Mapping
the value
of talent
aquisition
Jillyan French-Vitet
introduction
About a year ago, I was participating in a
by metrics such as productivity, process
to the overall worth of the organizations
series of team meetings when I noticed
and channel efficiency, full/sub-cycle time
we work for.
that one question kept resurfacing: “How
and the results of satisfaction surveys. Yet,
can we demonstrate the value of talent
it has become clearer to me that ‘value’
Here, I make my case for a new kind of
in talent acquisition is no longer being
value mapping that centers around talent
adequately communicated and translated to
acquisition first and foremost. I aim to show
our customer base. We need a new way to
you why I believe that value mapping talent
Cost, quality and speed have underpinned
demonstrate value beyond the walls of our
acquisition can deliver better results, with
the value-proposition of the talent acquisition
own function. We need to better articulate
more focused associated costs and impactful
function for many years. It has been defined
how and why talent acquisition contributes
communication.
acquisition?” While the discussion moved
to other topics, this question remained
unanswered.
2
value: a simple definition
Value, at its most simple, is relative worth.
an organization subscribes to, generally they
Based on this, talent acquisition should
So, the first question we must ask ourselves
regard their value as something that:
consider its relative worth in the same light as
is, “How does my organization as a whole
depict its relative worth?”
the organization.
• is sustainable over the long term
The challenge, however, is to demonstrate
For some organizations, relative worth
could be defined as shareholder value, or
• is reliant on all parties within a
company to achieve
at an organizational level without reducing
it to an administrative process or overhead.
competitive advantage, or even enterprise
value. Whichever principle or methodology
or measure the value of talent acquisition
• has competitive advantage as a key pillar
This is where value mapping comes in.
3
value mapping
One tool used to demonstrate and
The goals set out in a value map
that are made each and every day. It must
visually chart the achievement of value is
attempt to tie together the components
demonstrate a clear cause-effect relationship
a Value Map. In essence, this shows how an
of shareholder/enterprise value and
that all the stakeholders can align their own
organization intends to achieve its strategic
competitive advantage. They map out the
goals and create (or preserve) value. The
reason we use a visual map to do this is
stakeholders and processes for each—and
simplicity is key.
actions against.
Articulating the value of talent acquisition
as a function, via a value map, goes
because it is easier to generate common
Ultimately, value mapping must not only
understanding around one, simple and
set out the critical actions and goals for
one step further than this to put talent
concise diagram than it is around many pages
success, it must clearly communicate these to
acquisition strategy at the center of the
of text—as strategy documents tend to be.
ensure they become central to the decisions
business priorities and objectives.
4
talent acquisition at the center of value
We may know that Talent Acquisition is
Yet talent acquisition is rarely measured in a
In building a Talent Value Map, talent
a key contributor to an organization’s
way that reflects this.
acquisition initiatives are prioritized and
overall strategy by nature of its function:
aligned to organizational strategy. The
attracting talent. Most organizations
‘Traditional’ talent acquisition metrics are
Map also enables the entire business to
would agree that their people are:
often those such as channel efficiency, full/
visualize how talent decisions translate into
sub-cycle time, etc. While these metrics are
organizational ‘relative worth’.
• their greatest differentiator
• at the core of competitive advantage
• central to the achievement of key
business goals
• the external ‘face’ to the market re:
candidate and customer experience
good measures of productivity and efficiency,
they say nothing of the value that the function
When building the map, two issues
adds to the organization. In fact, these
must be considered in tandem:
measures do not typically link directly to
business strategy at all—and herein lies the
central issue with the ways we currently
communicate the value of talent acquisition
within an organization.
