashboards streamline communication, making it easier for teams to align on candidate evaluations and ensure a seamless experience from start to finish.
A unified approach, often outlined in a “hiring charter,” helps define roles, responsibilities, and expectations for everyone involved. When the hiring community operates as a cohesive unit, supported by the right tech, it enhances the candidate experience and strengthens the company’s ability to attract and retain top talent.
If you are interested in exploring how a collaborative approach can be applied to evaluating candidates based on skills rather than credentials, you might enjoy a previous post that discusses the shift towards skills-based hiring and its impact on the hiring process.
This method promotes fairness and ensures that the right people are involved at every stage, reinforcing the idea that hiring is a team sport.
The Risk of Over-Automation
While automation is often favoured for its efficiency, it’s important to recognise that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in talent acquisition. Some candidates may appreciate a fully automated, streamlined process, finding it convenient and quick. However, others crave human interaction, valuing the personal touch that builds trust and connection.
The key is to tailor your approach, keeping the candidate experience (CX) at the heart of the process. Automation should enhance, not replace, the human elements that make the experience meaningful.
By understanding the diverse needs of your candidates and balancing technology with genuine human engagement, you ensure that every candidate feels valued and understood, leading to a more successful hiring process.
As Simon Sinek often says, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” In hiring, this means candidates are looking for a connection with the company’s mission and values—something that’s hard to convey through automation alone. Steven Bartlett reminds us that in the age of automation, authenticity is the true currency of trust.
Balancing tech-driven efficiency with a human touch can turn a good candidate experience into a great one.
Success Stories and Lessons Learned
Several companies are leading the way in applying consumer marketing strategies to talent acquisition. Some have pioneered virtual assessment centres where candidates participate in online simulations that mirror real job scenarios. This innovative approach not only engages candidates in a unique and interactive way but also provides valuable insights into their skills and potential fit within the organisation.
Others have transformed recruitment by focusing on storytelling and cultural alignment, using immersive experiences to allow candidates to deeply connect with the company’s mission and values. This strategy has been particularly effective in attracting talent who resonate with the brand’s ethos.
Another trend is the use of AI and machine learning to personalise and enhance the recruitment process. By predicting candidate success and tailoring the journey to individual preferences, companies can ensure that each candidate feels valued and understood. This data-driven approach not only improves engagement but also supports diversity and inclusion initiatives by reducing unconscious bias.
However, there are cautionary tales where over-reliance on algorithms has led to unintended consequences, such as a lack of diversity and unintentional bias in hiring decisions.
The key takeaway? While consumer-grade experiences can significantly enhance the candidate journey, they must be implemented thoughtfully, with a clear awareness of potential pitfalls.
The Future of Candidate Experience
As the consumerisation of candidate experience continues, we can expect even more innovative approaches to recruitment. Imagine job portals functioning like e-commerce sites, where candidates can “shop” for jobs, read reviews from current employees, watch workplace videos, and get personalised career recommendations.
Beyond this, the future will likely include interactive AI chatbots offering tailored career advice, VR-powered onboarding previews that immerse candidates in a “day in the life,” and gamified assessments that make skill evaluation engaging and insightful.
Additionally, AI-driven career pathways will provide candidates with a clear vision of their potential growth within the company, while peer-to-peer networks will allow them to connect with current employees for authentic insights. Real-time application tracking will further enhance transparency, keeping candidates informed every step of the way.
These innovations will collectively transform the recruitment process into a more personalised, interactive, and transparent experience, ensuring that candidates feel valued and engaged throughout their journey.
This future isn’t far off. According to Gartner, by 2025, 75% of the workforce will expect a consumer-grade experience during the recruitment process. Companies that succeed in this new landscape will be those that can seamlessly blend technology with a human touch, creating a candidate experience that’s both efficient and deeply personal.
