11 years ago, Talent Acquisition was about speed and volume.
Get the roles filled. Get them filled fast. Move on.
It was a transactional process — reactive, focused on short-term goals, and often disconnected from broader business outcomes.
But in 2025, everything has changed.
At Talent Point, we’ve seen the transformation up close. Talent Acquisition (TA) has evolved from being a service function to becoming a strategic business capability that underpins growth, resilience, and competitive advantage.
In a recent article, our Customer Solutions Director, Chris Friend, reflects on this shift — and what it means for companies striving to win through people.
Early in his career, Chris recalls how recruiters were measured by time-to-fill and volume. Hiring was reactive. The focus was transactional. Roles were seen as boxes to tick, not as opportunities to future-proof the business.
But something changed.
“Organisations began recognising that their competitive advantage wasn’t just in their products or services. It was in their people,” says Chris.
This realisation forced a strategic awakening. Businesses started experiencing costly misfires — high turnover, misalignment, and cultural mismatches. It became clear that quality hires — those who stay, perform, and fit — were mission-critical.
As a result, Talent Acquisition had to evolve. It needed to move upstream and align with business strategy.
A central catalyst for this transformation was data.
“We stopped relying on gut feelings and started making decisions based on metrics that matter to the C-suite,” Chris explains.
Modern TA strategies now integrate advanced analytics to forecast demand, optimise sourcing channels, and track the long-term impact of hiring decisions.
Instead of measuring success purely by cost-per-hire or speed, teams now look at quality of hire, retention, business impact, and strategic alignment. These are the metrics that drive confidence at board level — and they’re reshaping how TA is resourced and prioritised.
The TA tech stack has grown exponentially. From AI-powered sourcing tools to intelligent screening platforms and talent intelligence dashboards, the possibilities seem endless.
But as Chris highlights, “The breakthrough isn’t in the technology itself. It’s in how we’ve learned to balance automation with the human touch.”
At Talent Point, we believe that the human element — cultural understanding, stakeholder alignment, relationship-building — remains irreplaceable. Technology supports it. It doesn’t replace it.
Perhaps the most underappreciated force behind TA transformation? Relationships.
Chris cites research showing that strong hiring manager partnerships are four times more influential on TA performance than any other factor.
That insight mirrors our experience at Talent Point. Our Centres of Excellence are built not just on workflows and tech, but on deep collaboration with internal stakeholders. It’s what allows us to scale consistently, align hiring with strategy, and deliver results faster.
As we move through 2025, the evolution continues. Skills-based hiring is accelerating. DE&I is becoming a strategic advantage. Remote work is expanding talent pools — and redefining sourcing strategies.
Talent Acquisition is no longer about filling roles. It's about building the human infrastructure that shapes a company's future.
At Talent Point, we’re proud to help Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies embrace this new model, one that turns TA into a growth engine.
Read Chris Friend’s full article on LinkedIn here.
Want to learn how Talent Point can help your organisation transform talent acquisition?
Get in touch with our team today.