Talent Acquisition Manager at Equity Bank Kenya

JOB PURPOSE:

• Our purpose at Equity Group is lived in transforming lives, giving dignity, and expanding opportunities for wealth creation. Consistent with our Critical Success Factor 1: ‘An organization culture that values people, enhances performance, and supports business’, this role will deliver excellence in Talent Acquisition and On-boarding of both external and internal talent into the Equity Group.
• Reporting to the Senior Manager – Talent Acquisition, the job holder is responsible for developing appropriate talent acquisition strategies and managing the end-to-end talent acquisition process to deliver the right talent, at the right time, at the right price, and in the right way. Collaborating with the business and HRBPs the role holder will provide both consultative and transactional talent acquisition support to deliver a comprehensive and value added service, covering hiring needs across all levels.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Planning

• Partner with hiring managers to translate business objectives into talent acquisition plans and strategies by conducting structured BICs (Business Insight Conversations); Document key outcomes in the BIC form and share a copy with the hiring manager
• Ensure all hire requisitions undergo the right hire authorisation process and that all approvals are in place ahead of commencing hiring iterations
• Offer a full consultative service to line managers with regards to the recruitment industry and market trends;
• Identify the key role and candidate requirements; agree to the sourcing and selection strategy; timelines; respective roles and accountabilities; 
• Obtain an updated JD from the hiring manager for use in the hiring process
• Agree on the selection tools to be used, stakeholders to be involved, number of selection iterations,
• Establish alignment to the organization structure, strategic workforce plan and budgetary provisions and ensure that all documentation are in place
• Gather insight on internal talent development initiatives relevant to the specific hiring activity. Consider any outcomes from the department Talent Council that may concern the subject role
• Guide hiring managers on policy and process imperatives ahead of the recruitment process and ensure understanding of the same

Sourcing

• Build innovative talent attraction strategies including career workshops, online campaigns, networking events, talent labs, participating in employer branding initiatives (especially online content creation and management), etc.
• Design and deliver a broad base of innovative sourcing strategies and solutions to meet business needs and generate diverse pools of applicants in keeping with our JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion) agenda, plus the Equity Group Talent charter.
• Proactively search for, identify, network with and directly contact active and passive job seekers, both internally and externally, for hard-to-hire, evergreen and specific vacancies, sourcing the very best candidates using a variety of channels that are aligned to and effectively communicate the Equity Group employer brand.
• Multiply sourcing channels to include: research agencies; Online advertising (careers website, external job board postings); automated electronic candidate searches; Alumni networks; Database mining; Social networking sites; etc. 
• Contact potential candidates who have posted their information on the Equity Group Careers website and establish rapport then build a talent pool of CVs from these engagements, 
• Search in-house databases (talent lists, CV database), creating hot lists, keeping high quality declined candidates warm and on ‘potential prospect’ lists
• Network at professional and trade events, and careers fairs, and partner with state and institutional agencies engaging the labour market
• Engage and manage an external PSL of recruitment agencies, where required and regularly refresh the source pool of providers
• Partner with colleagues within the Equity Group subsidiaries to tap into international talent and leverage the Group talent brokerage program
• Participate in graduate recruitment events and activities (e.g. careers fairs), as required, including ELP events
• Build a network of global talent banks to tap into global talent especially talented Kenyans in the Diaspora looking to return 
• Implement a sound employee referral system and link if to the reward and recognition framework of the Group

Selection

• Develop a broad and diverse battery of selection tools for use across all levels and types of hire to appropriately meet business needs within the Group selection matrix
• Leverage the existing HRMIS to conduct electronic selection processes including self-elimination pre-screening questionnaires to manage long lists
• Shortlist CVs against the job requirements actively reviewing and challenging the diversity of talent pools
• Conduct efficient end to end applicant management for each job requisition i.e. timely review and short listing of applications, promptly updating applicants and responding to any queries, liaising with other HR teams and hiring managers for necessary support
• Create schedules and plans for all relevant assessments (including online aptitude and competency assessments), multilevel interviews, and stakeholder meetings between candidates and stakeholders as described in the selection process
• Brief and prepare candidates for interview and other phases of the selection process
• Conduct preliminary assessments, as required, assessing candidates’ talents, fit and readiness, setting realistic role expectations.
• Carry our pre-screening interviews and generate pre-screening summaries for use by hiring managers
• Lead and participate in selection processes including interviews, assessment sessions, etc.
• Advise hiring managers on the appropriate assessment tools for different roles, developing relevant interview questions and analysing selection reports, where applicable, to assess the implications of candidates’ strengths profiles
• Advise hiring managers on which candidates to progress to the next stage, ensuring the right decisions are made, challenging the business’ recommendations as required
• Complete a minimum set of pre-employment vetting, at interview stage, in line with the Group Talent Acquisition policy, Group Pre-Employment & Employee Background Screening Process, and Group On-boarding Policy. Ensure to complete the listed pre-offer checks.
• Manage any rejected candidates who may be potentials for other roles, ensuring that rejections are handled appropriately and candidate contact is maintained
• Co-ordinate timely provision of feedback between the hiring manager, suppliers (where relevant) and candidates. 
• Update interview notes within the HRMIS or relevant document and ensue timely and appropriate completion of the same by co-interviewers.