A Call to Action for Talent Acquisition Professionals
If you’re not already, it’s time to start thinking of candidates as consumers. This means leveraging the same principles of customer experience management—personalisation, journey mapping, and data-driven insights—to attract and retain top talent. It’s not just about filling roles; it’s about creating a brand experience that resonates with candidates long before they ever hit “apply.”
In this new era of talent acquisition, the companies that thrive will be those that can deliver a candidate experience as engaging and personalised as the best consumer brands.
The future of talent acquisition isn’t just about finding the right people—it’s about creating an experience so compelling that the right people find you.
"In today's job market, attracting top talent requires more than just a job offer—it demands a candidate experience as seamless, personalised, and compelling as the best consumer brands. The future of talent acquisition lies in balancing cutting-edge technology with a deeply human touch."
Imagine talent acquisition as a vast ocean, teeming with potential and possibility. But here’s the catch: the most valuable treasures don’t simply wash ashore—they’re hidden deep beneath the surface, in the currents and caverns of passive talent pools.
To thrive in this environment, you can’t rely on chance encounters or the occasional fishing expedition. You need to cultivate a sustainable talent ecosystem—a dynamic, ever-evolving community that not only attracts the best candidates but also nurtures and engages them long before they’re ready to make a move.
In today’s hyper-competitive landscape, where the race for top talent has never been fiercer, traditional approaches to Talent Communities are the equivalent of casting a net and hoping for the best. But what if, instead of merely fishing, you could create your own thriving marine reserve? A place where talent grows, flourishes, and becomes deeply connected to your brand before ever stepping through your door.
According to Bersin the linear career paths of yesteryear have given way to a landscape where experiences, purpose, and company culture are king. Deloitte goes further stating, the allure of a compelling mission and purpose now outweighs mere job titles for many top candidates, especially in the tech industry. It’s not just about filling positions; it’s about aligning with the values and aspirations of the talent you seek to attract.
This is the promise of a well-crafted Talent Community—an intricate, living system that, when managed properly, ensures your organization is never short of skilled, engaged candidates.
Let’s dive into the depths of Talent Communities, exploring how they transform the way we think about talent acquisition, making your organization not just a destination, but a journey that top-tier talent wants to be a part of.
Defining Talent Communities
So, what exactly is a Talent Community? Picture it as a thriving coral reef, teeming with diverse, passive talent that’s carefully nurtured over time. Unlike traditional talent pools that merely serve immediate hiring needs, Talent Communities are the deep-sea currents, constantly moving and evolving, designed to cultivate a rich pipeline of candidates who are primed and ready when the right opportunity arises.
These communities are strategically segmented by demand, enriched with personalised content, and sustained by continuous engagement, making them a vital asset for any organization looking to navigate the ever-changing tides of talent acquisition.
Key Characteristics of Talent Communities:
Demand-driven segmentation: Talent Communities are meticulously segmented by job families and geographic regions, ensuring every interaction is relevant and targeted.
Curated nurture journeys: Each segment receives a bespoke journey—think exclusive videos, content that shows what life is really like in the business and virtual events—that immerses them in your company’s culture and opportunities.
Dynamic engagement: Far from static, Talent Communities are living ecosystems where ongoing interactions keep candidates engaged and ready for the right opportunity.
Strategic asset: These communities are not just about filling vacancies; they are about cultivating a loyal network of brand advocates who will champion your organization long before they join it.
Brand advocacy: Members of your Talent Community become ambassadors, spreading the word about your company’s values, culture, and career opportunities to a wider audience.
Talent Community Dependencies
Building a thriving Talent Community requires more than just good intentions; it demands the right tools, the right people, and a strategic approach. At the heart of any successful community lies a powerful CRM system—a hub that not only organizes and tracks candidate interactions but also drives the entire engagement process.
