BROOKFIELD, Wisconsin, Oct. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Core recruitment capabilities are lacking in firms across the globe as business leaders struggle to get the quality talent they need to compete, according to new research released today by Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) leader Cielo.

The Talent Acquisition 360 report combines the views of nearly 700 C-level executives, business unit leaders and talent acquisition leaders globally on their talent acquisition teams' performance across 12 key dimensions*. The result is a complete picture of the status quo in organizations around the world.

While almost nine in ten (89%) leaders agree that talent is a competitive advantage for their firm, Cielo's study reveals a significant effectiveness gap between the importance of key recruitment activities and the performance of these activities by the talent acquisition function.

Business unit leaders are particularly critical. Nine in ten (90%) business unit leaders state that delivering quality hires consistently should be the top priority for their internal recruitment team. However, just over half (55%) rate their performance as effective – a gap of one third (33%) compared to just one in ten (14%) among C-level executives.

Other crucial aspects of effective talent acquisition are also suffering. Business unit leaders report major effectiveness gaps in talent acquisition's ability to provide strategic thinking (35%), make a measurable impact (35%) and demonstrate agility (32%).

Sue Marks, Cielo's Founder and CEO, comments: "It is excellent news that talent is getting the executive level support that it deserves. But with high strategic importance comes a greater degree of scrutiny. Our aim in conducting this research was to uncover the different perspectives of key business stakeholders in order to help talent acquisition leaders plan for the future. It is striking that business unit leaders – critical stakeholders who are dependent on a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy, competently executed – are so unsatisfied. Talent acquisition is not delivering what the business needs to succeed – a situation that requires urgent action."

The Talent Acquisition 360 highlights the four key areas talent acquisition leaders need to address to bridge the effectiveness gap:

• Don't forget the core: Get back to basics and build up core competencies that are lacking. Start with processes to regularly evaluate the skills of recruiters and supporting team members; commit resources to continuous learning and development; and learn from providers, rather than merely paying for their services.
• Get in-sync with leaders: Business unit leaders have a lack of confidence in talent acquisition's ability to attract, engage and hire the right talent. Communicate with business unit leaders to ensure effective delivery.
• Consistent quality is vital: Rather than rushing to fill roles, businesses must look at the selection, assessment and screening process to ensure the very best talent is hired into the organization. Measurement is critical to ensuring key attributes and success can be monitored over time.
• Step into strategy: Talent acquisition needs to provide the strategic thinking to shape overall business decisions. Analytics also need to inform in the same way, through the use of KPIs and benchmarking.

Marks further concluded: "Businesses now realize that talent is the key to unlocking greater organizational performance. The role of talent acquisition is therefore critical to success. We must not forget that recruitment is a profession – requiring specialist skills and experience – so getting the right recruiters for the job is fundamentally important."

*Cielo has identified 12 dimensions of talent acquisition that high-performing organizations consistently exhibit:

About Cielo
Cielo is the world's leading pure-play provider of global Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solutions. Under its WE BECOME YOU™ philosophy, Cielo's dedicated recruitment teams primarily serve clients in the financial and business services, consumer brands, technology and media, engineering, life sciences and healthcare industries. Cielo's global presence includes 1,200 employees, serving more than 100 clients across 68 countries in 26 languages. This footprint includes Moorland Gray, the largest and most successful executive search firm in the Middle East. Cielo knows talent is rising – and with it, an organization's opportunity to rise above. For more information, visit cielotalent.com.

About the Talent Acquisition 360
Cielo's Talent Acquisition 360 presents a first-of-its-kind picture of the recruiting effectiveness and capabilities of the talent acquisition function in midsize and large organizations.

With our research partners, The Starr Conspiracy Intelligence Unit, Cross-Tab, and Lighthouse Research & Advisory, we conducted a global survey of 688 C-level executives, business unit leaders and talent acquisition leaders. The study was fielded as a 15-minute online survey. Respondents were recruited by Cross-Tab Marketing Services (our survey hosting, data processing, sample and reporting partner) from internationally representative panel partners (including their own sample source). View the complete report at cielotalent.com/360.

About RPO
For Cielo, RPO means partnering with an expert to design and execute a customized process in order to deliver exceptional business results. Working together collaboratively and seamlessly to transform your organization's approach to talent acquisition.

Related Links

http://www.cielotalent.com

SOURCE Cielo