1. Eric, can you tell us a bit about your journey in the HR field and how you got into talent acquisition and employer branding?
I have been working in TA for my entire career, except for a short period when I lived on the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean. Agency side at first, RPO subsequently and these past 10 years as a leader of Talent Acquisition teams. Besides that, I was a board member for Recruiters United (the largest recruiter community in The Netherlands) for 7 years.
2. Please, share a little bit about your experience at Deloitte Nederland. What has been your favorite project or accomplishment during your time there?
When I joined Deloitte NL, I started out by assessing where recruitment stood at the time. Together with the team, we developed a 5 Key Initiatives Plan that we executed in the following years. This plan evolved around team structure, Employer Branding, Technology, Remuneration and Rationalization (i.e., how do formation and hiring targets relate). Having completed that plan has been very fulfilling.
3. How has the talent acquisition landscape changed over the years, and what have you learnе from those changes?
When I started my career, recruitment was incorporated in the HR Advisor role more often than not. Talent Acquisition has become a fully-fledged profession since and subject to many changes, be it technological or positional or otherwise. However, the essence has always remained the same in the vast majority of cases: filling requisitions for on-payroll positions. In addition, TA has always been at the forefront of conjunctural fluctuations. We are the first, and not seldom the only, part of the organization that is significantly impacted by these fluctuations. I learned that this is a fact of life, and we should accept this reality. We just have to figure out strategies to cope with that.
4. Just like many big businesses, Deloitte NL must have gone through significant transitions. Can you share some insights on how the company has evolved?
The two most conspicuous changes, in my view, are the change in business on the one hand and the change of workforce on the other. Deloitte’s business has massively diversified over the last decades. From a company with a strong accountancy signature to a very diverse professional services firm servicing numerous markets. Simultaneously two things happened in the workforce. Internally it became increasingly clear that the up-or-out model was becoming obsolete, as new generations did not come in to become Deloitte Partners no matter what. Externally the labor market was tightening rapidly, despite hiccups, such as the financial crisis and COVID. As a consequence, TA’s assignment changed drastically, in terms of recruiting many different skills and capabilities as well as having to develop an Employer Brand for a plethora of target audiences.
5. You mentioned the concept of total talent acquisition. Can you explain what that means and why it is important for organizations to consider?
For me, TTA means being at the center of talent supply and demand, regardless of worker type. A place where Talent Acquisition is a true strategic partner in solving all labor demand challenges and is recognized as pivotal to business growth, now and in the future.
6. What role does employer branding play in your talent acquisition strategy at Deloitte Nederland, and how do you approach it differently from other companies?
Our motto is “show, don’t tell”. We try to make the outside world experience what it’s like to work at Deloitte by sharing the genuine experiences of Deloitters.
7. Can you share some examples of the pitfalls of focusing too much on the speed of the hiring process, and how you’ve managed to balance speed with quality?
The pitfall of speed I mention does not refer to the process of hiring. It refers to wanting to go too fast in a process of change that doesn’t only affect your team, but also the wider Talent team as well as the business. Getting to the next level is not about just TA, it’s about the entire organization.
8. What do you think is the key to transitioning from a “requisition filler” mentality to a more strategic talent acquisition approach?
The key is getting ourselves to truly own Talent Acquisition in all its aspects and to make the business believe this is actually the case.
9. Finally, what advice would you give to HR professionals looking to make a real impact on their organization’s talent acquisition and employer branding strategies?
To profoundly understand your business of today and, maybe even more important – of tomorrow. And make sure you have the data to know the labor market like no one else.
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