Recruiting vs Talent Acquisition: Key differences

Recruiting and talent acquisition are two common terms seen on any job board or platform. However, the two terms are often confused with the other, as they are used interchangeably. The fact is that they are not the same. It is important to understand the differences between recruiting and talent acquisition so that you are not mistaken about the two processes the next time, whether you are an applicant or on the hiring side. This blog discusses recruiting vs talent acquisition in detail for better understanding.

What is recruiting?

To better understand the differences between recruiting and talent acquisition, let us begin by learning the meaning of the term ‘recruiting’. It refers to the process of identifying and hiring human resources to work for an organization. Recruiting is an integral part of Human Resources Management (HRM) and can be a rather elaborate process. 

What is talent acquisition? 

Moving on in the recruiting vs talent acquisition debate, let us explore how the latter is different from recruiting. Talent Acquisition refers to the process of identifying, analyzing, hiring, and also following best practices to retain the hired talent in an organization. As is evident, it is a relatively more complex process than recruiting, which is more than just hiring people to fill vacant job roles in a company.

Key differences between recruiting and talent acquisition 

The table below summarizes recruiting vs talent acquisition using different parameters:

When to choose talent acquisition over recruiting?

Now that we understand the key differences between the two, let us determine when to choose talent acquisition over recruiting, or vice versa. 

To put it simply, recruiting is a handy approach that you can use when you need to fill in an immediate job role. The role also generally involves standard skill sets. Talent acquisition, however, is the best technique when you or your organization has a more long-term plan of hiring qualified candidates for roles requiring specialized skills. This is because the prime focus of talent acquisition is to facilitate overall organizational growth in the future by aligning people to the company’s long-term goals.

To better answer the question, “When to choose talent acquisition over recruiting_,” here are some pointers that can help you decide:   

• Consider the talent competition in your industry: Talent acquisition strategies are generally ideal when your industry is facing a shortage of top talent. In this case, hiring the best talent using a strategic, long-term approach may prove to be more beneficial in the long run and help you stand out as a leading recruiter in the industry.

• Consider your annual turnover: If your company has a low turnover and you hire only a small team every year, then recruiting can be sufficient to fill in the desired requirement. However, in case of high annual turnovers, you can consider investing in talent acquisition to build a significant pool of talent for long-term growth.

• Consider your business objectives: They play a key role in deciding which hiring strategy to use. Recruitment is the most ideal approach to follow if you want to meet more pressing hiring demands in the organization and long-term growth isn’t really your priority. If it is the latter, talent acquisition is of course the best move. 

Why talent acquisition is critical in modern workplaces

This blog aimed at highlighting the key talent acquisition vs recruitment strategies that different organizations follow and understanding which one is ideal in what situation. It can thus be safely concluded that talent acquisition is perhaps one of the best bets in modern workplaces. This is because this strategy enables organizations to not only attract and hire top talent but also retain them for the long term. Such companies follow best talent acquisition practices to retain employees for the longer run, thus contributing to overall organizational growth. 

When deciding between talent acquisition vs recruitment strategies, the former inevitably stands out as it is integral to maintaining industry competitiveness, improving productivity and efficiency, and achieving long-term company objectives and growth.

Conclusion    

Both recruiting and talent acquisition are important to every organization in their own unique ways. Which one to use though largely depends on the goals and priorities of the company. While recruiting is ideal to fill in short-term hiring requirements, talent acquisition is a more long-term approach to retaining top talent for overall growth and efficiency. This is why most modern workplaces allow scope for key recruitment and talent acquisition roles for suitable candidates. 

Learn more about both these techniques in Online MBA – Human Resources from Sikkim Manipal University. The course is available online on the Online Manipal platform and covers all integral topics such as recruitment, performance management, talent acquisition, employee relations, and more. Completing the course opens up key recruitment and talent acquisition roles in various industries and organizations.