Hire-Offer Management

• Ensure all required approvals are in place ahead of making any offers and where offer propositions fall outside the recommended range, the appropriate exception approval process is followed
• Where international moves are involved ensure to trigger the correct policy provisions in consultation with the relevant stakeholders to generate appropriate offers
• Negotiate offers between hiring managers, suppliers (where relevant) and candidates, assisting in the negotiation of release dates and backfill requirements where applicable. Work in partnership with key stakeholders to establish competitive, effective total reward packages in line with budgets and internal policies
• Ensure correct and timely contract issuance following verbal offer, keenly observing the timelines in the refreshed Equity Group new joiner on-boarding checklist
• Where expatriate hires are involved ensure to generate timely assignment letters, and trigger the initiation of relocation services within the process and terms of the assignment policy and contract.
• Collaborate closely with the Global Mobility Manager to ensure seamless handshakes.

New Joiner On-Boarding

• Fully own the pre-start (Day -21 to Day 0) on-boarding of new joiners guided by the refreshed on-boarding guidelines and the New Joiners On-boarding checklist; maintain regular contact with the candidate post offer and keep them warm
• Ensure seamless handshakes with Hiring Managers, buddies, and other stakeholders consistent with the milestones listed in the on-boarding checklist
• Collaborate closely with the Hiring Managers to deliver a 7-star experience across every touch point of the employees’ recruitment process, through on-boarding, and probation period.
• Ensure all pre-employment checks are completed in line with the pre-vailing policy meeting all minimum standards and exceeding where possible
• Escalate all pre-employment vetting discrepancies to the AD – OD&E, Culture & Change in good time and drive for swift resolution, keeping the candidate sufficiently informed and updated where delays might occur
• Follow up to ensure creation of new joiners in the HRMIS and ensure all systems setups and requisitions are completed well in advance of start date, including completion of the following: issuing of employment contracts and on-boarding packs, timely employee ID creation, notifications to hiring managers, organization announcements, confirmations of start dates, etc.

Risk & Governance

• Own and coordinate pre-employment vetting checks in line with the policy provisions, on-boarding guidelines and the on-boarding checklist
• Keenly manage all recruitment related vendors including pre-employment vetting providers, search partners, assessment partners and maintain our global standards of partner engagement, upholding our values at every stage
• Deploy the most current versions of new joiner documentation used in all hires, i.e. employment contract templates, employee information forms, Declarations, discrepancy escalation forms, interview score-sheets, etc.
• Properly file all hire authorisation documents including emails and exception approval forms in the employee’s file and ensure that each form is duly completed and signed by the relevant authority
• Work closely with the Group and subsidiary HR shared services teams to complete the maker-checker iteration when creating a new joiner profile in the HRMIS
• Collaborate closely with the Global Mobility Manager to support the off-boarding process for international employees to ensure all work permits are cancelled in time and all relevant parties are notified of key changes.

Relationship Management & Training

• Cultivate effective working relationships with all stakeholders involved in the talent acquisition and on-boarding process i.e. candidates, hiring managers, candidates, search partners, vetting partners
• Regularly educate all stakeholders on talent acquisition processes and tools, policy requirements, and foster understanding around our employee value proposition 
• Plan and execute refresher trainings to ensure all hiring managers are equipped to conduct effective selection processes in line with the Talent Acquisition policy. At the minimum, train all line managers in CBI (Competency Based Interviewing) principles.

Reporting

• Build robust quarterly hiring reports covering the following: status reports, Quarterly average Time to Fill (TTF), Rookie Retention Rates, New Joiner On-boarding Survey Feedback, Vacancy Risk, Budget Variances, Replacement Cost Creep, Consultant Costs, etc.
• Collect Voice of Customer Feedback (TA-NPS) from Hiring Managers, Candidates, Vendors, etc

 
Qualifications
 
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR THIS ROLE

Academic and Professional Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree or recognised equivalent from a recognised University
• Member of IHRM or other recognised professional body
• Specialist professional qualification in Talent Acquisition are desirable

Work Experience

• Minimum of 5 years Talent Acquisition experience in a busy large enterprise, either as a specialist or in a generalist role where Talent Acquisition was at the minimum 70% of the role accountability
• Sound experience as an implant recruiter or within a search firm with sophisticated partner account management processes is also welcome
• Experience handling high volume recruitment as well as specialist and senior roles
• Understanding and experience of developing talent acquisition strategies, sourcing strategies and managing multiple recruitment channels to deliver recruitment targets within budget. 
• Good knowledge of the talent landscape in the within the Group’s markets of operation
• Hiring in any of Big-tech, Oil & Gas, Mining and Extractives, insurance industries is desirable experience
• Well-developed consulting skills and experience in translating business objectives into Talent Acquisition solutions through robust Business Insight Conversations
• Knowledge of / exposure to relevant employment legislation (e.g. employment act, data protection act,)

Skills and Competencies required for this Role.

• Advanced Stakeholder Management Skills
• Research Skills – Digital search skills are critical to the success of this role i.e. Mining professional networks such as LinkedIn
• Strong networking skills
• Ability to write complex reports for stakeholder consumption, includes professional interview outcome summaries and pre-screening summaries
• Strong planning and organisation skill
• Drive for results
• Advanced consulting and business partner skills