Talent Acquisition: A Candidate Overview

Let's delve into the world of talent acquisition. It's essential to understand its fundamental principles, ensuring that a lack of knowledge doesn't hinder your job search. Talent acquisition has evolved significantly, shaping the modern workforce. While traditional recruitment focused on filling roles the current approach to talent acquisition is far more strategic and holistic, focusing on long-term business growth, cultural alignment, and leveraging data-driven insights to secure top talent.

Technological advancements and a competitive global market, particularly for scarce and critical skills, have driven this transformation, where companies must differentiate themselves to attract high-quality candidates. Traditionally, this process centered around the company's needs, with little attention given to the candidates' experience. Yet, as we move into an era where talent is more empowered about their career journey, the process has shifted to accommodate a more candidate-centric approach. Today, recruitment is not just a transaction, it is key to an organization's talent acquisition strategy. Candidate experience refers to how applicants perceive and interact with a company throughout the recruitment process. This includes everything from the initial job posting to communication, interviews, and feedback.

Organizations that focus on creating a seamless, transparent, and respectful experience are more likely to foster positive perceptions among candidates and more likely to draw the best in the market. Organizations that have yet to implement a strategy to enhance candidate experience may raise red flags about their overall employee experience.

Below are four key aspects of the candidate experience that every organization should at least provide:

• Clear and Transparent Communication
  • ‍‍Candidates should receive timely updates throughout the process, including acknowledgment of application receipt, status updates, interview schedules, and final decisions.

• Respectful Treatment and Fairness
  • Every candidate, regardless of the outcome, deserves respectful treatment. Consideration for their time, convenience in scheduling interviews, and fair evaluation based on qualifications are essential

• A Streamlined and User-Friendly Application Process
  • The application process should be simple, accessible, and easy to navigate. Overly complicated or long processes can frustrate candidates and lead to application abandonment.

• Transparency About Salary, Benefits, and Role Expectations
  • Candidates should have a clear understanding of the salary range, benefits, and role expectations from the outset, ensuring both parties are aligned.

Now that you know how you should be prioritised in a recruitment process, let's get into the process itself. Understanding the recruitment process is crucial for job seekers as it empowers candidates to navigate the often complex stages of securing employment with a more informed and confident approach. This below process serves as a guide through each phase - from job posting to onboarding.

‍

‍

1. Job Advertising

Organizations are required to advertise vacancies to promote fairness and ensure accessibility for all potential candidates. This not only opens opportunities to a wider audience but also fosters transparency and equal consideration in the recruitment process.

This initial stage is crucial as it sets expectations for candidates about required experience, qualifications, and the company's culture. Companies, typically begin the hiring process by drafting and posting job openings on various platforms, including:

• Company websites and company career portals
• Job boards like Indeed, Career24, and Pnet.
• Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook:
• Industry-specific platforms, examples include GitHub (for developers) and Dribble (for designers).

• Recruitment agencies are also widely used for hard-to-fill positions.

‍

Be wary of suspicious job postings, especially those with vague details, excessive promises, or requests for personal information upfront. If you suspect something, verify the legitimacy of a job, research the company's website, contact them directly through official channels, and be cautious of unsolicited job offers. Never provide sensitive information or financial details without conducting thorough due diligence.

Legitimate employers and employment agencies will never ask you to pay any fees or costs at any stage of the hiring process. If someone requests payment, it's likely a scam. Report such incidents to the South African Department of Employment and Labour immediately.

‍

2. Screening and Application Review

This is the stage where recruiters sift through the applications to find the best fit for the job. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): Many companies use ATS software to manage large volumes of applications. Some of these systems do have the ability to automatically scan resumes for relevant keywords, making it crucial for candidates to understand and present their skills adequately. In most cases recruiters do the manual screening.

Recruiter will do th final review recruiters manually review the shortlisted resumes. They assess qualifications, relevant experience, cultural fit and other requirements. Recruiters may review a candidate's LinkedIn profile and other social media presence to ensure alignment with professional branding. Having an optimized LinkedIn profile that matches your resume can significantly enhance your chances.