Technology: Configuring Success
A CRM system is much more than a database; it’s the nerve centre of your talent strategy. Industry leaders like Avature, Phenom, and Beamery offer platforms that do it all—from evaluating candidates to automating workflows and even providing insights through sophisticated analytics. But the technology is only as good as the strategy behind it. A seamless integration between your ATS and CRM, combined with tailored nurture journeys for each talent segment, is key to building a community that thrives. (See AMS Verified for an easy way to compare CRM’s)
Success in this realm also requires constant monitoring and tweaking. Governance is essential, as is a team of dedicated professionals who can translate the raw data into actionable insights. KPMG advocates for treating talent pools like supply chains—planned and cultivated well in advance, rather than sourced in response to immediate needs.
Personnel: Driving the Talent Community Strategy
Behind every successful Talent Community is a team of specialists working in harmony to execute the strategy. Whether it’s a Talent Community Specialist, Talent Intelligence experts, or Talent Attraction professionals, each plays a critical role in ensuring the community’s health and effectiveness.
Talent Community Specialist:
These professionals are the gardeners of your talent ecosystem. They segment the talent pool, monitor its health, and ensure that every candidate is on a tailored journey that aligns with your brand’s values and objectives.
Talent Intelligence:
With their fingers on the pulse of the talent market, these experts provide insights into the size and location of talent pools, helping to refine and optimize your community over time.
Talent Attraction:
Crafting the content that fuels engagement, Talent Attraction specialists ensure that every communication resonates with the intended audience, keeping your community vibrant and active.
Sourcing:
These individuals are the frontline, growing your Talent Community by identifying and nurturing candidates who may not be actively seeking new opportunities but are open to the right offer when it comes.
Content: The Cornerstone of Engaging Talent Communities
Content is the heart of your Talent Community, transforming passive candidates into engaged participants. Authentic, personalized, and value-driven content can turn a community into a powerful brand advocacy engine. Deloitte references that almost a third of new workers leave their jobs within the first 90 days due to unmet expectations on Culture (Deloitte) Many Industry experts are beginning to note this change in what candidates expect, with Bersin and also SIA recently referencing the need to engage with talent in a more thoughtful way (SIA 2023)
Personalized Content:
Candidates crave content that speaks directly to them—their goals, their interests, their aspirations. Whether it’s virtual coffee chats, industry insights, or exclusive events, personalized content keeps your community engaged and loyal.
Diverse and Multi-Format Content:
In today’s digital age, content must be versatile. Text, video, audio—each format has its place in delivering a rich, engaging experience that resonates with different segments of your community. Remember, 86% of candidates read company reviews before applying, making it crucial to present a diverse and authentic portrayal of your company culture. (Glassdoor)
Keys to Successful Content
Success in Talent Communities hinges on collaboration, strategy, and authenticity. A well-rounded content strategy that includes everything from newsletters to exclusive VIP content ensures that candidates remain engaged and connected. Authenticity is key—your content must genuinely reflect your company’s culture and values, fostering a deeper connection with potential candidates.
Anticipated Outcomes
When done right, Talent Communities can dramatically influence direct hires, reduce time-to-hire, and improve the ROI of your recruitment channels. Moreover, by maintaining a robust, engaged talent pool, you’ll see long-term savings and a more consistent candidate experience, ultimately enhancing your ability to attract and retain top talent.
Through our experience we have noted the following:
Talent Community Influence: AMS data reveals that 10-20% of direct hires can be directly traced back to these thriving ecosystems. In industries as varied as Defence, Energy, Professional Services, Banking and Pharmaceuticals, Talent Communities have proven their worth, shifting the hiring landscape. Although external benchmarks are scarce, a 2022 poll by Recruiter.co.uk found that inhouse recruitment teams across the UK credited Talent Communities for about 20% of their direct hires, showing that when communities are nurtured right, they deliver results.
Speeding Up Success: In the race to secure top talent, time is everything. AMS’s success stories highlight that implementing a robust Talent Community strategy can slash time-to-hire by 15-20%. With candidates already engaged and primed, you’re not just speeding up the hiring process—you’re doing it with precision.
