Issues that top the list for Human Resource Executives in 2016

By Debbie Dreessen

Do you remember when job seeking required a resume printed on watermarked, linen paper; poring over “Help Wanted” ads in the Sunday papers; sending all correspondence through snail mail; and trading phone calls using only land lines (no mobile, text or email)? I know. Scary, right?

Well, while that process was daunting in its own way, technological advances have simultaneously brought incredible simplicity and overwhelming confusion to the creation and handling today’s talent networks.

The more accessible everything and everyone is, the more “noise” there is to sift through for all of us. Whether you are the one searching for a job, searching for the right candidate or searching for a way to effectively manage your entire talent network, you are inundated with information that is often irrelevant. At TalentCircles, our goal is to understand what YOU need and provide you with solutions that help you become more productive, effective and successful.

To do that, we will continue asking questions. And continue listening. So far, the following is what we’re hearing.

Recruiters Voice Their Talent Network Concerns

Some of the difficulties topping recruiters’ talent network management lists are:

• how to stand out in the crowd of thousands of other recruiters and actually connect with candidates;
• how to stay connected and predict when good candidates might be ready to make a change;
• how to get hiring managers to be more thorough and accurate when it comes to providing job descriptions;
• how to help clients focus on best fit and acceptable compromises versus looking for a “perfect candidate”;
• how to stress to clients the importance of collaboration and moving quickly; and
• how to manage the pipeline and all the available data.

Talent Management Issues That Top the List for Human Resources Executives

From the human resources domain, we’re hearing that their major struggles involve:

• finding qualified candidates for open positions
• fearing top talent will leave this year
• being uncertain how to boost morale around the workplace
• remaining competitive in the talent marketplace
• developing future leaders
• building a strong brand and culture that attracts great employees
• moving beyond basic ratings and benchmarking methods and on to high-level analytics for purposes of performance evaluations, pay structure and promotion opportunities

Moving forward, the TalentCircles blog will strive to address the needs and concerns of today’s recruiters, Human Resources Managers, and Chief Human Resources Officers. To that end, we plan to have a monthly series of posts as follows: one focused on the needs and expectations of the Millennial, one on the Recruiter, one on technology and one for the industry.

In the meantime, we say be thankful for the latest technology and embrace the “noise.” We will work with you to filter through and organize all your data so you effectively welcome candidates, hire the best talent and grow your talent network. With all the free time you’ll have now that your talent network priorities can be easily managed, you can use that fine linen paper to go retro and shock a friend with a written letter.