A company’s talent acquisition strategy is vital to achieving its business goals. That’s why it’s essential to take a big-picture approach to recruiting and look for candidates that will complement the current organization and its plans.
Talent sourcing can be done through various methods, such as advertising job openings, searching social media sites, and holding virtual hiring events.
Identify Your Talent Pipeline
Sourcing is a critical step in the hiring process that involves identifying, attracting, and engaging potential candidates for a job opening. Greenhouse sourcing ensures a diverse and qualified candidate pool. A talent pipeline is a collection of talented candidates you can access on demand to fill roles.
It typically includes internal candidates considered high-potential for future roles and external candidates whose skills match current or upcoming requirements.
Passive talent refers to potential job candidates who are not actively seeking employment but are interested in your company’s culture and values. By building and nurturing relationships with these individuals, you can keep them engaged without constantly presenting them with job openings.
This approach can help you establish a pool of interested and qualified candidates for future hiring needs.
Regularly reviewing and evaluating your talent pipeline is crucial to align it with your business needs. If you don’t, you might find yourself keeping candidates on standby who aren’t a fit for your organization in the long run.
Build a Reputation
Building your employer brand and making a great first impression on candidates is essential. It includes addressing candidates by name, communicating in a personalized way, and providing timely updates on the hiring process.
It will show potential hires that your firm values them as individuals and cares about making them a part of the team. It also gives them a positive perception of the company and makes them more likely to share their experience with others, boosting your brand’s reputation as an excellent workplace.
A proactive talent sourcing strategy can save time and resources in the long run. Passive candidates are valuable for future hiring needs. Building a relationship with them is wise.
Make a Great First Impression
Whether your organization is starting or growing, you can build a talent pipeline with proactive sourcing strategies. Start building relationships with candidates before a position opens by connecting with them through networking events and professional platforms.
This way, when a job does become available, you can quickly reach out to those candidates who have already been introduced to your brand.
While most recruiters rely on widespread recruitment and networking channels, consider incorporating less traditional methods into your sourcing strategy. For example, ask your existing employees to refer their friends who may be a good fit for the company.
Then, follow up with these candidates and encourage them to apply for a role. The personalized candidate experience will leave a remarkable impression and increase your brand’s credibility as an employer.
Reach Out to Diverse Candidates
Please keep the conversation going with candidates even after they have been screened out of your hiring process. It keeps the momentum they had when they applied and shows that you are invested in their success.
Broaden your search beyond the usual channels to find talent from underrepresented communities (for example, online recruiting events outside traditional job boards and universities for black or female developers). Also, make sure you use inclusive language in your descriptions and postings.
Another way to expand your talent pool is by leveraging your employees’ networks. Incentives like referral bonuses are a great way to encourage your team to find diverse candidates, mainly when they include marginalized identity groups. By doing this, you can create a recruitment program that prioritizes diversity.
Stay Connected
While some companies may believe that the best people are only available for a limited time, great candidates are always available. That’s why sourcing talent and keeping up with the recruitment process is essential for a successful business.
Keep up with the latest hiring trends and utilize AI-powered tools to identify candidates who match your criteria. It saves recruiters valuable time and yields more reliable results.
Staying connected with potential employees and creating a solid relationship is also essential. One way to do this is using social media platforms to promote job openings and showcase company culture. Additionally, it’s a good idea to send follow-up emails to candidates to see how they are progressing in the interview process.
Article and permission to publish here provided by Steve Barker. Originally written for Supply Chain Game Changer and published on April 6, 2024.
Cover image by Isabela bela from Pixabay.