Confused About Recruitment vs. Talent Acquisition? Let's Break It Down Together

Hello team,

I have heard many times the words "Recruitment" and "Talent Acquisition," but I don't know the exact meaning of these two terms. Can anyone explain to me the meaning of these terms with a practical idea? Additionally, I would like to understand the steps and processes involved in Recruitment and Talent Acquisition.

Thank you.

Understanding Recruitment and Talent Acquisition

The basic aim of both recruitment and talent acquisition is to find a resource for the company.

My understanding is that recruitment is a procedure to fill lower and junior-level jobs. It involves filling a vacancy with the required skills. In this case, the selection happens because the candidate needs a job and is looking for you, and you need a skilled resource and have found him.

However, talent acquisition is associated with finding people with special traits and niche skills, like leaders or drivers of performance or innovation. It may not sound befitting the stature of such special talent if we say that we recruited them because, in many cases, these talents will not be looking for jobs, but the corporate will be searching for them because they need them. So, you need to acquire them. Acquiring anything requires planning, strategy, investing, and therefore the ability to retain the possession for a longer time.

This is only my understanding and attempt to explain it in a simple way. Other views are welcome.

Regards, B. Saikumar HR & Labour Relations Adviser Navi Mumbai

The evolution of recruitment and talent acquisition

With the advent of new technologies, the need for competitive advantage, and the requirement for people with specialized knowledge, skills, and leadership qualities, the traditional recruitment function has gained a focus on attracting and retaining such talented individuals in the organization. The traditional predominant interview method is now supplemented with psycho-testing, personality tests, and a host of other processes fueled by advances in insights gained from research in behavioral sciences. This is strengthened by people analytics, and its application in acquiring quality/talented manpower is now referred to as talent acquisition.

Regards, Vinayak Nagarkar HR Consultant

Recruitment is the general term used to describe the process of acquiring manpower. Basic requirements are outlined, providing a wide variety and a large pool to choose from.

Talent acquisition, on the other hand, involves recruiting individuals with specific expertise and experience from a limited population.

V. Raghunathan
Chennai