Recruiting | The 'War for Talent' in 2018

The ‘War for Talent’ (WfT) was a concept coined by McKinsey in response to the main challenge faced by big business in the drive to recruit the best and the brightest.

21 years on, recruiting the right people remains a focal point of business strategy, but requires a closer look at a modern company’s ability to attract and keep the best candidates, in conjunction with a reimagining of the original concept.

Last Friday I found myself on the periphery of someone else’s recruitment pitch. The whole thing had a not-so subtle undercurrent around the idea of a new WfT: there are no candidates, Brexit is scaring off the overseas talent, there is a skills shortage and, of course, we were ‘up North’. For these reasons, the pitch had a negative focus on what the client could expect from a candidate shortlist. This got me thinking about why the ‘War for Talent’ was conceived, and how it is being used as a concept in 2018.

The WfT still has its place in talent management. However, the workforce has moved on considerably since then. The 21 year old of 1997 was focused on a good wage for a good job and the opportunity for self-development. On the whole, the 21 year old of today expects considerably more. They want employer-led development, agile working, work-life balance and a wider range of benefits.