How Research First Data-Driven Recruiting and Talent Mapping Make for Smarter Hiring Decisions 

October 17, 2023 – Finding the ideal candidate for the job is a delicate dance. Good recruitment firms are experts in understanding what potential employers are looking for in their ideal candidate and scouring the available talent pool to match them with that perfect fit. According to a report from SGA Talent’s Sheila Greco. “What sets these firms apart is their commitment to research first data or data-driven recruiting,” she said. “In today’s competitive business landscape, organizations must use reliable data to point them in the right direction and avoid wasting time and money trying different recruiting strategies.”

SGA Talent provide research-first data or data-driven recruiting solutions when it comes to filling key roles. “Using data, you can leverage advanced analytics to make smarter hiring decisions that align with your industry needs,” Ms. Greco said.

SGA Talent discusses five ways in which well-researched data drives smarter hiring decisions and boost organizational performance.

1. Increased Understanding of the Available Talent Pool.

“Investing time in researching the available talent pool before making any hiring decisions pays off in several ways,” Ms. Greco said. “For one, it helps provide a greater understanding of what today’s talents expect from potential employers, which in turn, helps streamline the interviewing process and optimizes outcomes.”

Ms. Greco also explains that data research can also provide critical insight into the types of candidates hiring managers should be looking for. “Doing so ensures that your decision is rooted in an insightfully enhanced perspective of all options when it comes time to hire people,” she said. “Lastly, since data-driven recruiting provides real-time data on the market, our recruiters can keep up with the latest trends and adapt quickly.”

2. Improved Recruiting Efficiency and Speed to Hire.

Data-driven recruiting eliminates guesswork from the hiring equation, according to Ms. Greco. She notes that by having data on potential candidates in hand, our team can make more informed decisions tailored to each role quickly and efficiently.

Sheila Greco is founder and president of SGA Talent, a certified minority owned premier recruiting and recruitment research firm. She has over 30 years of recruiting experience. In addition to managing the firm, Ms. Greco leads engagements for senior-level positions for many of the firm’s long-standing clients, with a particular expertise in professional services, healthcare, consumer packaged goods and manufacturing. She has developed relationships with talent acquisition leaders and human resources at Fortune 1000, start-ups, as well as emerging growth companies.

“This enhanced preparation allows employers to identify which candidates best meet their criteria, develop concise recruitment objectives before inviting interviews, and choose the ideal candidate more quickly,” Ms. Greco says. “Using this strategy also minimizes deviation from the original hiring goal, eliminating potential distraction due to longer timelines with fractured objectives or ideological shifts by disparate participants.”

3. Set Realistic Job Requirements and Expectations.

Hiring data allows recruiters to assess whether the proposed job expectations are achievable accurately. Ms. Greco explains that data on the expected salary range for a particular role, its geographical availability, and any other associated costs allow recruiters to quickly determine if the specifications provided by a hiring manager are realistic or need adjustment.

Related: Why You Should Invest in Talent Mapping

“Proper research also enables teams to provide honest feedback and set reasonable expectations for the job before anyone enters the recruitment process,” she said. “This data-driven approach allows recruiters to identify potential pitfalls before they arise and offer suggestions on how to avoid them altogether.”

4. Positions Recruiter as an Expert.

With data-driven recruiting, recruiters can position itself as a leader in helping employers make decisions, according to Ms. Greco. “Data-driven recruiters can provide data-backed advice that helps employers better understand their current and future recruitment needs relative to their available talent pool,” she said. “Having data on hand also demonstrates credibility and industry knowledge, as well as gives employers more confidence moving forward.”

5. Mitigates Hiring Bias and Makes More Objective Hiring Decisions.

Data-driven recruitment helps organizations address potential issues of personal preference or unconscious bias in the hiring process, Ms. Greco explains. She says that it mitigates hiring discrimination and offers a more objective way of sifting through potential candidates.

“By relying solely on impartial data and eliminating any subjective variables, decision-makers can confidently make the data-backed decision in the best interest of their business,” Ms. Greco said. “Ultimately, taking the time to perform research can result in a higher quality of hires.”

Talent Mapping

In a separate report Ms. Greco also looked at organizational structures such as mapping. “Organizational charts and talent mapping are two of the most valuable tools for businesses to manage their human capital,” she said. “The rise of remote work, freelance talent, and global competition have made it increasingly challenging for companies to understand their own talent pools, let alone those of their competitors. With a recruiting organizational structure like chart mapping or talent mapping, leadership gains valuable visual insights that can help them make informed decisions about building and managing their teams.”

Organizational chart mapping visually represents a company’s talent and team structure, according to Ms. Greco. She notes that a visual representation is particularly valuable for companies looking to identify areas for improvement. Mapping the talent within the organization gives companies a clear picture of their employees, including their unique:

• Skills
• Experience
• Backgrounds

“Gaining visibility into this data empowers more informed decisions about promotions, transfers, and hiring,” Ms. Greco said. “A lot has to go right to find the talent for your new and open positions. While you may have hired based on gut instinct in the past, to stay competitive in challenging markets, it’s time to bring strategy and data to your hiring process. Working with talent and recruiting visuals and an expert recruiter by your side, you can bring on new team members that will power your business to achieve lasting success.”

Understand Your Competitors Better

Ms. Greco also explains that you can also use organizational chart mapping to gain insights into the talent pools of a company’s competitors.

“By mapping out a competitor’s talent and team structure, companies can better understand their competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and how they can position themselves to be more competitive,” she said. “When you’re getting ready to grow your organization and start recruiting your industry’s top talent, you can use organizational mapping to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.”

SGA Talent is a 100 percent women-owned company that utilizes a research-first strategy to secure senior hires in the professional services, hospitality, financial services, insurance, healthcare/pharmaceutical, manufacturing, utilities, and aerospace and defense industries. Some of SGA’s clients include McKinsey & Company, Northrop Grumman, PayPal, New York Life, Compass Group, and a Big Four consulting firm.

SGA Talent offers “recruiting on-demand express” and “research on-demand express” solutions provide hiring managers, human resources professionals, and talent acquisition leaders with additional options beyond traditional recruiting services. SGA Talent’s recruiting on-demand express delivers a high-quality targeted talent candidate pipeline in three days. This service utilizes SGA Talent’s propriety recruitment methodology and offers the answer to time-constraint recruiting activities. “This service is often used when an internal recruiting team is overextended and needs results quickly,” the firm said. “It is designed for mid-level to junior-level candidates; it is not designed for executive search level candidates.”

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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; and Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media