Top Skills A Talent Acquisition Manager Should Have  

Talent acquisition managers are responsible for hiring the most qualified people for a job, and they need clear knowledge about talent. Identifying talents for the company is one of the essential skills of a talent manager in the competitive market.

As the company’s success is determined by its employees, all businesses should focus on the level of their employee’s skills and qualifications because, without talent in a company, they can’t survive in the market.

Talented employees can bring creativity and productivity to the company therefore; workers are the most valuable assets the company should invest in for future success.

The role of talent acquisition managers is challenging and complicated; they should be capable of interacting with the highest level of talent in the company.

A talent acquisition manager’s job is not only to hire the best and most talented people but also to target talents who will benefit the company in the long term. 

According to WeTest, acquiring talent involves identifying, discovering, and attracting top talent to culture fit and skill development. These traits should be considered when a candidate is “acquired” instead of just getting hired.

Employees are identified as a company’s most valuable asset. Talent acquisition managers have a difficult job. They must deal with issues like decreased budgets or other internal and external pressures. 

But talent acquisition leaders can significantly change a company’s success level. They become the brains and mind behind the strategy, the mind of the people behind the team. 

What is a talent acquisition manager?

Talent acquisition managers review candidates applications who are interested in the specific job and manage the hiring decisions. In big companies, talent acquisition managers usually gather a team to hire new talents.

A company can hire a talent acquisition team to help the hiring manager choose the best talent, establish goals, manage projects, and organize meetings with the other company member for an evaluation. 

Talent acquisition managers are responsible for hiring, training, and keeping employees in the company. They should have strong communication and interpersonal skills to ensure employees are satisfied and productive. 

Moreover, talent acquisition managers are vital in preparing companies for long-term development and future success. Qualified employees can raise productivity and income, while crucial hiring decisions can save money and resources. 

Acquisition managers should evaluate employee satisfaction and productivity rate and identify workers’ needs and concerns if any are available.

Learning about the required experience, knowledge, and skills for this job can help you choose this career. In this article, we will talk about the responsibilities and skills that you will need to pursue this career.

How to become a talent acquisition manager

You need to get a bachelor’s degree in HR management, business, or any other related field to become a talent acquisition manager, and besides the degree, you need to earn enough experience in the field. 

You can gain additional credentials to improve your career. You can find job positions for talent acquisition managers in big companies and organizations. 

Many agencies hire remote talent acquisition managers to manage hiring systems next to the HR department, and they can work with the organization based on contracts. 

Anyone who wants to become a talent acquisition leader in any company should have a degree in administration or business management. Some universities also provide higher degrees in HR management and related topics; fulfilling these programs can help people get this job. 

While hiring managers try to fill empty positions, acquisition experts should improve hiring strategies. They should manage to hire budgets and decide how to promote job openings. 

People who want to take these roles should have experience working with bureaucratic budgets. Using the company’s resources, they must choose the best methods to advertise job openings. 

Moreover, these people must work with administrative managers to create job applications. So, an individual who wants to be a talent acquisition expert should have good management and interpersonal skills. 

Talent acquisition manager responsibilities

The roles of talent acquisition leaders depend on the location, industry, and company size. But, the general insight, needs, and skills are mostly the same for all these managers. 

All companies need to improve employees’ talent. An experienced talent acquisition manager has the essential skills for engaging and attracting qualified employees.

Highly skilled talent acquisition managers can recognize innovative strategies for identifying talents. They can organize a more productive hiring process and support the best candidates with experience. 

Some vital talent acquisition manager responsibilities involve:

• Identify current employee needs and make an estimation.
• Promote strategies and hiring plans
• Conduct employment branding 
• Apply sourcing to fill open positions and predict future needs
• Plan and perform hiring and selection processes (interviews, calls, etc.)
• Make sure about the candidate’s positive experience.
• Facilitate employee retention process. 
• Supervise hiring staff
• Organize and participate in career conventions, evaluation centers, etc. 
• Use standards for preparing reports and recognize areas of improvement.
• Finding and attracting qualified talent
• Creating a strong employer brand
• Interviewing and evaluating potential candidates.
• Developing and implementing the candidate’s experience
• Recognizing and applying talent acquisition strategies
• Supervising hiring teams

Talent acquisition manager skills

Many skills can enhance a talent acquisition professional performance. However, the skills we point out here are selected from many job skills. These are the primary skills that can be classified based on your description as a manager.

• Communication skills. Managers should be able to pass on important company information to new candidates and employees. They have to manage full-cycle recruiting and give written explanations about their strategies.
• Interpersonal skills. Talent managers should evaluate new employees’ potential and organize one-on-one and group interviews. Their core skill is to explore undeveloped talent and listen to all members’ requests.
• Organizational skills. Talent acquisition managers should supervise different sides of employee interactions. They should prioritize tasks and responsibilities while creating strategies to achieve final business goals.
• Leadership skills. Experts in management positions should be able to lead teams and members in conducting programs, evaluate their productivity and arrange responsibilities.
• Technological skills. Talent acquisition managers usually use social platforms and online job panels to find and hire new employees. They might also use an applicant tracking system (ATS) and other records to enhance and develop the hiring process.
• Negotiation Skills. Negotiation is about individual skills and can be complex, so a talent acquisition specialist should have this. A talent acquisition manager is a mediator between your company and employees. 
• Team Development skills. You need to invest in your team; otherwise, they will not be invested in you. A successful company must recognize the skills and resources. Employers should support staff, provide practical training, and encourage employees.
• Social Media Skills. For a while, social media was for entertainment purposes, but now, employees and employers use it for hiring. You might find your next potential employee on a social media platform. 
• Data Analysis skills. All talent acquisition managers need professional working tools. The analytic tools can give them information about what they have done so far and in which direction they are going.
• Stress Management Skill. Stress ruins daily activities if it is not managed. But what is its connection with a talent acquisition manager? An individual in this position handles finding, attracting, and hiring the best candidates. These experts should be able to find and employ long-term employees, and making the right decision quickly and managing new talents can be very stressful. Therefore, stress management skills are crucial for better performance.

Conclusion

Talent acquisition managers have the opportunity to make a massive difference in their careers and others’ careers as well. 

Courses such as Talent Management, Labor Relations, and Negotiations provide candidates with the considerable skills to become leaders in talent acquisition. 

Job applicants can also gain authentic perceptions through objective learning opportunities by passing internship courses. These academic experiences help them to handle the complicated demands in the field.

However, only some know who to hire and who not to. Talent acquisition managers are employed to make these decisions. They have enough experience and insight, which makes their decisions reliable.