The demand for talent is at an all-time high. Of course, you already know that. But to snag the best people, you can no longer (and probably never could) rely on all-too-typical job postings to see who comes knocking. To make sure you’re meeting your talent needs on an ongoing basis, you’ve got to have an effective candidate pipeline.
Of course, you probably know that too. And yet…
Look, I know working toward future hires takes extra time that you feel like you don’t have in your already jam-packed day. But unless you make the effort to invest in your company’s future, there may not be much of one. Here are some tips and techniques for building a winning strategy to create a terrific talent pipeline:
Build your Employer Brand
This should be first on your to-do list. Having an employer brand that resonates with potential candidates does a lot of the heavy lifting for you. It’s enables you to engage with passive talent and nurture relationships. Best of all, you can take small, easy steps now to develop your employer brand. For instance, start by encouraging employees to tell their stories on your company’s and their own social media channels. (Provided, you know, they aren’t trashing your org!) Similarly, stay active on your business’ social channels. For example, when your company showcases a new product or something cool, make sure you comment on that post.
Organize Your Tech
There’s a good chance you’re using a whole bunch of talent acquisition tech that extends well beyond your ATS. With so many systems, it can be difficult to keep track of your active and passive candidates. Throw in a heavy requisition load and not enough hours in the day, and you can quickly feel overwhelmed. This is where CRM software comes in handy to track and communicate with candidates. It may take some time to get used to, but I am currently in the process of using CRM tech, and it’s proven really useful in creating a candidate pipeline.
Prioritize Your Goals
Most of us have positions for which we tend to recruit over and over. For me, they happen to be in sales. Therefore, I focus on building a national candidate pipeline of talented sales folks. IT positions? Not so much, because my company doesn’t require many of them. I also have certain markets that regularly need more talent, so I make sure to pay extra attention to them. Point is, whatever your niche, make it a priority to assemble a quality community of talent with which to engage continually.
Stay Accessible
An important component of building a candidate pipeline is being visible. Don’t hide behind a wall of application systems and automation. Candidates want to know where to find you. So when you post a job on LinkedIn, include your profile so people can contact you. And then reply to people when they do (when it makes sense, naturally). Don’t snub interested candidates. How do you think that would make them feel about your company? Exactly.
Talk To Referrals
Referrals are your best source for hires. Research shows that referrals account for 40% of all hires yet only 7% of applicants. See that wide gulf right there? That spells opportunity for you. Referrals are also great because employees who refer candidates can give unique insights into those people — and let candidates know the real deal about working at your company. In other words, they help pre-screen people.
Again, I know your days are filled with endless to-do lists. I get it. I am in the same boat. But taking the time to develop your candidate pipeline with high-quality talent will ultimately make your job easier. Plus, it will show your peers what a rockstar recruiter you are. And we all want to be rock stars.