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What does a talent acquisition manager do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Rachel Raymond
What does a talent acquisition manager do

A talent acquisition manager is in-charged in the selection, recruitment, and retention of talented candidates. The core skills that a talent acquisition manager should possess to accomplish his/her or her job responsibilities include excellent interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to multi-task, and knowledge of human resource laws. Other requirements to qualify for the position include a passion for working with others and a degree in human resources management, business administration, or a related field.

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Talent acquisition manager responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real talent acquisition manager resumes:

  • Manage talent from musicians to YouTube influencers.
  • Manage relationships with vendors and 3rd party RPO suppliers, ensuring consistent performance and adherence to policy.
  • Manage vendor relationships, including RPO, relocation management, recruiting technology, background check and staffing vendors.
  • Update, maintain and manage applicant tracking system, BrassRing, and human capital management system, PeopleSoft.
  • Manage candidate application process according to OFCCP guidelines.
  • Manage onsite logistics for interviews; research, evaluate and negotiate compensation packages.
  • Create an RFP selection process, justifying the ROI.
  • Engage hiring managers in sourcing and selecting top talent via LinkedIn.
  • Implement KPI's and new hiring processes to the team to track activity.
  • Report manning levels to business director's monthly statistics in partnership with HRIS team.
  • Identify passive, senior level talent through non-traditional methods including social networking, LinkedIn.
  • Maintain HRIS system by posting new position, updating changes, and tracking applicant information.
  • Initiate and develop relationships with diesel technician colleges - UTI, LTI, and WyoTech.
  • Create and implement metrics- tracking performance, viability and ROI of vendors and sources through system reporting.
  • Develop and implement recruiting policy, and KPI's to ensure the proper and practical allocation of resources.

Talent acquisition manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 11% of Talent Acquisition Managers are proficient in Applicant Tracking Systems, Human Resources, and TA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Organizational skills, and Speaking skills.

We break down the percentage of Talent Acquisition Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Applicant Tracking Systems, 11%

    Managed and administered two applicant tracking systems across the division.

  • Human Resources, 9%

    Led development of first enterprise-wide recruiter playbook outlining and documenting Talent Acquisition and Human Resources Centers of Excellence policies and practices.

  • TA, 8%

    Championed the process improvement initiative for Talent Acquisition including end-to-end process mapping and process automation for all TA functions/activities.

  • Recruitment Strategies, 5%

    Navigated and led the Talent Acquisition team for implementation of international and domestic campus recruitment strategies and programs.

  • Customer Service, 5%

    Deliver exceptional customer service with a primary focus on operational excellence, proactive, competitive and cost-effective recruitment solutions.

  • Analytics, 4%

    Marvel Marketers is a fast-growing marketing automation strategy, insights and analytics consultancy.

"applicant tracking systems," "human resources," and "ta" are among the most common skills that talent acquisition managers use at work. You can find even more talent acquisition manager responsibilities below, including:

Leadership skills. One of the key soft skills for a talent acquisition manager to have is leadership skills. You can see how this relates to what talent acquisition managers do because "human resources managers must coordinate work activities and ensure that staff complete the duties and responsibilities of their department." Additionally, a talent acquisition manager resume shows how talent acquisition managers use leadership skills: "provide leadership, coaching & development for a team of recruiters / recruiting coordinators. "

Organizational skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling talent acquisition manager duties is organizational skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "human resources managers must be able to prioritize tasks and manage several projects at once." According to a talent acquisition manager resume, here's how talent acquisition managers can utilize organizational skills in their job responsibilities: "acted as liaison with hr team leaders hone ta strategy and develop organizationally-specific plans for business units. "

Interpersonal skills. For certain talent acquisition manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "interpersonal skills." The day-to-day duties of a talent acquisition manager rely on this skill, as "human resources managers regularly interact with people, such as to collaborate on teams, and must develop working relationships with their colleagues." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what talent acquisition managers do: "developed negotiation, interpersonal, organizational & influencing skills with a strong customer service. "

Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a talent acquisition manager to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what talent acquisition managers relies on this skill, since "human resources managers need strong speaking, writing, and listening skills to give presentations and direct their staff." How this skill relates to talent acquisition manager duties can be seen in an example from a talent acquisition manager resume snippet: "developed and implemented new recruitment processes resulting in improved communication, hiring partnerships and customer satisfaction. "

All talent acquisition manager skills

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Compare different talent acquisition managers

Talent acquisition manager vs. Human resources vice president

Human resources (HR) vice presidents play a vital role in the effective administration and operation of an organization's HR department. These executives are responsible for directing an organization's staffing goals and developing strategies to support the company's profitable and productive business operations. HR vice presidents also perform other duties and responsibilities, including planning payroll and employee benefits, facilitating the enforcement of standardized HR processes, and recommending new measures for employee performance evaluations. The skills and qualifications for this position include previous experience as an HR director, strong leadership skills, and in-depth knowledge of HR processes.

