In general, mapping represents the collection and systematization of data. In terms of recruitment, it is a relatively new trend helping HR specialists.
Mapping is a search and selection of candidates for executive search and head-hunting technologies for the positions of managers or unique specialists. Another name is tale[nt mapping or talent search.
The difference between mapping and the basic recruiting technology is that the customer only needs a list of potential candidates with contacts and resumes. And, the company independently conducts interviews and hires those who suit the vacancy best.
What is recruitment mapping?
The days when it was difficult to find contacts of qualified top managers are long gone. Today, writing an email or letter to a headliner is not a problem for almost any organization for two reasons:
- Firstly, social networks and virtual communities are deeply connected with the business
- Secondly, the leaders themselves strive for publicity and form a personal brand. Thus, they increase their value in the personnel market.
Yet, this approach is not relevant to the recruitment of rare specialists and talented middle- and elementary-level leaders.
Yet, they make a valuable contribution to the success of the business according to the Pareto principle. The efforts of this 20% of the personnel form 80% of the organization’s financial success.
The concept of talent mapping is a highly demanded recruitment consulting service. It is aimed at collecting and analyzing labor market data following the client’s request.
The data obtained during the analysis helps effectively search for employees for specific vacancies. The same data will be taken into account when making managerial decisions related to personnel management, organizational development, strategic and operational planning, marketing research, etc.
Talent Mapping and Market Search
Before drawing the map, a recruiter researches the market. He looks for donor companies, niche startups, and relevant social media channels. This process is called sourcing.
Sourcing often involves finding opinion leaders in a particular industry or people with a useful network. This is also a part of the concept of talent mapping.
Mapping itself is a good option if the recruiter is in his element on the candidate market. The main task of the study is to determine which channel and resource to use to collect a pool of candidates.
A pool of qualities and all data is drawn up in an MS Excel spreadsheet indicating the name of the employee, company, his position, current salary, and motivation. The final document is usually visible only to the CEO. This is a piece of confidential information.
Based on the data, employers make various personnel-related decisions. They also compare what will be cheaper – to entice a top specialist of a competitor or grow one inside the company.
For example, there are companies for which hiring top managers are more expensive than training ones within the company. So, they start to actively invest in personnel.
If the recruiter sees that the candidate does not match the required skill set, they may still send the job offer. To improve the necessary skills the company may hire coaches or pay for lectures.
Mapping targets
- fill a vacancy with a small budget allocated for search
- create a talent pool of employees or candidates
- draw up a talent map of certain employees to develop their competences based on it
- conduct a competitor analysis and HR research of a specific industry or region (organizational structure, salaries, employee benefits, etc.)
- identify donor companies (to entice qualified specialists)
Employee Journey Mapping
This is a form of talent mapping used for research rather than hiring. In this case, the data comes from the employees of the company.
The questions asked usually cover the entire time from the early recruitment stage to getting the first promotion. Other milestone events in the employees’ careers are also an option.
Employee’s talent (or journey) map is a tool that helps recruiters and brand managers to find bottlenecks in their strategies.
For example, it may bring changes to the communications of company representatives with candidates. It also helps positively influence the HR brand.
As a result, managers can impact and improve the feedback on the experience of communicating with the company on social networks, perception of the team as professionals, the opportunities for career growth shown to candidates, etc.
The outcome of the employees’ roadmap creation, will allow the company to adopt the measures that help:
- significantly reduce the turnover of managers
- reduce the period for closing a vacancy from about ten weeks to eight or even less
- increase the personnel reserve and the quality of specialists included in it
- increase the time an employee spends in a certain position by the factor of one and a half.
Talent Mapping Tips for Projects
From the viewpoint of the company that orders a talent mapping service, the process looks as follows:
Looking at the business needs
What talents do you need for your business? Start by identifying talents that are key to the business and vital to customer service.
At this stage, it is not specified whether there are already people who have the necessary potential present among the employees. At this stage, it is important to consider the big picture and go beyond conventional skill set analysis.
Finding the right people.
Find out whether there are people in the company who have the talent and skills the business needs. Experience shows that people can often reveal their best qualities in a completely different area.
For example, a qualified secretary may have a degree in design and be willing to switch career paths.
Finding additional people you need
If there is still a need for new specialists, determine the skills you want to see in recruits. This list will serve as the basis for further search and analysis.
Waiting for change.
At this stage, focus on identifying team members who may leave the company (for any reason) in the nearest future.
Waiting for growth.
Every leader needs to identify employees who are hungry for career growth and are ready to take on more responsibility in the next 12-24 months.
Try to include these people into the project map as they will show better results than less motivated or new employees.
Planning for the future.
This stage focuses on predictions and succession planning for several specific positions in the organization. It is essential if the project or a business plan is going to last for more than a year. It can help identify future gaps in the company structure or recruitment system.
Creation of a layout.
The last step is to display the team and connections within it in a form of a grid or matrix. Visually taking stock is key to the success of this process.
The Role of Mapping in Recruitment
Due to mapping CEOs get the chance to see potential top managers within their companies. If there are none, mapping helps get the best ones recruited from other organizations.
Mapping of candidates is the first stage when filling vacancies for management and leading specialists. At the same time, mapping can also be an independent service if the employer wants to take on further communications with potential applicants and save money.
