What Do Talent Acquisition Specialists Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for talent acquisition specialists?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what talent acquisition specialists do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Talent Acquisition Specialists Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about talent acquisition specialists by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Talent Acquisition Specialists recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas.
Popular Job Titles For Talent Acquisition Specialists
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Human Resources Generalists
- Recruiters
- Human Resources Specialists
- Talent Acquisition Specialists
- Human Resources Coordinators
- Staffing Coordinators
- Employment Specialists
- Human Resources Representatives
- HRIS Analysts
- Human Resources Recruiters
- Human Resources Analysts
- Talent Acquisition Coordinators
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for talent acquisition specialists can be found.
Best Industries for Talent Acquisition Specialists
Talent Acquisition Specialists Jobs By Industry
- Employment Services: 15%
- Management of Companies and Enterprises: 6.4%
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services: 4.5%
- Federal Government, Civilian: 4.3%
- Federal Government, Military: 4.2%
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services: 3.8%
- Other: 61.8%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of talent acquisition specialists can be found working in the Employment Services sector. In 2023, about 15% of all jobs for talent acquisition specialists were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Management of Companies and Enterprises (6.4%), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (4.5%), Federal Government, Civilian (4.3%), Federal Government, Military (4.2%) and Computer Systems Design and Related Services (3.8%).
Top Online College For Working Adults
Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.
Degree Options for Talent Acquisition Specialists
Find ways to attract, train, and retain the very best talent by implementing effective benefits and labor-relations strategies.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
- Accreditation: IACBE
- Class Type: 100% online
- Years To Complete: 3
Learn the strategic skills needed to be a leader in the evolving field of Human Resources.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Accreditation: IACBE
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Be a dynamic HR leader by building your expertise in workplace law, organizational development and strategic human resource management, with Franklin’s online accredited 12-month MBA with a Specialization in Human Resources.
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
What Do Talent Acquisition Specialists Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what talent acquisition specialists do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work talent acquisition specialists do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that talent acquisition specialists tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for talent acquisition specialists, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Talent Acquisition Specialists
Based on 263,588 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Talent Acquisition Specialists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Information System (HRIS) | 45,921 | 17% |
| Applicant Tracking Systems | 34,800 | 13% |
| Employee Relations | 31,787 | 12% |
| Auditing | 27,403 | 10% |
| Full-Cycle Recruitment | 22,690 | 9% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Talent Acquisition Specialists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 118,852 | 45% |
| Management | 81,999 | 31% |
| Customer Service | 65,937 | 25% |
| Detail Oriented | 59,600 | 23% |
| Microsoft Office | 58,946 | 22% |
Based on 263,588 job postings related to talent acquisition specialists, human resources information system (hris) was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 17% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for applicant tracking systems, employee relations, auditing, full-cycle recruitment and talent management were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for talent acquisition specialists, followed by management, customer service, detail oriented, microsoft office and writing.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Information System (HRIS) | 45,921 | 17% |
| Applicant Tracking Systems | 34,800 | 13% |
| Employee Relations | 31,787 | 12% |
| Auditing | 27,403 | 10% |
| Full-Cycle Recruitment | 22,690 | 9% |
| Talent Management | 22,562 | 9% |
| Talent Sourcing | 21,646 | 8% |
| Project Management | 21,018 | 8% |
| Recruitment Strategies | 20,416 | 8% |
| Employee Onboarding | 20,356 | 8% |
| Performance Management | 19,496 | 7% |
| Talent Acquisition | 19,483 | 7% |
| Human Resource Management | 19,024 | 7% |
| Marketing | 18,488 | 7% |
| Labor Law | 17,434 | 7% |
| Data Analysis | 15,081 | 6% |
| Process Improvement | 15,036 | 6% |
| Data Entry | 14,102 | 5% |
| Administrative Support | 13,722 | 5% |
| Finance | 11,977 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 118,852 | 45% |
| Management | 81,999 | 31% |
| Customer Service | 65,937 | 25% |
| Detail Oriented | 59,600 | 23% |
| Microsoft Office | 58,946 | 22% |
| Writing | 53,981 | 20% |
| Microsoft Excel | 51,764 | 20% |
| Leadership | 51,458 | 20% |
| Problem Solving | 47,824 | 18% |
| Operations | 42,208 | 16% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 40,319 | 15% |
| Organizational Skills | 40,231 | 15% |
| Time Management | 35,064 | 13% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 33,396 | 13% |
| Research | 33,235 | 13% |
| Coordinating | 31,414 | 12% |
| Multitasking | 31,187 | 12% |
| Planning | 30,643 | 12% |
| Scheduling | 29,939 | 11% |
| Microsoft Outlook | 26,896 | 10% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Talent Acquisition Specialists
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Generalists | 90,498 | 32.6% |
| Recruiters | 38,629 | 13.9% |
| Human Resources Specialists | 24,555 | 8.8% |
| Talent Acquisition Specialists | 16,434 | 5.9% |
| Human Resources Coordinators | 17,047 | 6.1% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was human resources generalists, with 34,522 unique job postings. Recruiters were second, with 10,467 postings, followed by human resources specialists, talent acquisition specialists and human resources coordinators.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to talent acquisition specialists.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Generalists | 90,498 | 32.6% |
| Recruiters | 38,629 | 13.9% |
| Human Resources Specialists | 24,555 | 8.8% |
| Talent Acquisition Specialists | 16,434 | 5.9% |
| Human Resources Coordinators | 17,047 | 6.1% |
| Staffing Coordinators | 13,996 | 5% |
| Employment Specialists | 9,313 | 3.4% |
| Human Resources Representatives | 11,320 | 4.1% |
| HRIS Analysts | 6,334 | 2.3% |
| Human Resources Recruiters | 5,550 | 2% |
| Human Resources Analysts | 5,529 | 2% |
| Talent Acquisition Coordinators | 5,001 | 1.8% |
| Healthcare Recruiters | 5,609 | 2% |
| Technical Recruiters | 4,360 | 1.6% |
| Corporate Recruiters | 5,059 | 1.8% |
| Talent Acquisition Partners | 4,072 | 1.5% |
| Staffing Specialists | 3,523 | 1.3% |
| Onboarding Specialists | 3,684 | 1.3% |
| Human Resources Associates | 3,699 | 1.3% |
| Recruiting Specialists | 3,397 | 1.2% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for talent acquisition specialists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for talent acquisition specialists.
How much do talent acquisition specialists make?
Talent Acquisition Specialists: How do you become one?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.