2024 TALA Fall Leadership Forum Recap

Last month Villanova HRD students had an opportunity to attend the TALA (Talent Acquisition Leadership Assembly) Fall Leadership Forum! Read on to hear about some of their experiences and learnings from the conference!

The 2024 Fall Leadership Forum focused on the Future of Recruiting. Here are some of the key takeaways!

Pictured: Speaker Steve Myros

TALA Keynote

In this session, speaker Steve Myros presented on the future of recruiting with insights from LinkedIn. Myros shared insights from LinkedIn on the evolving landscape of talent acquisition and workforce trends. LinkedIn, whose mission is centered on creating economic opportunities for everyone, provides a unique real-time view into global shifts in human capital. With new members joining at a rate of seven per second, seven hires happening per minute, and over 200,000 hours of learning daily, LinkedIn’s platform offers a wealth of data on talent movement and development. Myros addressed macroeconomic trends, noting that global GDP growth stands at 2.7% while the U.S. hovers around 2%, indicating a somewhat stabilized post-pandemic hiring environment. However, remote work, a major pandemic shift, remains popular. While only 9% of jobs on LinkedIn are currently remote, a significant 63% of applicants still prefer these roles, highlighting the ongoing demand for work flexibility.

Looking ahead, three primary transformations are reshaping the future of work: AI-powered recruiting, skills-centered hiring, and learning-driven growth. Myros emphasized that AI should be seen as a supportive “copilot” in recruitment, assisting in pre-screening, scheduling, and candidate matching—while leaving the critical, human aspects of culture-building and relationship development to recruiters. Skills are increasingly seen as the currency of the future, with soft skills such as cognitive ability, interpersonal savvy, and self-leadership deemed essential by 72% of executives. LinkedIn projects that communication will be a particularly vital skill by 2025. Lastly, the importance of continual learning was highlighted, with Myros affirming that companies thrive when they invest in their employees’ growth. Closing with an inspiring story from Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, Myros urged HR professionals to consider how they might provide “unreasonable hospitality” in their work, creating unforgettable experiences for candidates and employees alike.

Rock Your Profile

In this session of the event, speaker Steve Myros provided us with a crash course on LinkedIn profiles, underscoring the idea that your profile is your story. He encouraged attendees to define their personal brand by clearly communicating passions, goals, skills, and expertise. Starting with a professional photo that includes only you can significantly boost your presence, increasing connection requests by 9x, profile views by 21x, and messages by 36x. Myros also pointed out LinkedIn’s latest features, like recording the pronunciation of your name and creating a cover story (similar to Instagram Stories), both of which add a personal touch. Crafting a headline that goes beyond your job title helps portray who you are, not just what you do, while a well-written summary serves as your “elevator pitch,” showcasing career aspirations and accomplishments.

Myros advised building out your experience section, including volunteer roles, and describing internships with an emphasis on skills learned and contributions made. Skills endorsements and recommendations from peers can lend credibility, and following companies and influencers can keep you up-to-date on industry trends. When sharing content, authenticity is key; posts can be professional or personal, but they should reflect your true voice. AI can help as a starting point for drafting posts, but nothing beats a genuine perspective. Myros closed with a few LinkedIn best practices for everyone.

Best Practices

Share your authentic voice
Post frequently
Start a conversation or share your point of view
Include rich media to increase engagement
Create an opportunity for reciprocity

Collectively, this session provided a guide on how to create or improve your LinkedIn profile. Steve truly gave detailed step-by-step guide on how to level up your profile. This is especially important when considering both being an applicant and an interviewer in the space of talent acquisition. Also, it was so amazing to learn tips and tricks about LinkedIn from someone who works at LinkedIn! So, if you ever have the opportunity to attend a Steve Myros session, take it because you will not regret it!

Overall, the TALA Fall Leadership Forum was an amazing experience in which students were able to network, learn more about the space of talent acquisition, and gain meaningful insights from a variety of HR professionals!