The constant evolution of the Media industry is promoting the emergence of new platforms and technologies in the picture. As a result, companies need to stay ahead of the curve to succeed in the competitive landscape. That’s where a talented and strategic talent acquisition can influence the sector widely. Harmonizing competency through talent acquisition can be instrumental to an organization’s success due to greater ability and competency. This is facilitated by the understanding of the importance of having a skilled team.
The exceptional and resourceful leader identifying, navigating and ensuring the incorporation of skills and expertise at Dentsu is Destiny Strickland (Talent Acquisition Leader). With years of experience and a keen eye for emerging trends, she is able to identify the best candidates to help the company achieve its goal. Destiny is passionately guiding candidates to share company values and vision supporting a growth-oriented future.
Dentsu offers a simplistic approach to help brands capture opportunities that might come across in the future. They are committed to creating new paths to growth in a sustainable and responsible way, using their insights to connect brand, content, commerce, and experience.
We at CIOLook, interviewed Destiny to understand her outlook on talent acquisition in media services.
Let’s delve into the insights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Dentsu. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?
My career journey started in technical staffing and has taken me through various industries, including professional services and healthcare, and I am currently going to Dentsu, an integrated media company. Having worked through the financial crisis of 2008 and being in the healthcare industry during the COVID pandemic were some of the most challenging times in my career. But these challenges also brought an immense amount of learning and reward.
In 15 years of talent acquisition, I have had the opportunity to explore every aspect of the process. However, my passion for building and transforming teams to achieve high-performance outcomes with optimal operational effectiveness lingered during the course. My career has allowed me to work across multiple industries, the most challenging being the healthcare sector during a pandemic.
Our talent acquisition team was challenged with recruiting and redeploying staff during a state of unknown. But it was also one of the proudest moments as a leader as they showed up, did their best and delivered world-class results.
Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision.
- Dentsu is the network designed for what’s next, helping clients predict and plan for disruptive future opportunities and create new paths to growth in a sustainable economy.
- Taking a people-centered approach to business transformation, we use insights to connect brand, content, commerce and experience underpinned by modern creativity.
- As part of Dentsu Group Inc., we are headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with a 65,000-strong employee base of dedicated professionals working across four regions namely – Japan, the Americas, EMEA and APAC. Dentsu combines Japanese innovation with a diverse and global perspective to drive client growth and shape society.
Dentsu Group Inc. websites: https://www.group.dentsu.com/en/ and https://www.dentsu.com/
Mission:
Dentsu’s mission is to “Innovate the Way Brands Are Built” by delivering value to clients through integrated communication services that combine various marketing disciplines, digital technologies, and creativity. Dentsu aims to create new value for clients and contribute to society by building strong, long-lasting relationships with its stakeholders, including clients, employees, shareholders, and communities.
Vision:
Dentsu’s vision is to become the “Most Integrated Communication Service Provider in the World” by leveraging its unique strengths, including its global network, data-driven insights, and creativity. Dentsu aims to be a company that is trusted and valued by its clients, as well as a company that attracts and retains the best talent in the industry. Additionally, Dentsu seeks to make a positive impact on society through its corporate social responsibility activities and by contributing to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted the talent acquisition niche through your expertise in the market.
Using data to provide insights on how to improve process improvements that lead to a more positive candidate and hiring experience is my passion. This is the area I have made an impact on in the talent acquisition field. When we can impact the experience people have in their recruitment process it directly implies, we will hire higher quality talent that are committed long-term to support the growth of the organization.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization.
Dentsu is a radically collaborative organization and believes all team members can lead. When we work and bring ideas together, we create high-quality outcomes for clients and are a force for good. This also reflects Dentsu fosters a culture of collaboration, empowering every team member to contribute and take on leadership roles. By working together and sharing ideas, the employees are able to deliver exceptional results for clients and make a positive impact.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful and how it will help the HR industry transform?
Leveraging tools to expedite key points in the process for candidates, such as self-scheduling for interviews provide direct access and control of the process for the candidates while maintaining a high-touch process.
One area where technology is transforming Dentsu’s operations is in the field of human resources (HR). Dentsu is leveraging technology to improve HR processes, increase efficiency, and enhance the employee experience. For example, the organization has implemented a range of HR technologies, including cloud-based HR platforms, automated performance management systems, and advanced data analytics tools. This is due to the approach to be employee-centric, data-driven, and efficient in operations.
These technologies enable Dentsu to collect and analyze large amounts of employee data, which helps the company identify patterns and trends related to employee engagement, performance, and retention. Using data to inform HR decisions makes them more informed decisions about talent acquisition and development, as well as identifies opportunities for improving the employee experience.
In addition, Dentsu is using technology to facilitate communication and collaboration between employees, regardless of their physical location. This includes the use of virtual collaboration tools, such as video conferencing and instant messaging platforms, to facilitate real-time communication and collaboration.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for Dentsu?
Continuing to add value to our people at Dentsu and contributing to the Talent Acquisition profession across industries.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the talent acquisition sector?
Understand the market by identifying current market conditions across industries, the gaps and challenges in the existing talent acquisition process and tailor your services accordingly.