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Also known as: TA, recruiting, hiring

Talent Acquisition

ConceptualOperationsRoles

Definition

Talent Acquisition: Talent acquisition is the strategic process of identifying, attracting, and hiring skilled employees to meet organizational needs. Unlike reactive recruiting, talent acquisition takes a long-term view—building employer brand, nurturing candidate pipelines, and creating systems for consistent hiring. For startups, effective talent acquisition balances speed with quality.

Example Usage

We hired a talent acquisition lead at 50 employees. She reduced time-to-hire from 45 to 28 days while improving offer acceptance rates.

Common Misconceptions

Talent acquisition is just posting jobs. Strategic TA includes employer branding, sourcing, and pipeline building.
Only HR does recruiting. Hiring is everyone's job—founders, managers, and team members all play roles.
Speed always wins. Rushing hires to fill gaps often leads to costly mis-hires; quality matters more.

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