Talent Acquisition Specialist

Under the direction of the Human Resources Manager, this position collaborates closely with hiring managers focusing on attracting and hiring top talent to meet TRS’s strategic goals. The primary focus is on creating and implementing effective recruitment strategies, identifying job requirements, building a pipeline of qualified candidates, and conducting initial screening and/or interviewing. Responsible for managing both the internal and external recruiting processes. This role requires strong research skills, excellent communication, and a passion for connecting with people. Essential Functions: • In collaboration with the Human Resource Manager and TRS hiring managers, develops long-term talent strategies and processes focusing on recruiting and optimizing TRS’s overall talent acquisition function. • Develop talent-related processes, practices, and strategies with an emphasis on diverse recruitment activities. • Manage candidate expectations and engage with talent throughout the hiring process, communicating regularly with candidates to ensure a positive experience. • Works with the HR Business partner to calculate, analyze, and interpret various types of recruitment metrics (time to fill, vacancy rate, offer acceptance rates, declination reasons, etc.) to advise leaders on recruitment strategies and set realistic expectations on time to fill, compensation, candidate pool quality, and market feedback. • Collaborate closely with HR Business Partners to understand workforce needs, role priorities, and organizational objectives, ensuring alignment between talent acquisition efforts and broader HR strategies. • Source and engage with active and passive talent and connect them to current job opportunities. • Develop strong relationships with leaders to gain a deep understanding of recruitment needs and work to develop pools of candidates to fill vacancies. • Track sourcing metrics and provide regular reports on candidate pipelines, outreach success, and hiring progress. • Screen resumes and applications for key qualifications, experience, and cultural fit. • Conduct initial candidate outreach and prescreening interviews to assess skills, interest, and availability. • Act as a talent advisor to candidates, creating meaningful interactions that reinforce the company’s culture, values, and long-term career opportunities. • Schedule interviews and manage candidate communications throughout the hiring process. • Maintain candidate databases, tracking interactions and ensuring accurate and up-to-date records in the applicant tracking system (ATS). • Assist in employer branding initiatives to promote the company as an employer of choice. • Stay current on labor market trends, competitive hiring practices, sourcing tools, recruiting technologies, and talent availability to inform recruitment strategies. • Creates job requisitions and monitors approvals in the HRIS system to support the timely filling of positions across the system. • Market open positions via the agency’s careers page and job boards such as Indeed, LinkedIn, etc, and attend recruitment events, career fairs, and other talent acquisition activities as needed. • Work with Communications to develop advertisement materials, such as flyers, digital media, and promotional products. • Source candidates utilizing social media, resume databases, Boolean searches, industry contacts, professional networks, etc. and develop creative sourcing strategies for hard-to-fill positions. • Engage with active and passive talent and connect them to current job opportunities. • Partner with hiring managers to identify competency questions for interview consistency and quality. • Assist in creating job postings, ensuring clarity, inclusivity, and alignment with company values. • Drafts and utilizes templates for TA communications, such as application received messages, knockout notices, interview requests, rejection emails, and offer letters. • Works to ensure diverse, inclusive, and equitable hiring practices. • Assists with talent acquisition projects and initiatives such as internship programs and internal career pathing. • Performs other duties as assigned Knowledge/Skills/Abilities • Demonstrated ability to set up, interpret and track relevant HR metrics and key performance indicators to drive recruitment results • Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to actively listen for understanding • Excellent collaboration and team building skills • Effectively coaches and delivers constructive feedback • Relationship-building and interpersonal skills. • Analytical mindset for sourcing and evaluating candidates. • Strong research, networking, and candidate engagement skills. • Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision-making skills Minimum Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related field or experience in lieu of degree.  Master’s Degree preferred Five (5) years of experience in Talent Acquisition with experience in recruiting and/or sourcing top talent   Preferred Qualifications: PHR, SHRM-CP, or Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter certification is preferred Please note: The salary range listed for this position is based on the Springfield, IL market. The salary range for Lisle is $73,555 - $115,058. If you thrive in a dynamic environment and enjoy collaborating with driven, enthusiastic professionals, you will find a rewarding career with us. For Illinois job seekers: Pay Range $70,243.00 - $109,579.00 Compensation will be determined based on the qualifications and experience of each candidate. Benefits TRS is an agency of the State of Illinois. As such, full and part-time employees are eligible for the State of Illinois comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental and vision coverage. All employees participate in the TRS retirement pension plan and have the option to contribute to additional State of Illinois deferred compensation plans. The TRS pension plan is a reciprocal system to other state and local pension plans (SERS, SURS, IMRF, etc.)