Maximizing ROI: Tracking the origins of your hires is like finding the golden thread that ties your recruitment efforts together. By pinpointing the original source of each hire, organizations can refine their strategies, doubling down on what works and eliminating what doesn’t. The result? A smarter, more efficient investment in the channels that yield the highest returns.
Strategic Cost Savings: One long-term AMS client saw a remarkable 90% reduction in media spend by building a strategically focused Talent Community. By prioritizing targeted content and effectively utilizing CRM across all channels, they didn’t just reduce costs—they enhanced efficiency, demonstrating that a well-maintained talent pipeline is a smart investment for sustained savings
Crafting Positive Candidate Journeys: Not every candidate will be the right fit, but with a nurturing strategy, even those who don’t make the cut leave with a positive impression. By sharing culture-rich content that resonates with your core values, you attract candidates who are not only skilled but also aligned with your company’s ethos—boosting productivity and retention rates along the way. (Deloitte)
Championing Diversity: A well-maintained Talent Community isn’t just a reservoir of skills—it’s a gateway to diverse talent. Through targeted engagement and thoughtful nurturing, these communities become a magnet for candidates from a variety of backgrounds, ensuring that your future workforce is as diverse as it is capable.
AI and The Future
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a game-changer in the realm of talent acquisition. As AI continues to integrate with CRM systems, it promises to revolutionize how we manage Talent Communities. From automating tasks to providing deeper insights into candidate behaviour, AI is set to enhance every aspect of your talent strategy, enabling a more proactive and efficient approach to building and maintaining talent pipelines.
Conclusion
In 2024, Talent Communities are no longer just ripples in the ocean of talent acquisition—they’re the undercurrents shaping the entire seascape. As the tides of the talent market continue to shift, those who harness the power of these communities will find themselves not merely staying afloat but navigating with precision.
By fostering deep, meaningful interactions and crafting personalized nurture journeys, Talent Communities become the lifeblood of your organization’s future. They transform brand advocacy into a tidal force, guiding the most sought-after talent straight to your shores.
In an increasingly competitive environment, Talent Communities aren’t just a strategy—they’re the sustainable course to long-term success.
"It’s not just a job they want—it’s a job with purpose, and leaders are trying to meet that expectation."
One of the most prevalent questions that hiring leaders ask my team is something to the effect of, “What talent technologies should we use?” When probing a bit further, the question usually turns to how to decrease cost, increase speed, drive efficiencies, improve speed to productivity, and/or increase quality.
Ultimately, the underlying question is, “How can we create better hiring experiences that result in significantly better business outcomes?”
Historically, we may have said that HR, and more specifically Talent Acquisition, is a laggard when it comes to having access to great technology compared to other parts of an organization. That’s no longer the case. The technology exists, but the lag now is in putting the right solutions together and orchestrating the experiences. This means that we can now lead the hiring experience design, particularly in high-volume hiring, based on technology first.
Instead of trying to determine what recruiting teams will do and then plugging in enabling technologies based on gaps or manual tasks, lead with the technology and then determine where and how people should be activated into the experience to achieve better outcomes.
If we look at the common challenges in high-volume hiring, they are generally around high no-show rates, low retention, and a mismatch of candidate and company expectations. So, what roles should exist in a high-volume recruitment team if you already have a technology-led experience that enables application to offer in a matter of minutes?
Insights and Success Project Managers: Team members that are looking at sentiment analysis and performance metrics across all personas in the hiring process, identifying early indicators, and creating action plans. These roles would be highly skilled in using AI and insights-based data and analytics to develop systematized action plans that guide Brand and Attraction Strategists, Digital Experience Analysts, Recruiters, and other team members on where to focus. Think about these individuals as having a Scrum Master-like role.
Brand, Content, and Campaign Strategists: Team members that deeply understand personas and localized nuances, focusing on leveraging the company’s EVP to develop and execute content and marketing strategies through multi-channel approaches. These roles are highly skilled in leveraging technologies such as content management systems, programmatic advertising, and social listening.