Before applying, carefully review the job posting. Ensure your qualifications and experience align with the minimum requirements. Consider the job location, whether relocation assistance is offered, and the compensation package. Additionally, review the company's culture, values, and mission to determine if it aligns with your career goals.

‍

3. Interviews and Assessments

Shortlisted candidates undergo interviews, which can take several formats. Different interview formats assess various aspects of your candidacy. Understanding these formats is essential to tailor your approach.

Screening Interview: These are Preliminary interviews, often conducted by phone or video, used to evaluate whether you meet the basic qualifications. Hiring managers use screening interviews to narrow down the pool of applicants and focus on those who meet essential criteria, saving time and resources. Handling these interviews well can increase your chances of moving forward, even if you don’t check every box. This is an Opportunity to make strong first impression.Opportunity to gauge the company’s expectations, allowing you to ask questions and clarify important details about the role.

Technical Interview: Particularly in technical or specialized roles, these interviews test your problem-solving and real-world task execution skills. Companies want to see not only that you can perform under pressure but also how you approach complex day to day work related challenges. Employers want to ensure that you have the technical competence to perform in the role. It’s one thing to list skills on a resume, but technical interviews test your ability to apply those skills in real work life scenarios. Practice common industry problems on platforms like HackerRank, LeetCode, or similar technical assessment tools to sharpen your skills.

Behavioral Competency Interview: These interviews evaluate your soft skills and how you handle certain situations, based on your past experiences. Using the S.T.A.R. method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can help structure your responses and make them more impactful. Here you are expected to describe the Situation, explain the Task, detail the Action you took, and highlight the Result. This ensures your answers are organized, relevant, and compelling.

‍

With the rise of remote work and virtual hiring practices, video interviews have become a standard part of the recruitment process. Whether conducted live via platforms like Zoom or through pre-recorded interview questions, video interviews are now widely used across industries. Clear communication, professionalism on screen, and comfort with technology are essential skills, especially when the job requires remote collaboration.

Therefore, Ensure your technology is working smoothly, your environment is free from distractions, and you maintain a professional demeanor on camera. Practicing on video beforehand can help you become more comfortable.

‍

4. Candidate Vetting

Before extending an offer, employers perform background checks to verify the candidate's information. The extent of background verification checks varies by industry, but commonly includes:

• Verification of Employment History, Qualifications and Professional Membership.

• Criminal Record Checks

• Credit and Fraud Listing Checks

• Social Media Reviews: Employers may also check public social media accounts to ensure that there are no posts or behaviors that could harm the company’s reputation.

• Reference Checks: This often involves speaking to previous employers, colleagues, or mentors to confirm the candidate’s experience, work ethic, and capabilities.

Regularly update social media profiles, ensuring they reflect your professionalism. Understanding that your online activities are traceable, so avoid sharing sensitive or compromising content.

Always interact respectfully online and offline, avoiding any form of harassment or misconduct.Be cautious about sharing personal details online and avoid suspicious links or downloads and ensure your actions comply with legal and ethical norms to avoid potential repercussions which may render you unemployable.

‍

5. Offer Management

Let’s explore the key factors and considerations organizations take into account when proposing a salary. While these are not exhaustive guidelines for determining remuneration, they provide a foundational understanding of how this process is typically approached. When you see a job posting, there will often be minimum experience and qualification requirements listed, such as “3 to 5 years of experience with a Bsc In Computer science" for a specific role. But what if you meet those minimum requirements, or even exceed them with additional degrees or broader experience? Here's how it's approached.

‍

Meeting the Minimum Requirements:

• Meeting vs. Exceeding Requirements: If you meet the minimum requirements, you're eligible for the role, but exceeding them doesn’t automatically guarantee a higher salary. For instance, if a job asks for 3 years of experience and you have 6, or you have multiple degrees, the employer may take that into consideration. However, more qualifications don’t always equal more pay unless those qualifications directly align with the specific needs of the job or bring additional value to the job level you're applying for.  

