Talent Acquisition Specialist

Description

Position Summary:

The Talent Acquisition Specialist is a member of the Human Resources team and is responsible for leading day-to-day recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention of Association youth development staff, with a primary focus on licensed childcare programs and positions.

This position owns the full recruitment cycle for assigned youth development positions, from posting positions, candidate communication, interviewing, pre-employment requirements, and early onboarding. The TA Specialist partners closely with Childcare and Youth Directors to better understand workforce needs and ensure positions are filled efficiently with qualified, high-quality, mission-driven talent.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, and relationship-focused, with strong communication skills and the ability to manage multiple recruitment priorities in a fast-paced environment. They demonstrate sound judgment, attention to detail, and a commitment to creating a positive candidate experience while building strong partnerships with hiring managers. A passion for youth development and the YMCA’s mission, along with the ability to identify and attract qualified, mission-driven talent, is essential to success in this role

Essential Functions: 

Recruitment

• Works collaboratively with program leaders to understand staffing needs and acts accordingly.
• Creates, updates, and posts job opportunities through appropriate recruitment channels, including the YMCA career site, job boards, community partners, and other recruitment resources.
• Reviews applications and resumes and identifies candidates who meet position requirements.
• Conducts phone screens and initial candidate conversations to assess qualifications, availability, interest, and alignment with position requirements.
• Coordinates interviews and communicates with candidates throughout the recruitment process.
• Conducts or coordinates interviews in accordance with established hiring process.
• Maintains timely and consistent communication with candidates, hiring managers, and other stakeholders throughout the recruitment process.
• Coordinates pre-employment requirements and other required screenings.
• Assists in preparing and extending offers of employment and communicates hiring requirements and next steps to selected candidates.
• Attends job fairs and community events for recruitment opportunities.
• Research local and national trends to keep abreast of effective recruitment strategies.

Onboarding

• Serves as the primary HR contact for newly hired youth development employees during the early onboarding process.
• Coordinates required pre-employment and onboarding activities to ensure new hires are prepared to begin employment.
• Communicates onboarding expectations, required documentation, training, and other employment requirements to new staff.
• Monitors completion of required onboarding steps and follows up with employees and department leaders when requirements are incomplete.
• Partners with program leaders to ensure new employees are connected to their department and receive appropriate program-specific information and support.
• Supports early employee engagement and retention by maintaining regular communication with new hires during the initial employment period and identifying concerns or barriers that may impact retention.
• Tracks education requirements and compliance plans for Youth Development staff in partnership with Childcare leadership and Human Resources.
• Follows up with employees who are working toward required education or credentials and communicates upcoming deadlines and outstanding requirements.

Perform additional duties as assigned to ensure the success of the YMCA and its mission-driven work.

Compensation: 

$23.00 - $25.00 ; Full-Time Hourly, Non-Exempt (40 hours/week)

Benefits:

• Free YMCA Family Membership – Enjoy full access to facilities & program discounts for you and your family!
• 20% Childcare Discount – Discount is off the regular rate for each child enrolled in a YMCA childcare program, excluding the infant room.
• Comprehensive Medical Coverage – Up to 93% employer paid plan options through Blue Care Network.
• Dental and Vision Insurance – low-cost coverage options.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) – Receive up to $1,040 in employer contributions each year to help cover qualified medical expenses.
• Generous Paid Time Off – Beginning with 3 weeks of PTO per year, plus 9 paid holidays.
• Paid Parental Leave - Dedicated time off to support you during the arrival or adoption of a child.
• Retirement Savings – 12% employer retirement contribution, no match requirement (upon eligibility) and a 403(b) savings plan.
• Paid Disability Leave – short & long term disability coverage.
• Life Insurance – employer paid life insurance, plus voluntary coverage for the entire family.
• Optional Insurance – Customize your coverage with options like accident, hospital, pet, and legal insurance, plus more to fit your lifestyle and needs.
• Pay on Demand – Access your earned wages before payday.
• Professional Growth – Access to ongoing training, development programs, and career advancement opportunities.
• Loan Forgiveness - Eligible employees can also take advantage of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Free, confidential resources and counseling for you and your family.

Requirements

 Qualifications: 

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; additional education or training in Human Resources, Business, Early Childhood Education, Youth Development, or a related field is preferred but not required.
• Experience: 1–3 years of experience in recruitment, talent acquisition, staffing, or a related field.
• Basic experience working with or within licensed youth development programs, such as early childhood education, classroom teaching, before and after school, camps, or other youth-serving programs.
• Proven Expertise: Strong human relation skills, oral and written communication skills, and organizational skills; a strong sense of time management; high attention to detail; and the ability to exercise discretion required. Strong proficiency with Microsoft applications including Excel and Word required. Ability to learn and operate Association HRIS systems
• Mission-Driven Leadership: Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess and align department initiatives with organizational goals. Ability to interact with people of all ethnic backgrounds, ages and lifestyles.

Certificates and Licenses

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) within the first 60 days
• First Aid Certification required within the first 60 days
• Blood Borne Pathogen training
• State of Michigan criminal background clearance (ICHAT)
• Fingerprinting

Work Environment and Physical Demands: 

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. 
• Ability to communicate effectively to all levels of the organization. 
• Ability to apply critical thinking skills to troubleshoot and perform root cause analysis. 
• Ability to present data and concepts to large groups of people and be understood. 
• Ability to add and subtract two digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's. 
• Ability to apply common sense understanding in order to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. 
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand. The employee is occasionally required to walk, climb, or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. 

Applications accepted until 5 PM on Friday, October 23.