I’ve always been puzzled why Talent Acquisition (TA) and Training operate independently in most organizations.

This is not new—it’s been the case for over 50 years. The TA team is responsible for recruiting and hiring new employees to meet staffing needs, while the Training team is tasked with teaching procedures and expectations to those new hires. The goal is a seamless, productive handoff from TA to Training.

In reality, the handoff is rarely seamless or productive. Since the two teams function independently, there’s often a disconnect, creating a gap between them.  Without a clear transition strategy, the gap between TA and Training persists.

Understanding the Gap

The disconnect between Talent Acquisition and Training is often due to a misalignment of goals, timing, and processes.

Different Goals and KPIs

The goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) between the groups are very different.  Performance for the TA group is based on recruiting and placing sufficient numbers of employees. Performance in the Training group is based on learning outcomes.

Timing Issues

It takes time to effectively communicate and ensure a smooth transition. Because of other job demands, the two teams might not find the time to connect and collaborate prior to training. This can lead to inconsistencies in the onboarding experience and missed opportunities to ensure a smooth transition.

Separate Processes

Because TA and Training tend to function independently, there’s often a lack of ongoing communication between the two departments. This can result in misalignment regarding what new hires need or how to effectively transition them from recruitment to training. As a result, new hires simply move from one process to another without valuable insights being shared between the two teams.

Bridging the Gap

Closing the gap between Talent Acquisition and Training requires a shared understanding of the employee experience from recruitment through training. Key factors include:

Communication and Collaboration

Creating a clear communication strategy is the first step. To ensure clarity, ask these key questions:

• How often do the TA and Training groups meet to review the intake and onboarding process?
• How often does each group analyze data and results?
• Is that information shared and discussed with the other group for overall improvement?
• When procedural changes are planned, is there an impact analysis that considers both groups?  

A good communication plan ensures that TA and Training teams stay aligned on expectations, needs, and goals for new hires. By fostering regular communication and collaboration, both teams can share insights, adjust strategies, and work together to provide a seamless and effective experience for new employees.

Shared Insights

Background information is collected during the selection process such as work experience, education, assessment profiles, areas of interest, etc. Employers are increasingly emphasizing skills-based testing to gather performance-based insights about skills strengths and performance gaps.

• How much of that information is shared with the Training team?
• What insights are leveraged for individualized training to engage and empower new hires?
• How much background information is used – and how much is left on the table?

Maximizing the use of collected information, including skills-based insights, provides a competitive advantage by ensuring more targeted and effective training for new hires.

Personalized Learning

There’s a big difference between sitting in a class and actually learning. That’s why savvy employers are placing less emphasis on standard classroom training and opting for more personalized onboarding, tailored to the needs of each new hire. With the help of new technology, this type of individual approach is easier than ever before, leading to improved engagement and better training outcomes. The best skills-based assessments provide comprehensive information for personalized training, coaching, and development. None of us learns everything at once or on the first try. If the selection process includes a focus on key job skills, then that information is extremely helpful to managers and coaches when providing feedback and guidance. This highlights the important role Talent Acquisition can play, sharing key insights that enhance the onboarding experience and improve training outcomes.

Collaborative Growth

Just as Talent Acquisition insights strengthen Training results, Training insights can strengthen TA results. Metrics from onboarding and training should be shared back with the TA team to refine and optimize the recruitment of qualified talent. When the Training team receives quality talent, then the onboarding and development process is faster, easier, and better. When the TA team receives Training insights about success rates and new hire capabilities, they can fine-tune and strengthen their recruitment and selection strategies to better complement and facilitate training.

Onboarding new employees is more than a handoff—it can be a rewarding partnership of shared insights and success. By working together, TA and Training can create an effective selection process that identifies good, qualified employees, equipping them with a personalized, working development plan tailored just for them. These shared insights help the Training team focus on a learning process based on individual needs to achieve far greater engagement and results.

“Organizations that bring TA and L&D [learning and development] together will be best equipped to look at the end-to-end talent lifecycle with a systemic lens and create skills-based organizations that both hire for skills and build the skills their teams need for the future.”

– STEPHANIE CONWAY, Senior Director of Talent Development, LinkedIn [HR Executive]

Tapping potential

Closing the gap between Talent Acquisition and Training offers untapped potential to drive significant ROI. If you’re looking for specific ways to bridge the gap, reach out to talk with one of our HR experts by clicking here or calling 888.332.0648.