• Relevance of Qualification: For instance, if you have a degree in Manufacturing and apply for a Talent Acquisition Consultant role, that additional degree may not significantly impact your salary offer.

• Relevance of Experience: You may have 10 years of experience, but if only 5 of those years are directly relevant to the job, you might not qualify for the top of the salary band. Companies value specific experience that directly contributes to the role.

‍

What is a salary bands/grade?

• When you see a salary listed as “R450,000 to R600,000 per year,” that represents the salary range for the role. But what does this range really mean? The range is designed to cover different levels of experience or seniority within the same job title. For example, someone with 3 years of experience may be offered a salary near the lower end (e.g., R450,000), while someone with 5 years of experience and more expertise might be offered a salary closer to R600,000.
• Your place within this salary band depends on factors like your level of experience and qualification which also includes how advanced your skills are compared to what the job demands, how well you’ve performed in similar roles, and whether you bring specialized knowledge that others might not have within the existing roles in the organisation.

‍

Negotiating - Salary ranges are often negotiable based on what you bring to the table. If you can show that your extra experience or degrees make you more valuable to the company than other candidates, you might be able to negotiate a higher salary within the band. Negotiations are also good for individuals who have to change living conditions considerably, like additional commuting, extensive traveling and relocation.  

‍

6. Onboarding and Orientation

After accepting the offer, candidates move into the onboarding phase. This phase is critical for ensuring a smooth transition into the company. These might include signing a contract, completing forms for the benefits and administrative requirements. With remote work becoming more common, many companies now conduct onboarding entirely online. This includes virtual meetings, webinars, and digital onboarding platforms. Onboarding is also a time for the employee to integrate into the company’s culture, which includes understanding workplace dynamics, communication styles, and company values.

‍

7. Legal Considerations

Luckily, in South Africa, candidates are protected by a robust legal framework that ensures fair treatment during recruitment. Laws such as the Employment Equity Act and the Labour Relations Act prohibit unfair discrimination and ensure transparency and fairness throughout the process. Here is a summary of key laws that govern how employers need to act:

• The Constitution of South Africa, 1996 - Guarantees the right to equality, non-discrimination, and fair labor practices.

• Employment Equity Act, 1998 - Promotes equal opportunity and fair treatment in employment.

• Labour Relations Act, 1995 - Regulates labor practices and ensures fair recruitment procedures.

• Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 - Ensures fair terms and conditions during recruitment.

• The Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) - Safeguards the personal data of candidates collected during recruitment.

• Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, 2000 (PEPUDA) - Prohibits unfair discrimination in recruitment processes.

‍

In conclusion, this article offers a comprehensive overview of talent acquisition, emphasizing its evolution from a simple recruitment process to a strategic business tool aimed at long-term growth and cultural alignment. It highlights the increasing importance of candidate experience, noting that organizations must now prioritize clear communication, respectful treatment, constructive feedback, and transparency to remain competitive.  

The article walks candidates through the key stages of recruitment, from job postings and application screenings to interviews, background checks, and onboarding. It also explains how salary bands work, the significance of qualifications in salary offers, and underscores the legal protections available to candidates in South Africa. In sum, the article serves as a vital guide for job seekers to navigate the complexities of modern recruitment and ensure an informed and positive experience.

‍

References:

• Harvard Business Review. "The Changing Face of Talent Acquisition in the Age of AI."

• Candidate Experience Survey by Talent Board (2023).

• Deloitte Insights. "The Future of Work: Candidate and Employee Experience."

• Glassdoor. "How to Tailor Your Job Application to Every Role."

• SHRM. "Interviewing Best Practices: How to Ensure Fairness and Accuracy."

• Randstad. "Compensation and Benefits Trends in 2024."

• LinkedIn. "The Power of Onboarding: Why the First 90 Days Matter."

• Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998).

• Labour Relations Act (No. 66 of 1995).

• CareerBuilder. "The Impact of Candidate Experience on Employer Brand."

‍