Episode Key Takeaways
Moving from fragmented regional and local TA teams to a three-pillar operating model—strategy, enablement, and execution—eliminated duplicate work and created a clear pathway for innovation to flow from vision to recruiter. The structure separates horizon-one operational delivery from horizon-two and horizon-three strategic thinking, allowing the organization to stay agile without sacrificing standardization.
A dedicated strategy team of roughly 25 people acts as internal product managers, using design thinking, external benchmarking, and portfolio management to anticipate workforce needs three to five years out. This team designs solutions (like an interview companion AI tool) in partnership with recruiters before handing requirements to enablement, ensuring adoption and relevance.
Transparency and co-design during transformation proved critical: recruiting teams were brought into the redesign journey early, reducing resistance and surprise. When the interview companion tool launched, soft rollout with training and feedback loops—rather than mandate—drove adoption and continuous improvement.
The recruitment strategy meeting (RSM) emerged as a force multiplier: investing in recruiter training on intake conversations unlocked better sourcing, smarter tool use, and downstream efficiency across the entire hiring funnel. This human-centered moment, paired with technology, became the linchpin of the operating model.
A new ‘talent foresights’ capability—three people tasked with scenario modeling how AI and automation will reconfigure jobs, skills, and teams—sits within TA to help the enterprise anticipate workforce disruption. This forward-looking function treats TA as a strategic partner in organizational design, not just hiring execution.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
What is the three-pillar TA operating model?
Strategy (COE, attraction, early talent, executive): 100+ people focused on vision, design, and capability building. Enablement (process team): ~20 people managing hire-to-onboard workflows and tool deployment. Execution (service delivery): 400+ recruiters specializing in frontline, professional, and executive hiring across regions.
How does horizon two and three thinking apply to talent acquisition?
Horizon two/three planning looks three to five years ahead, using the company’s 2030 vision as a driver. Strategy leads align global vision to regional needs, program designers co-create solutions, and portfolio management tracks performance. This prevents TA from reacting only to today’s asks and instead anticipates future workforce needs.
Why separate strategy from enablement and execution?
Separation allows strategy to focus on research, design, and long-term capability building without being pulled into daily operational firefighting. Enablement translates strategy into processes and training. Execution delivers. This structure lets innovation flow top-down while protecting execution teams’ capacity to deliver today’s hires.
What is the talent acquisition value chain?
Start with business problem → conduct internal and external research → assess existing solutions or design new ones → hand requirements to enablement for process and training design → deploy to recruiters with feedback loops. Co-design with recruiters throughout ensures relevance and adoption.
How did PepsiCo manage resistance during TA transformation?
Transparency was key: leadership communicated the transformation upfront, brought recruiting teams into the redesign journey, and used co-design to make recruiters partners in solution development. Soft launches with training and feedback loops—not mandates—built buy-in and allowed continuous improvement.