• value preservation (how we keep what
we already have/continue to run the
business well)
• value creation (what we need to do
differently/how we build a sustainable
competitive advantage)
5
Here’s how the map might look
A talent value map is a clear and simple way of visualizing all the strategic inputs that a company may require to reach its objectives. In the above sample,
the Map was created starting with organizational goals (i.e. right to left) yet delivery will start with the People and Skills (i.e. left to right).
the people
and skills
Talent
Acquisition Team
Technology
The ability to
build a flexible
hiring model
Talent acquisition
expertise
what we
will do
Use customer
management
principles/techniques
Apply analytics
Demonstrate
thought leadership
Improve processes/
quality
Deliver the talent
strategy
Innovate
how we
will do it
Attract quality hires
Show delivery
excellence
Implement smart
cost controls
Improve the
candidate
experience
Be compliant
Communicate well
Build a diverse
talent pipeline
metrics and
measures
Offer acceptance/
decline rates
New hire turnover %
Key vacancy rates/
lost $$ contribution
New hire $$ impact
Customer satisfaction
Adherence to
D&I strategy
Applicant quality/
source quality
impact
stakeholders
Talent acquisition
leadership
Business leaders/
hirers
Internal/external
talent
alignment to
organizational
goals
Profitability
Greater
accountability
Improved customer
service
Increased diversity
An employer
of choice
A dynamic business
portfolio
Organizational values/competencies underscore our professional behaviors and culture
6
Which metrics?
In creating a Talent Value Map, the metrics
the TA team to the long-term goals of the
WOWing Executives”, a number of different
chosen will depend upon how strategic and
organization. The triumvirate of Cost, Quality,
measures and metrics are cited which target
future-focused the talent acquisition strategy
Speed is still alive and relevant in talent
business-impact. Whichever metrics are
is within the organization. Whichever metrics
acquisition, but we must demonstrate more
targeted as measurements within a Map,
are chosen, it’s important to consider those
value than this.
each should relate back to demonstrating
that go beyond ‘departmental successes
value in a relevant and impactful way to the
and challenges’. While it is often relevant
When considering which metrics to use in
stakeholders. Used this way, measurements
to demonstrate the efficiency of the talent
your talent value map, consider how the
can be leveraged for both operational and
acquisition team, efficiency alone is not
map will help you to answer this question:
strategic discussions i.e. ‘what is working’
enough to demonstrate value.
“At the end of the year, how will we know
vs. ‘where are our value inhibitors’.
if we’ve been successful?” As an example,
The map should include metrics that have
Dr. John Sullivan’s recent ERE article, “High-
also enhanced alignment and focus of
impact Strategic Recruiting Metrics for
7
conclusion
Value Mapping, as a concept, is not new
Without the right talent, at the right time and
and applying it to Talent Acquisition is an
at the right cost, engaged in the right way,
iterative process—it must evolve with the
any organization will lack competitiveness,
organization and the market context. As we
agility and the ability to innovate. This is
continue to apply this method, it is evident
why organizations should seek a better way
that every business will have a vastly different
to capture, align and articulate the value of
map that must be responsive to its own goals
talent acquisition.
and challenges and communicate value in
line with its own culture and messaging.
If you would like to discuss the mapping
Talent acquisition isn’t just part of the way we
value mapping might work for your talent
‘create value’ for customers, shareholders and
acquisition business, please get in touch
partners; rather, as a function, it is an integral
with me: [email protected].
creator and contributor to an organization.
I welcome your feedback and insights.
process further, or explore how talent
8
About the Author
Jillyan French-Vitet is a Global Director, Workforce Strategy Support and
Talent Resourcing for the Kelly Outsourcing and Consulting Group. Ms FrenchVitet’s background in recruitment spans over a decade, including retained search,
in-house corporate recruitment and recruitment process outsourcing. Her market
expertise stretches across Technology, Financial Services, Retail, Consulting,
Telecom, Engineering and Manufacturing. Ms French-Vitet’s recruitment skills cover full-lifecycle
hiring, including sourcing, screening, process re-engineering, technology, data analysis and quality;
she has designed, built and executed programs within different countries, from entry to executivelevel hiring, with varying team sizes and geographies. Ms French-Vitet obtained her Bachelor
degree from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY and her Master degree in International
Business from the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, France.
About Kelly Services®
Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions.
Kelly® offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class
staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire, and direct-hire basis. Serving clients around the
globe, Kelly provides employment to more than 560,000 employees annually. Revenue in 2012
was $5.5 billion. Visit kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Download The Talent Project, a free iPad app by Kelly Services.
This information may not be published, broadcast, sold, or otherwise distributed without prior written permission from the authorized party.
All trademarks are property of their respective owners. An Equal Opportunity Employer. © 2013 Kelly Services, Inc.
EXIT