Talent intelligence for greater breadth and depth of insight
When a hiring exercise has to go right, talent intelligence can make all the difference.
Knowledge and insight prevent budgets being wasted. They strengthen decision making. And, they give employers the edge over competitors in tight markets. As our client discovered, a small investment at project’s inception has a big impact on the end result.
- In-depth analysis of 10 UK regions and 12 job profiles for major recruitment drive
- Data and insight translated into strategic and tactical recommendations
- Hiring metrics achieved in support of telecoms roll-out to 50+ towns and cities
A leading telecoms network provider, our client was embarking on the roll-out of a UK-wide fibre-optic network across 50+ towns and cities. The successful delivery of this programme depended on a major nationwide recruitment drive. If hiring targets and metrics weren’t achieved, delays would be likely and costs would rise.
The client was aware they had insufficient knowledge of some of the main factors affecting recruitment to key roles. There was a lack of understanding of variations in supply and demand across different regions of the country. They also had little insight into competitors for talent, both inside and outside the telecoms sector.
So, recognising the value of market intelligence, they engaged NSCG to perform a thorough research and analysis exercise. We were asked to support the decision making for where to base key roles across the planned UK footprint. We were also briefed to inform sourcing strategy and the tactics for attracting and accessing the best talent in the market.
After taking a full brief, our team of researchers and recruitment specialists embarked on an analysis of thousands of publicly available data sources. This involved investigating more than 10 geographic areas and 12 job profiles the client had identified the business needed to hire.
To build a full picture, the team looked in detail at a broad range of issues:
- The experience levels and seniority of available candidate population
- Typical qualifications (mandatory and non-mandatory)
- Likely past and current employers
- Target universities (for early careers roles)
- Salary levels and expectations
- Competitor activity
- Current supply and demand
This rich source of insight was then translated into a comprehensive output report. It provided detailed summary findings, together with key insights to inform both talent acquisition and wider HR strategy (such as total rewards).
The report’s insight and recommendations fed directly into many aspects of the hiring strategy and its execution, providing clarity and confidence to decision making. Crucially, our insight ensured the client got all the little details right – with lots of marginal gains providing a cumulative effect on the big picture.
Our up-to-date salary benchmarking data showed variations of over 25% in total compensation between previously offered salary levels and true market rates. We also advised amending job titles in external advertising – candidates were struggling to identify with previous internal titles. The subsequent changes created an instant upswing in application rates.
We also enabled proactive headhunting by providing a detailed understanding of key competitor hiring locations mapped against their own national footprint. This form of direct sourcing provided a cost-effective way to reach high-calibre passive candidates.
Ultimately, this intelligence-led approach paid dividends for the client. Ambitious hiring volume targets were met – with key metrics such as time-to-hire and cost-per-hire achieved.