Digital Experience Analysts and System Administrators: Individuals who focus on creating the experience and optimizing digital interactions while also ensuring the core recruiting platforms are configured in a way that optimally supports the process. These individuals will collaborate cross-functionally with Employer Brand/Recruitment Marketing, Recruiters, Analysts, TA leaders, and TA technology partners to evolve the experience, perform system configuration, develop prototypes for evolved experiences, and provide overall project management to execute iterative changes.
Experience Agents: Experience agents are team members that ensure candidates do not get stuck or slip through the cracks. While Digital Experience Analysts will undoubtedly focus on ensuring candidates are cared for through strong technology configuration and design, there may be times when a candidate needs an off-ramp, or a person needs to step in. These roles are like customer service representatives that we may experience in our consumer life when the self-serve or digital assistant just can’t quite resolve the situation for us.
Recruiters: I hope you did not think I was going to say that Recruiters do not have a role in technology-first high-volume hiring! At the end of the day, we are all people who crave human interaction, including the most introverted individuals. Even with the best technology, there is a level of trust and encouragement that only human-to-human interaction can deliver. Recruiters have a critical role in high-volume hiring to have consultative conversations with managers and handle the important touchpoints that it may take to convert and retain candidates in an organization.
Now the roles may not be labeled exactly as these titles or there will be some nuances in the skills and roles for your specific business. When you have successfully designed and activated a technology-first high volume solution, you likely will not need as many people.
However, the roles and type of the work being done by people is increased in strategic value and, overall, the solution should yield materially improved business outcomes. These outcomes should be measured through sentiment analysis, time, quality, and speed, as well as linked to overall business outcomes such as productivity and sales metrics.
This is a fascinating article from Josh Bersin citing a leaked memo from Amazon that suggests that the company may soon start to run out of people to hire in a number of their US warehouses. With staff turnover over 100% in many areas (and in some cases over 200%), it’s reasonable to assume that the local available workforce for some Amazon locations will be rapidly depleting; particularly given that Amazon is in competition for talent. Amazon is the second largest employer in the US with c. 1.6m global employees. Just imagine the hiring challenges if their attrition is averaging anywhere close to 100%.
According to the original article, raising salaries and increasing automation are two of 6 levers that Amazon can pull to delay the challenge. Hopefully at least one of the other levers focuses on the employee experience – optimizing roles to make them meaningful and fulfilling, providing developmental opportunities and career progression.
I’ve written a lot recently about the extraordinary hiring market that we’re in, the fact that in both the US and the UK there are now more open positions than there are unemployed people. I’ve written about the need for employers to tap in to the ‘hidden workforce‘ to gain skills and talent that may not be an immediate match if companies are looking for job-ready candidates. And in my most recent article I wrote that “It’s important to also stress that reducing employee turnover should be a strategic focus for the boardroom, not just the HR leadership team“. Can you imagine many more pressing strategic challenges than the risk of running out of employees?
I’m sure there are incredibly clever people at Amazon with a plan in place to tackle their talent challenges. They will be operating on tight margins where productivity levels are essential to maintaining profitability. And presumably they will know exactly what their employee turnover is costing them in terms of hiring costs, onboarding, ramp-up time and management focus. And I’m sure one of the first things they will have done is to speak to their employees to understand what would make them want to stay in role for longer.
There are some great examples in the market of companies gaining strategic advantage by taking innovative approaches to hiring, retaining, reskilling, redeploying and valuing talent. Now is the time to be brave, whether you’re close to running out of people to hire or merely feeling the pressure of the current hiring market. Inflation and a stagnant or receding economy may ease the hiring pressures a little but this will remain a candidate-driven market for a long time to come.
The new world of work is different. Every company is dependent on its people, and the idea of “replacing low performers with high performers” is just silly. Your job as a leader is to hire the right people, then train and motivate them to succeed. If they’re in the wrong job then that’s your problem, not their problem.
