While the start of the year is the perfect time to set personal goals, it’s also an ideal opportunity to evaluate your talent acquisition goals and broader business objectives, and ensure you have the right team on board to help reach them.

As 2022 commences, here are simple resolutions for human resources and hiring managers that could help take your organisation’s talent acquisition strategy to the next level.

Review your diversity & inclusion efforts

By now, most organisations understand that diversity and inclusion are critical to business success. According to the Diversity Council of Australia’s Inclusion@Work Index 2021-2022, employees in inclusive teams are:

  • 4 times less likely to leave their job in the next 12 months
  • 10 times more likely to be very satisfied
  • 4 times less likely to feel work has a negative or very negative impact on their mental health.
  • 5 times less likely to experience discrimination and/or harassment
  • 11 times more likely to be highly effective than those in non-inclusive teams
  • 10 times more likely to be innovative
  • 6 times more likely to provide excellent customer service
  • 4 times more likely to work extra hard

Diversity has also been shown to attract top talent. According to a study, 70% of job seekers consider diversity as a factor when evaluating prospective employers offers.

For 2022, take stock of your D&I efforts and consider what you could be doing better. Set hiring goals to increase diversity in your team, such as increasing the hiring rate of women across your teams and management. Equally, commit to improving the representation of minorities and different generations in your workforce.

Refine your interview questions

What are your strengths? What is the most difficult situation you’ve faced at work?

Many hiring managers focus on these common interview questions when meeting with candidates. However, job seekers have been asked these questions countless times and have formed standard responses for these questions.

By asking candidates fresh and unique interview questions, you encourage them to respond with natural answers, rather than rehearsed ones. This allows you to gain a better insight into their personality, cultural fit and work style — and ultimately, judge if they’re a good fit for the role.

Try adding these questions to the mix for future interviews:

  • What kind of work would make you excited to get out of bed on Monday morning?
  • How would your previous managers and co-workers describe working with you?
  • Where do you believe our industry/profession will be in 5 or 10 years’ time?
  • Tell me about a time you set difficult goals.

Ramp up your employer branding efforts

Amid the Great Resignation, hiring managers must do all they can to compete for an increasingly smaller pool of top talent. This is where employer branding makes a difference for talent acquisition.

75% of active job seekers are likely to apply to a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand. Similarly, 50% of candidates say they wouldn't work for a company with a bad reputation, even for a pay increase.

While you don’t need to overhaul your entire employer branding strategy in 2022, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your reputation is in check:

  • Evaluate your current employer brand perception. Search online for employee reviews, look through exit interviews and speak to your current team. Identify pain points and consider actions to address them.
  • Respond to reviews on job sites like Glassdoor. 92% of people would consider changing jobs if offered a role with a company with an excellent reputation.
  • Build your organisation’s presence on social media. A strong employer brand can reduce the cost per hire by as much as 50%. Set a resolution to be more active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and other channels your business uses. Post your latest job openings, showcase your company culture, celebrate successes, and highlight any company events or CSR initiatives.

Other talent acquisition goals to consider

Consider ways to make your recruitment process more inclusive, from the language you use in job ads to your selection criteria and hiring metrics. This will allow for more objective hires, and eliminates risks of bias, discrimination and favouritism.

  • Update your job descriptions to reflect each role’s current key responsibilities and tasks.
  • Harness data as an asset. Review data on applicants, diversity, employee satisfaction, competency profiles and career progression. This information gives you valuable insights into what’s working, and where you need to adjust your hiring strategy in future.

Need support with hiring committed, engaged team members? Talk to the consultants at Michael Page – Australia’s leading recruitment agency.

the Michael Page team
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