Finding the right talent is one of the biggest challenges in today's job market. And it’s no longer enough to only recruit when the need arises. With a clear Talent Acquisition (TA) strategy, you can work more proactively, attract the right people at the right time – and build a strong Employer Brand along the way.
In this blog post, we break down what Talent Acquisition actually means, how it differs from traditional recruitment, and how to get started with a more sustainable approach to securing the skills your business needs.
Definition: What is Talent Acquisition?
Talent Acquisition (TA for short) is a strategic process that helps companies attract and recruit the talent they need to grow and succeed over time.
The strategic process is based on:
- Identifying future talent needs through close collaboration with the business and continuous analysis of organizational goals
- Proactively recruiting by building relationships with potential candidates before roles become available
- Strengthening the Employer Brand by creating and distributing relevant content that resonates with the target audience long before an actual need arises
Why is Talent Acquisition important?
Finding the right skills has become increasingly difficult for Swedish employers. According to Statistics Sweden (SCB), more than 60% of employers say they’ve struggled to find candidates with the right experience or education, and nearly 40% say salary expectations were higher than expected.
When you can’t find the right candidates, you’re often forced to lower your standards or overload existing employees – which risks harming both efficiency and the work environment. This highlights the need for a more strategic and long-term approach to attracting and retaining talent.
That’s where Talent Acquisition comes in. By building relationships, strengthening your Employer Brand, and analyzing future needs, you’ll be in a much better position when it’s time to grow your team.
3 reasons why Talent Acquisition matters:
- There’s a shortage of candidates and skills across industries
Many employers are struggling to find candidates with the right background or experience. That’s why a long-term strategy is essential. - You need to build relationships before the need arises
If you stay in touch with potential candidates even when you’re not actively hiring, you’ll be better prepared when you are. - TA impacts growth, culture, and innovation
Attracting and retaining the right people shapes not just your team – but your entire organization’s future.
What’s the difference between traditional recruitment and Talent Acquisition?
Talent Acquisition is a long-term, strategic approach that goes beyond just filling open roles. Rather than only posting job ads when there’s an urgent need, TA is about building a sustainable pipeline of talent to stay competitive over time.
It’s also about identifying the right candidates – not just based on qualifications, but also soft skills, motivation, and culture fit. It’s not just about finding someone who can do the job, but someone who wants to do it with you – and grow with the company.
A successful TA strategy includes more than just filling roles:
- Employer Branding
- A well-thought-out candidate experience
- Ongoing evaluation of recruitment performance
Done right, it helps you attract better talent and reduce overall hiring costs compared to reactive recruitment.
What does a successful Talent Acquisition process look like?
A modern TA process includes several key steps – from identifying needs to onboarding. Here are some of the most important:
1. Needs analysis & role definition
A big part of a TA specialist or partner’s role is to clarify and define business needs early. This could be because someone’s leaving, a team is growing, or a brand-new role needs to be created.
Usually, the hiring manager submits a requisition – an internal request to begin a recruitment process.
A TA expert works closely with hiring managers to:
- Define what skills are actually needed
- Develop or refine the job description and criteria
- Ensure all relevant info is included (e.g., start date, contract type, target audience)
- Align recruitment with budget, priorities, and company strategy
In more mature TA functions, the role becomes even more strategic:
- Identifying skill gaps in advance
- Proactively building talent pipelines
- Contributing to workforce planning
A strong needs analysis increases the chances of hiring the right person – for both the role and the company.
2. Writing the job ad
Once the job profile is finalized, it’s time to translate it into a job ad. But a job ad is much more than a task list—it’s often a candidate’s first impression of your Employer Brand.
An effective job ad:
- Speaks directly to the audience with clear, relevant language
- Reflects your company tone and culture
- Highlights what’s in it for the candidate
- Is accessible and easy to understand
- Sells both the company and the role
Want more tips? Download our e-book: “10 tips for writing the perfect job ad” – packed with practical examples and expert advice.
3. Making sure the right people see it
Publishing the ad on your careers page is great – but it won’t matter if the right candidates never see it. This is where reach and distribution come in.
