‘Let’s Get Married’: Why it’s time to combine TA & TLOD!

Picture this: I’ve gone from the daily challenges of leading a Talent Acquisition team - where every day feels like playing Whac-A-Mole with job reqs & hurdles to leap - to the calmer, (read: contemplative), life of consulting.

And in this new zen state, one idea really is resonating in my mind: keeping Recruitment and Training, Learning & Organisational Development, (TLOD), separate no longer makes sense.

In fact, it feels counter-productive and damaging to business success.

The rules of recruitment just flipped. Résumés are out. Skills, agility, and potential are in. And TLOD is already ahead of the curve.

TA + TLOD =  One powerhouse Talent function. One leader. One strategy.

Recruitment has changed:  Skills based Hiring is no longer the future…it’s here and now!

Recruitment has already changed. Skills-based hiring isn’t “the future” - it’s happening right now.

This shift redefines talent. It’s no longer about where you’ve been, it’s about what you can do - and what you could grow into. When companies value capability over credentials, they unlock bigger, more diverse talent pools and give people faster, fairer access to meaningful work.

We already see this in early careers hiring. Graduates and apprentices are assessed on potential, not long résumés. The real leap is applying that same mindset to experienced hires, where degree filters and linear CVs still dominate. Many recruiters and leaders aren’t ready for that shift - and honestly, AI may already be better at spotting skills than the traditional recruitment process.

And here’s the thing: Talent Acquisition can’t do this alone. A skills-first approach needs new tools, sharper data, and a completely different mindset. That’s where Talent, Learning & Organisational Development (TLOD) comes in - defining skills taxonomies, mapping career paths, and building the learning systems that help people grow into roles.

Put TA and TLOD together, and you don’t just fix hiring - you build a full talent strategy that fuels mobility, fairness, and growth.

Keeping them separate, with different leaders and siloed priorities? That’s inefficiency at best, self-sabotage at worst.

So here’s the real question: are Chief People Officers ‘ Talent Leaders bold enough to make the change?

Work isn’t what it was five years ago - or even five days ago. The rules have changed:

The talent game has flipped. A degree or CV doesn’t prove someone can do the job anymore - skills do.

And now AI is shaking things up. The boring admin side of recruiting is disappearing, but the real opportunity is bigger: AI can map skills, flag career moves, and even personalise learning. Think of it as a GPS for your workforce.

At the same time, budgets are brutal. Everyone’s being told to do more with less. Which begs the question - why keep spending big on external hires when you’ve already got untapped talent sitting inside your business? Internal mobility isn’t just cheaper; it’s smarter.

And here’s the twist: the skills that matter most aren’t always technical. Adaptability. Curiosity. Communication. These are the things that keep people moving when roles and industries shift.

Now, every part of this is being tracked - from quality of hire to time-to-productivity. Talent has never been analysed this closely.

And don’t forget the candidate. They’re not just hunting for a paycheck; they want growth. If your hiring process still feels like a clunky 2005 web form, you’re losing them before they even click “Apply.”

What the Board Should Be Asking

If your execs aren’t asking these questions yet, they will be:

• Are we hiring for tomorrow’s skills, or yesterday’s résumés?
• Why are we overspending on external hiring instead of building from within?
• How “real” is our EVP - is it just a slogan, or does it match reality?
• How future-fit is our Talent team, and how do we know?
• And here’s the kicker: what’s the cost if we don’t evolve?

Spoiler: merging TA and TLOD helps answer all of these - and makes sure you’re not bleeding cash, talent, and credibility in the process.

The Strategic Marriage of TA + TLOD

So why should Talent Acquisition and TLOD finally come together?  What are the benefits?

Because together they can own the whole talent journey - from attraction and onboarding, through to development and growth — as one joined-up team. That means less duplication, fewer silos, and a smoother experience for both the business and its people. It also means cost savings and stronger impact thanks to shared platforms, streamlined processes, and clearer accountability.

When TA and TLOD operate side by side, internal mobility stops being an afterthought. TA spots potential, TLOD builds the pathways, and employees can see a future inside the business instead of looking elsewhere. It also makes workforce planning sharper: TA brings insights from the external market, TLOD brings knowledge of the internal skills landscape, and together they can make smarter build-versus-buy calls.

The benefits go further. New hires hit the ground running when onboarding and learning are joined up. When new skills are needed, businesses can upskill people rather than panic-hire, which keeps employees motivated and loyal. It creates a skills-first culture where TA focuses on finding capability and TLOD focuses on building it - powering continuous growth.

It also makes the EVP real. What’s promised to candidates is what employees actually experience. And with one shared dashboard covering hiring, learning, mobility, and brand, leaders finally get the full picture.

Most importantly, a combined TA and TLOD gives Talent a stronger, louder voice at the top table. No longer a fragmented HR bolt-on, it becomes a real driver of growth and strategy.

Enter: The Internal Talent Marketplace

Picture this: career growth isn’t hidden in back rooms or based on who you know. An internal talent marketplace flips the script. It’s like your company’s own LinkedIn - a live system that surfaces short projects, stretch gigs, mentorships, training, and even new roles - matched to skills, passions, and ambitions.

For employees, it’s freedom to grow without leaving. For leaders, it’s hidden skills unlocked, silos smashed, and workforce gaps closed fast.

The payoff? Lower attrition, less external hiring, and a future-ready workforce built from within.

When Talent Acquisition and TLOD run this together, it stops being “just another HR tool.” It becomes a movement. People move, grow, and stay. Costs fall. Engagement spikes. Diversity and equity aren’t slogans — they’re built into the system, because opportunity is open to everyone.

This isn’t a platform. It’s the engine of a new talent economy - where people don’t just have jobs, they have futures.

But here’s the problem: truly effective marketplaces (high adoption, smart matches, clear career paths, real retention gains) are rare - rarer than a four-leaf clover. To make it work, you need TA + TLOD + a visionary leader at the helm. That’s the rocket fuel

But Wait… Isn’t This Just About Cost Cutting?

Nope. Sure, budgets are tight and CFOs are sharpening their pencils. But this isn’t about trimming fat - it’s about building a lean, high-performance Talent engine.

You’re not just saving money. You’re:

• Speeding up hiring
• Improving retention
• Getting people into the right roles faster
• Future-proofing the workforce
• Boosting diversity and inclusion (skills-based hiring = less bias, more opportunity)
• Driving real business performance

This is the evolution of Talent. Not a budget hack.

Dearly Beloved…

TA and TLOD have been circling each other for years. But the game has changed. Budgets are under the knife, AI is rewriting the rules, and employees want growth, not platitudes. Keeping the old silos alive isn’t just outdated - it’s self-sabotage.

This isn’t an HR re-org. It’s a strategic reset. The companies brave enough to merge Talent Acquisition and TLOD now will own the edge on speed, agility, and innovation.

And if you don’t? You’ll keep burning cash on external hires you didn’t need. You’ll watch your best people walk out for opportunities you could’ve given them. And your glossy EVP will crack the moment candidates realise the promise doesn’t match the reality.

The choice is stark: evolve or be left behind.

So let’s stop the slow dance. It’s time to make it official. Merge the functions. Tear down the silos. Build a Talent powerhouse fit for the future — not the org chart.

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Did this strike a chord?

I help organisations connect Talent and L&D, build culture that sticks, and craft EVPs people actually believe in. Real change, not theory - and more cost-effective than the big consultancies. Let’s talk.