Talent acquisition and recruitment have historically been seen as transactional business functions. Because of this, many companies often adjust talent teams whenever economic conditions change. During times of rapid growth, executives want to increase the recruitment and talent acquisition headcount; during slowdowns, they might seek to eliminate these roles. In fact, according to research from 365 Data Science, HR and talent sourcing roles were among the most impacted by the mass layoffs in 2022 and 2023. These professionals made up 27.8% of lost positions.

This mindset leads to an endless cycle of fluctuation that can have a negative impact on long-term business viability and success. Forward-thinking companies understand the importance of elevating talent partners to take on more strategic responsibilities and add ongoing value to the business.

As an HR or talent leader, here are key areas you can highlight to ensure executive teams understand how your department helps shape business strategy and supports organizational growth.

Strategic Workforce Planning

As you know, talent acquisition and recruitment is about more than short-term hiring needs. It’s also about proactively anticipating long-term talent and skills requirements. Given the shifting business dynamics in recent years—from the global pandemic to the Great Resignation to recession fears—strategic workforce planning is more important than ever before. In fact, Gartner research shows that, since the pandemic, "70% of HR leaders say they have more opportunities for impact and 58% report they have more authority to determine strategic priorities."

Your HR and talent teams have a unique understanding of your organization’s current and future workforce needs. By collaborating closely with other business stakeholders, you can align workforce planning with broader strategic business objectives. This includes analyzing skills gaps, workforce demographics, market trends and technological advancements to ensure you'll have an agile workforce with the skills needed to scale and thrive long-term.

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