The Power of Data in Talent Acquisition: Key Takeaways from the Fifth HR Experience Sharing Breakfast

Intuition vs. Data: Why Gut Feelings Are No Longer Enough

Historically, intuition and experience have played a significant role in talent acquisition, helping recruiters assess candidates’ suitability and make hiring decisions. However, in an ever-changing and challenging labour market, intuition alone is no longer enough. One of the key conclusions of the seminar was that data is playing an increasingly important role in successful recruitment. It serves as an objective tool that helps identify which recruitment channels and methods are genuinely effective and which stages of the process require improvement.

Lidl’s Experience: Measuring What Truly Makes a Difference

SIA “Lidl Latvija” is part of an international retail network known in Latvia not only for its rapid growth but also for its strategic approach to talent acquisition. For the fourth consecutive year, the company has received the international “Top Employer” certification, earning particular recognition for its work in talent acquisition, onboarding, and employee training.

Evija Kaminska and Baiba Deksne emphasised that these results are based not only on a strong employer brand but also on thorough data analysis. By measuring specific indicators, the company can assess the resources required to recruit one employee, the length of the recruitment cycle, and the quality of the candidate experience throughout the process.

Which KPIs Really Matter in Everyday Decision-Making?

Organisations often face the question of what exactly they should measure. There can be a vast amount of data available, but not every metric provides real value. During the HR Experience Sharing Breakfast, the key talent acquisition KPIs used by Lidl’s Baltic team in its daily work were discussed. In addition to traditional metrics, such as the number of open vacancies and applications received, particular attention is given to application processing time, the offer acceptance rate, and time to hire.

The importance of measuring employee turnover and early employee turnover during the probationary period (early fluctuation) was also highlighted. This metric clearly indicates whether the expectations communicated during recruitment align with the actual working environment and whether candidates have been selected effectively.

The most important thing is not simply to collect figures but to turn them into action — using the insights gained to justify necessary changes to recruitment strategies or budgets and, ultimately, to build more effective teams.

Candidates Are Also Your Customers

One of the most striking takeaways regarding the candidate experience was a simple but often overlooked truth: “Candidates are also store customers.” The way an organisation communicates with candidates, even when rejecting their applications, directly influences whether they will want to return to the company as customers. Measuring and improving the candidate experience is therefore not just an HR responsibility but also a matter of overall business reputation.

Conclusion

The key takeaway from the fifth HR Experience Sharing Breakfast is clear: talent acquisition processes cannot be systematically improved if they are not measured. Data is a powerful tool for informed decision-making in HR, helping organisations save time and resources while achieving their business objectives more effectively.

Thank you to our speakers, Evija and Baiba, as well as all participants, for their engagement and for strengthening our community! We look forward to seeing you at future ASTRAL Executive Search events, where we will continue to have open conversations about what truly matters in HR.