http://ebooks.capgemini-consulting.com/Digital-HR-Paper-2013/#/3/zoomed
Based on a whitepaper by Cap Gemini Consulting, some interesting statistics regarding the use of digital in HR. Talent has embraced digital far more that the HR departments in most Fortune 500 companies surveyed.
“Only 6% of organizations use social recruiting as a way to interact with potential candidates and strengthen the employer brand”
“83% of talent acquisition leaders agree that an organization’s employer brand has a significant impact on its ability to hire great talent.”
“75% of organizations surveyed primarily rely on traditional recruitment and branding techniques such as postings on traditional career websites”
We have consistently used digital and social media to attract and engage top talent and are surprised that these numbers are so skewed. What’s interesting here is that with the “Internet of Things” increasingly becoming a topic of conversation, that so few companies are actually integrating digital/social interaction into their talent acquisition process. What’s even more ironic are the number of companies that are requiring that prospective talent be on the leading edge of the digital/social/mobile revolution.
The report indicates that the digitization in HR is being held back in part by infrastructure constraints, such as integration issues with existing HR IT systems. But the report points to a more serious concern, namely that senior management in many companies do not view Talent Acquisition and other HR programs to be a value, and in fact view them as a cost – “HR Initiatives are often not regarded as strategic and have been the target of cost reductions…The perception was found to be particularly pronounced in North America where only 23% of organizations consider HR to be a profit driver”.
The acquisition of a top team and their continual learning and development should be a high priority for any company that wants to grow, succeed and remain profitable. The costs associated with finding the best talent should be looked at differently – that through their positive contributions to your company and its bottom line, top talent will “pay for themselves” and mitigate any costs associated with their hire. That’s especially true for executive level talent as they influence not only the numbers on the earnings report but the performance and impact of the team members who report to them.