If we compare the average talent acquisition manager annual salary with that of a human resources vice president, we find that human resources vice presidents typically earn a $78,740 higher salary than talent acquisition managers make annually.Even though talent acquisition managers and human resources vice presidents are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require applicant tracking systems, customer service, and eeo in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, talent acquisition manager responsibilities require skills like "human resources," "ta," "recruitment strategies," and "analytics." Meanwhile a typical human resources vice president has skills in areas such as "payroll," "organizational development," "labor relations," and "oversight." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Human resources vice presidents really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $178,898. Comparatively, talent acquisition managers tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $92,282.The education levels that human resources vice presidents earn slightly differ from talent acquisition managers. In particular, human resources vice presidents are 6.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a talent acquisition manager. Additionally, they're 2.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Talent acquisition manager vs. Human resources consultant

A human resources consultant is responsible for supporting the human resources management of an organization by advising on policies and procedures for effective employee relations. Human resources consultants analyze HR programs and current processes and initiate projects to maintain stable operations. They also facilitate strategic plans to resolve HR matters and improve culture management. A human resources consultant must be highly-knowledgeable of the human resources industry, its techniques, regulations, and disciplines to help with the implementation of business advancements and achieve the organization's objectives.

Human resources consultant positions earn lower pay than talent acquisition manager roles. They earn a $19,025 lower salary than talent acquisition managers per year.A few skills overlap for talent acquisition managers and human resources consultants. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "applicant tracking systems," "recruitment strategies," and "customer service. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, talent acquisition manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "human resources," "ta," "analytics," and "healthcare." Meanwhile, a human resources consultant has duties that require skills in areas such as "payroll," "project management," "strong problem-solving," and "employment law." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Human resources consultants earn a lower average salary than talent acquisition managers. But human resources consultants earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $78,879. Additionally, talent acquisition managers earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $92,282 annually.In general, human resources consultants achieve higher levels of education than talent acquisition managers. They're 6.1% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for talent acquisition managers in the next 3-5 years?

Rachel RaymondRachel Raymond LinkedIn profile

Strategic talent acquisition sr. manager, Jack Henry & Associates

We expect to see growth in the artificial intelligence/machine learning space and big data and augmented analytics. However, even with new technologies emerging, many larger organizations still heavily depend on older technology platforms and solutions, and are looking for skilled associates who can help maintain those systems.

Talent acquisition manager vs. Human resource officer

A human resources officer is typically in charge of managing and handling the employment operations in the company, including the payroll and training systems. Their responsibilities revolve around participating in advertising job openings, interviewing applicants, training and managing new employees, and devising programs that will help them learn about the policies and regulations of the company. Furthermore, a human resources officer is also responsible for managing employee data, such as personal information and work attendance, processing payroll, and handling any issues or concerns.

An average human resource officer eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of talent acquisition managers. The difference in salaries amounts to human resource officers earning a $1,367 lower average salary than talent acquisition managers.By looking over several talent acquisition managers and human resource officers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "recruitment process," "eeo," and "hris." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, talent acquisition managers are more likely to have skills like "applicant tracking systems," "human resources," "ta," and "recruitment strategies." But a human resource officer is more likely to have skills like "human resources functions," "personnel actions," "labor relations," and "organizational development."

Human resource officers make a very good living in the government industry with an average annual salary of $77,057. On the other hand, talent acquisition managers are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $92,282.Most human resource officers achieve a higher degree level compared to talent acquisition managers. For example, they're 6.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Talent acquisition manager vs. Senior human resources consultant

A senior human resources consultant specializes in recommending solutions to optimize a company's human resource operations. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing procedures, devising strategies to attain the best employment practices, and developing programs for the benefit of employees. They may also implement the company's policies and regulations, creating new ones as needed. Furthermore, as a senior human resources consultant, it is essential to lead and encourage junior consultants and managers to accomplish goals in adherence to the vision and mission of the company.

Senior human resources consultants typically earn lower pay than talent acquisition managers. On average, senior human resources consultants earn a $9,776 lower salary per year.According to resumes from talent acquisition managers and senior human resources consultants, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "applicant tracking systems," "healthcare," and "recruitment process. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A talent acquisition manager uses "human resources," "ta," "recruitment strategies," and "customer service." Senior human resources consultants are more likely to have duties that require skills in "payroll," "project management," "organizational development," and "post implementation. "The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for senior human resources consultants, with average annual pay of $86,984. Comparatively, the highest talent acquisition manager annual salary comes from the manufacturing industry.senior human resources consultants reach higher levels of education compared to talent acquisition managers, in general. The difference is that they're 7.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of talent acquisition manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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