One year ago, The Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals (ATAP) was born. Looking back not just on this past year but on the several years it took to advance ATAP from concept to reality, I can’t help to be amazed by what we’ve accomplished so far.
It all started with Gerry Crispin and I coming to the realization that the only thing that could truly advance and formalize our profession was a representative body. Fast forward a few years and a small group of colleagues agreed with Gerry and I that this was a promising idea, and that we needed to make it happen.
Over the course of the next year and a half two dozen volunteers worked to mold the identity of the organization and how it would be launched. All of this led up to ATAP’s formal incorporation in the District of Columbia in September 2016, when we commenced our soft-launch to tell the world, “A new association for you, the Talent Acquisition professional, is finally here!”
In what has been a true grassroots, all volunteer effort (with too many people to thank here, but we do thank all of you), our achievements to date have been nothing but extraordinary. In just one year we have:
– Selected a Board of Directors
– Achieved 501 (c) 6 Non-Profit status
– Launched a website (which will continue to be expanded)
– Established a presence on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn with hundreds of followers
– Signed up 360+ individual members (including 75+ charter members) in over a half-dozen countries, 3 corporate members (EY, Celanese & Gwinnett Medical Center) and 4 sponsors (Greenhouse, Checkster, ri’kroot’d, and Symphony Talent)
– Launched several volunteer Board Committees that are expanding ATAP’s capabilities in marketing, membership, networking affiliation and more
– Launched multiple volunteer Working Committees to focus on defining ethical and body of knowledge topics
– Conducted 3 sessions to peer validate the work of the Working Committees at SRSC (Ethical Social Recruiting), TAG Recruiting Society (Code of Ethics) and SourceCon (Sourcing Metrics) …with more coming
…and we are still just getting started. In fact, as much as we are a grassroots non-profit, I also see us very much as a start-up. In building ATAP from scratch, we wanted to build an organization that would be built-to-last. A professional association for the 21st century that would be inclusive, member-driven, unbiased, transparent and future-oriented. ATAP will never be about one person or an ivory tower. ATAP will always be focused first and foremost on advancing the profession and what is in the best interest of our members.
As a start-up, we are still figuring some things out. Start-ups have bumpy launches, and ATAP is no exception. We are constantly exploring new opportunities to engage our members and sponsors and offer them greater value, as we are nothing without their support.
People ask me constantly, “what can I do to get involved and support ATAP?” The answer is simple, really: become a member, individual or corporate. Become a sponsor. Membership and sponsorship provide you the opportunity to get involved in our work, to have an impact on the development of educational, measurement and ethical standards, and to have your voice heard on advocacy issues that will drive our great profession forward. Membership and sponsorship also provide ATAP with the financial support it needs to continue to grow its infrastructure and, hopefully soon, add paid staff. The bottom line in our early stage is the bottom line, and more revenue enables ATAP to do more, faster.
So, whether you are looking to spend budget for the remainder of 2017 or are planning budget for 2018, explore individual regular or charter membership options at https://atapglobal.org/join. Explore sponsorship options at https://atapglobal.org/sponsor. And for corporate membership options, please contact me directly at ben@atapglobal.org.
The future of our profession is bright, and ATAP is ready to lead the way. Join us and make your mark on the future of Talent Acquisition.
Ben Gotkin
Executive Director
Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals