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KnowledgeCity

Understanding Talent Acquisition

Attract and select the best candidates for your company
Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 5 lessons.
Course: On-Demand
Intermediate Provider Annette Hooker  5 Lessons ·  18m  in Arabic, English, Spanish 

Course Description

In this Understanding Talent Acquisition course, you’ll learn about the talent acquisition process, which involves seeking, sourcing, and enlisting new employees for open positions. It is often confused with the recruiting process, but talent acquisition is a long-term strategy that anticipates hiring needs for future vacancies and new positions as the organization grows. You’ll learn how to create a talent acquisition strategy that outlines how you identify, attract, and hire top talent.

There are many processes to consider when sourcing and hiring new employees. The traditional recruiting process is primarily used to fill high-volume, entry-level roles. These positions usually have an immediate and ongoing need to be filled as they become vacant, which forces recruiters to continuously source new employees. This course focuses on talent acquisition, which finds talent with specific skill sets and experience for professional roles that are harder to fill. If these roles suddenly become vacant or are filled by unqualified employees, the organization’s continuity and business processes could suffer. Other factors like employee retention metrics, workforce planning, and headcount planning help companies design a strategy that works for them. The talent acquisition strategy also helps employers design their employer branding to attract likeminded candidates and differentiate themselves in the market.

What You'll Learn

  • Identify the differences between talent acquisition and recruiting
  • Understand how workforce planning helps companies build teams and manage retention rates
  • Recognize best practices for developing a talent acquisition strategy
  • Explain how a talent acquisition strategy helps companies attract ideal candidates
  • Create a talent acquisition strategy to identify, attract, and hire top talent

Key Takeaways

  • Talent acquisition involves seeking, sourcing, and enlisting new employees for open positions, and is a long-term strategy that anticipates hiring needs for future vacancies and new positions as the organization grows.
  • Unlike the traditional recruiting process used mainly to fill high-volume, entry-level roles, talent acquisition finds talent with specific skill sets and experience for professional roles that are harder to fill.
  • Workforce planning, employee retention metrics, and headcount planning help companies design a talent acquisition strategy that works for them.
  • A talent acquisition strategy helps employers design their employer branding to attract likeminded candidates and differentiate themselves in the market.
  • Leaving hard-to-fill professional roles vacant or staffed by unqualified employees can harm an organization's continuity and business processes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between talent acquisition and recruiting covered in this course?

The course explains that recruiting is primarily used to fill high-volume, entry-level roles with an immediate, ongoing need, while talent acquisition is a long-term strategy that anticipates future hiring needs and finds talent with specific skill sets and experience for professional roles that are harder to fill.

What will I learn in the Understanding Talent Acquisition course?

You will learn about the talent acquisition process of seeking, sourcing, and enlisting new employees, how to create a talent acquisition strategy to identify, attract, and hire top talent, how workforce planning supports team building and retention, and how a strategy helps companies attract ideal candidates.

What topics or lessons does this course include?

The course includes lessons on the difference between recruiting and talent acquisition, workforce planning and talent acquisition, developing a talent acquisition strategy, plus an introduction and a Test Your Knowledge section.

What skills does this course help develop?

This course focuses on building skills in talent acquisition and workforce planning.

Professional Certifications and Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®)

Recertification Credits: 0.5

Certification Program Categories:
HR GeneralBusinessCaliforniaGlobal
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM®)

Professional Development Credits (PDCs): 0.5

Certification Program Categories:
Leadership & NavigationBusiness AcumenConsultationGlobal MindsetEthical PracticeRelationship ManagementAnalytical AptitudeCommunicationDiversity, Equity & Inclusion

KnowledgeCity is approved by SHRM as a Recertification General Provider to offer SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP professional development credits (PDCs). By taking the courses approved by SHRM, KnowledgeCity can award SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for HR knowledge and competency programs related to the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge™ (the SHRM BASK™).