The future of TA: Building sustainable talent pipelines
The standard story today is that there isn’t enough talent available. I think it is a skills shortage instead. The days of employers being able to post a job and assume that the trained and skilled talent will be there are ending. Companies that build sustainable talent pipelines are the ones that will succeed in this employment market.
What is a sustainable talent pipeline? It is a known pipeline of talent with the skills and education needed available in the right timeframes for an organization.
Here are a couple of examples:
A healthcare institution will need 30 nurses every 6 months to cover its predicted turnover and growth. The institution utilizes a 3-prong strategy to get the talent itneeds: 1) Internal tuition assistance to train up care assistants and others into degreed nurses; 2) Early hiring for students who have been identified as a fit during clinicals; 3) Sending external candidates to nursing school with scholarships or other support.
A construction firm needs skilled tradesmen to meet their contracts. The firm uses strategies such as: 1) partnerships with high schools to teach trades or provide internships; 2) partnerships with local community colleges to build trade programs; 3) sponsorships or scholarships to tie talent to their organization.
Building these pipelines takes time – and a longer view of talent acquisition than just the next open requisition. It requires TA to project and then to build relationships with community partners and talent for the long term.
There are other strategies that organizations can use.. Watch this space for more ideas – or sign up for our monthly newsletter to get TA insights delivered to your emailbox.