Part 3: Brand awareness and improving candidate fit

Article Written by David Grundy - CEO & co-founder of Invenias

Part 3: Brand awareness and improving candidate fit

Executive talent acquisition is the highly specialist sourcing of candidates for executive, senior or other highly specialist positions in organisations. These tend to be positions which historically are more difficult to fill, requiring significant time and devoted attention as the person appointed will have a profound impact on the organisation.

In-house executive talent acquisition goes further than just identifying the best talent, it involves an in-depth assessment of internal candidates and a benchmarking exercise externally. It is about the capturing of insight and industry knowledge and using this to build a comprehensive picture of the best talent available both internally, in competitive organisations and across different industries. 

Part three of this five part insight series will focus on how an in-house executive talent team can increase brand awareness and ensure candidates are a better fit for their organisation. 

Increasing brand awareness

When attempting to attract the top candidates, in-house talent teams are under increasing pressure to raise awareness of their organisation and brand. However, championing an organisation or role should not be seen as a challenge for an in-house team, instead, it should be viewed very much as an opportunity. As an in-house recruiter, you’re in a unique position as you are able to influence and build upon the employer brand yourself, rather than relying on a search firm to champion your organisation and communicate your Employee Value Proposition. Ultimately, if you aren’t able to attract the top talent, you have the ability to question why, assess the way your organisation presents itself and make improvements. It is likely that the top candidates are currently working for competitive organisations and will share their perceptions of your organisation with their colleagues and circle of influence. The hiring process is a real opportunity for an organisation to leave a lasting positive impression with candidates. The way you interact and engage with candidates during the selection process is an opportunity to sell your organisation and really enhance the strength of your brand.

Investment in technology can add further value. The full adoption and utilisation of a true CRM system will allow an organisation to develop and enhance relationships with their talent pool, reinforcing their brand and messaging but with reduced risk of fatigue through over communication. In addition, the ability to streamline processes through the latest technologies will enhance the candidate experience ensuring you are seen as an innovative and progressive organisation by top candidates, serving to further strengthen your brand.

Improving candidate fit

Another significant benefit to in-house strategic hires is the deeper insight and understanding of the requirements of your organisation.  When hiring for key roles, there will of course be a number of necessary core skills and attributes but as an internal team, you will truly understand the future aspirations of your organisation, and ultimately, will be well placed to find your perfect candidate. This deeper knowledge and understanding of your organisation’s culture is essential in the process of building a comprehensive picture of your talent pool whether it is identifying a candidate who is a perfect fit for your organisation currently or whether it’s an individual with the potential to add real value to your organisation in the future. Increasing your talent intelligence ensures you have a deeper understanding of your talent pool, which ultimately makes it quicker and easier to judge candidate fit.

Building an in-house executive talent team

To learn more about setting up or extending your in-house executive talent team attend a free seminar on 1st February 2017. Click here for more information.

 About Invenias

Organisations such as Expedia, General Atlantic, Royal Bank of Canada, Samsung, Standard & Poor’s, Tesco and Tesla Motors rely on Invenias software to help them identify and recruit the best talent for executive and strategically important positions, to learn more, please request a free, no obligation demo with one of our experienced team.