Employer Branding plays a major role here. Everything from your ad tone to your social media presence shapes how you're perceived as an employer.
To succeed:
- Know your audience: Where do they spend time? What do they value in an employer?
- Adapt content by channel: LinkedIn isn’t TikTok. Tailor your message and format accordingly.
- Combine organic and paid advertising: Organic builds long-term relationships. Paid campaigns can target specific roles, interests, or locations—even for passive candidates.
Need help with content, strategy, or distribution? That’s exactly what we do at We Select. We help you create content that’s relevant, high-converting, and optimized for every platform. Book a free consultation.
4. Selection, interviews, and references
When applications start coming in, a clear and structured process becomes essential – for both quality and candidate experience.
Modern TA relies on structured, competency-based interviews focused on behaviors and skills, not just gut feeling. Tools like interview templates help ensure consistency and fairness.
Hiring managers are often involved – so TA teams typically provide interview training to ensure a smoother and more inclusive process.
Today’s ATS tools can also help automate admin tasks, save time, and keep candidates in the loop – boosting both efficiency and experience.
5. Hiring and onboarding
Once a candidate accepts your offer, it’s easy to think the job is done – but this is where it really starts. Great onboarding plays a huge role in how quickly someone settles in, how engaged they feel, and how long they stay.
A strong onboarding process:
- Has a clear structure – like a 30-60-90 day plan
- Explains not just the how, but the why of your ways of working
- Combines practical onboarding with culture, values, and relationship building
- Works just as well remotely as on-site
Onboarding isn’t just an HR process – it’s a key part of your Employer Brand. The stronger the start, the more likely you are to build a lasting match.
6. Follow-up, analysis, and improvement
A modern TA process doesn’t end after onboarding. To improve, you need to track results and continuously refine your strategy.
This includes metrics like:
- Time to hire
- Source of hire
- Candidate experience (CSAT/cNPS)
- Cost per hire
- Offer acceptance rate
- Retention
We dive deeper into how to measure results in our blog post: How to track the impact of your Employer Branding efforts – with concrete KPIs and methods to help you get started.
Key KPIs to measure in Talent Acquisition
- Source of Hire – Which channels deliver the best candidates?
- Channel Efficiency – Cost vs. conversion rate per channel
- CTR / Apply Rate – How many who see your ad actually apply?
- Application-to-Interview Ratio
- Interview-to-Offer Ratio
- Candidate Experience (CSAT/cNPS)
- Time to Fill / Time to Hire
- Offer Acceptance Rate
- Cost per Hire
- Quality of Hire
- First-Year Attrition / Retention
- Diversity of Hire
How to get started with a strong TA strategy
Moving from reactive recruitment to a more strategic approach takes time and commitment – but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with:
1. Set a clear goal
What do you want to achieve? More relevant candidates? Faster hires? Greater diversity? Clear goals help you focus your efforts and track progress.
2. Build stronger partnerships
Great TA requires close collaboration between HR, TA, and hiring managers. The earlier TA is involved, the better the outcome.
3. Start from the candidate’s perspective
Even the best strategy will fall flat if it doesn’t resonate with your audience. Understand what your target groups care about – and tailor your message accordingly.
Need support in building a data-driven, audience-first TA strategy? We’re happy to help.
The future of Talent Acquisition
Competition for talent isn’t slowing down anytime soon. As digitalization and new ways of working reshape the job market, Talent Acquisition is becoming a key part of business strategy – not just an HR concern.
TA going forward will be all about:
- Data-driven decisions – Use insights to act proactively
- Tailored messaging – Candidates want to feel seen
- Integrated Employer Branding – Perception shapes results
- Candidate experience – Every touchpoint matters
- Flexible and inclusive workplaces – How you work matters just as much as what you offer
Investing in Talent Acquisition means investing in long-term growth, innovation, and resilience. Let’s talk about how you can future-proof your hiring strategy! Book a meeting with our experts today – and take the first step toward building a stronger, smarter TA strategy.
