In early 2020, with the U.S. economy at its highest expansion points in history, I spoke with three leading talent acquisition experts about the state of total talent (TT) and where they saw it heading. Obviously, a lot has happened since we held that panel discussion!

Recently, I wanted to revisit the topic and find out the current state of total talent in light of the pandemic. In particular, I was interested to know what effect the pandemic’s had on the adoption of TT in the marketplace. I caught up with two original panelists, Kim Pope of WilsonHCG and Zach Chertok of Columbia University, and also spoke with Jen Spicher of LevelUp to get their insights and thoughts on the current state and the outlook for total talent in 2021. Here's a summary of the experts' insights and outlook.

When Ernest Shackleton set off to explore the Antarctic, his quest was for fame. When disaster struck and his vessel was trapped in ice, he knew that if his team were to survive he had to adjust his thinking. To make his men feel they were part of group that could not fail, he employed a more human touch to his command. After supper each evening, for example, he walked around to his men's tents to tell stories or play cards. Once, when supplies and morale were equally running low, he ordered up double rations to raise his crew's spirits.

What distinguishes a great leader is how they respond in times of crisis. By embracing uncertainty, great leaders can leverage precarious environments to launch new ideas and try new approaches.

As industries everywhere acknowledge the impact of digital transformation, globalization, and talent mobility, they’re faced with the challenge of adapting and rethinking talent in new and unconventional ways.

Total Talent Acquisition (TTA) is at the forefront of this shift. Though enthusiasm for the approach has been high for over five years, there hasn’t been much forward movement on it. In fact, less than a quarter of organizations who say Total Talent is a high priority have it in place.

A successful total talent strategy is one that empowers your organization to focus on the value workers provide without focusing on their employment status. A Total Talent Acquisition (TTA) method has a number of distinct advantages over a traditional fractured or siloed approach to recruitment including access to wider candidate pools, cost reductions in labor and organizational tasks, simplified contract negotiations, and shared technologies.

Andrew Brown began his career over 10 years ago supporting partners across MSP and RPO technology platforms as a value-added consultant delivering innovative technology. Today, as the Head of Partners and Alliances for Saba’s talent acquisition platform, he has observed a shift in the technology landscape driven by ever-changing recruitment demands. 

What can be the most crucial element in a total talent strategy? Having an outside expert perspective. 

Bringing outside expertise to help design and implement a total talent solution (TTS) can be extremely beneficial. Recruitment process outsourcing providers (RPOs) are experts on recruiting technology, hiring best practices, talent market conditions, and business strategy.

The contingent workforce continues to grow, and organizations are having to manage a mixture of permanent and temporary staff. In 2015, contingent workers (contractors, freelancers, and other non-permanent workers) made up 18 percent of the total workforce. This number is expected to more than double to about 40 percent in 2020. What do organizations do to attract and hire all types of workers in a holistic manner? In comes total talent solutions.

From requisition to onboarding, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) is a proven solution for managing all or part of the entire talent acquisition cycle. It can also be of real value in a total talent acquisition (TTA) model.

For many organizations hoping to make 2020 the year they adopt a total talent strategy, success starts by finding a partner who can help them first determine what TTA success looks like and then build a compelling case for the approach from there.