The Differences Between a Talent Acqusition Consultant and a Recruiter

The terms recruiter and talent acquisition consultant often get mistaken for meaning the same thing. They both may have the same goal in mind – to employ consistent and hard-working staff – however, the role that both jobs entail differs greatly. Exploring the differences between the two will allow us to appreciate the work of both while understanding how the nature of both roles aren’t the same. The goal here is to also show how both positions might be more appropriate under different circumstances, and which one might better serve a particular scenario better.

Understanding the difference between a talent acquisition consultant and a recruiter

The recruiter’s job is to hire qualified workers on behalf of a company or organization. In simple terms, the same could be said regarding the role of a talent acquisition consultant. However, talent acquisition appears to involve much more.

Recruiting involves short-term planning to fill positions job vacancies quickly. On the other hand, a talent acquisition consultant plans for the long-term success of the company, hiring prospects with a goal in mind to grow the business. This means they’re searching particularly for those who will become leaders and specialists in their field, and possibly even future executives within the company. A talent acquisition consultant focuses more on strategic hiring of professionals and employing those with the specific skillset they’re looking for.

How to tell if your company is focused more on talent acquisition or recruitment

There are a few ways to tell if your company favors a more talent acquisition style of hiring or a recruiting. Think about what the main goal of the company’s recruitment team is when filling a new position. Are they trying to fulfill the role quickly? Or are they more concerned about finding someone with specified qualities? Is there potential for new employees to grow within the company and progress onto more prestigious roles? These are questions worth considering.

Recruitment is suitable when the company doesn’t require a certain level of qualification or expertise to fill the role. It works well to allow the hiring process to become quick and efficient, swiftly moving on to the next task when it’s over. A talent acquisition consultant will have to spend more time dealing with applications when considering the right person for the job. Communication and relationship building are integral parts of their approach while attending to the future needs of the company. This adds to the dynamic nature and complexity of their task.

Which of the two is better at scaling?

Recruitment doesn’t scale as well since the short-term goals for the company limit its capacity. They can only add a certain number of new employees to the workforce at any given time. If they employ too many without having the resources to meet demands, it will have negative consequences for the organization.

A talent acquisition consultant can scale better as they plan for the future goals the company is striving for. Company growth breeds fresh demands, whether it be franchising the business or bringing a new product or service to market, highly skilled employees will be needed. Having a workforce with more acquired skills can help propel the business towards potential and promising endeavors.

Should your main focus be on talent acquisition or recruiting?

Whether talent acquisition or recruitment is a more appropriate way to hire new employees depends greatly upon the circumstance. However, in most cases, a talent acquisition consultant will be favored for an organization when compared to a recruiter. Simply put, it involves more strategic planning and is likely to result in a more equipped workforce for the company, while improving the business’s chances of success against their competition.

However, planning far in advance isn’t always feasible, and so depending on the current status of the company, recruiting may work better in the early stages. That being said, a talent acquisition consultant will still provide an advantage when it comes to enticing, hiring, and progressing employees across all stages of the business. While it may involve the need for more resources, it will likely be worthwhile in supporting them for the future.

Although similar in that both a recruiter and talent acquisition consultant have the responsibility to hire on behalf of a company, they are very different in their approach. Depending on the current status of the business, and its goals, different approaches might be more suitable. However, in most cases, talent acquisition can deliver more for the company as the consultant will take into consideration the potential for both the company and new employees to grow.