Building a talent pipeline helps you gain a deeper understanding of people that join your company and spend less time trying to look for candidates to fill your open positions. With the right practices, you can create a pipeline that benefits both your company and the candidates that you are considering for your open positions. Below are a few important things to consider when you set out to build a reliable talent pipeline for your business that gives you easier access to top-notch candidates that can fill vital positions in your company.
Know What You Want
It is important that you are clear about exactly what kind of talent your organization is looking for. Is there one specific kind of worker that you always have a high demand for, or are you looking to have access to talent in a wide array of fields? Hold a meeting with your HR department and relevant hiring managers to come to a consensus about exactly what you want your talent pipeline to consist of and how it should be prioritized.
Write Excellent Job Descriptions
Do not be vague or use broad terms when you write your job descriptions. Make sure that everyone that will be involved with the role, from supervisors to teammates, understands how the role will fit into the larger organization. It is also important that your job description makes sense to people that will be reading it: you may need to revise the description several times and have multiple people at the company look it over before you decide to publish it. A job description should sell and accurate but attractive portrayal of working for your company.
Engage In Proactive Recruiting
On the LinkedIn Talent Blog, Heather Parrot touts the importance of proactive or relationship recruiting where a company or recruiter actively builds a long-term professional relationship with talent even if the candidate is not looking for a new job or the company is not looking to hire anyone at the moment. Proactive recruiting will be extremely helpful in building your talent pipeline, because you will not have to desperately search around for candidates to fill openings at your company as they come up. Parrot goes on to say that while relationship recruiting may take some time, it will be worth the effort because it helps you become more confident that potential candidates will fit into the culture of your company. To succeed in proactive recruiting, make sure that you are always keeping an eye out for people that are a good fit for your company culture, even if they are not currently looking for a new job. Or simply partner with a recruitment firm that specializes in relationship recruiting in your areas of need; they’ll do all the heavy lifting for you!
Network Properly
Attending industry events and networking functions is a great way to build up your talent pipeline by meeting people that are a good fit for your company culture. Be sure that you stay in touch with these individuals and help them when it is feasible for your organization to do so, which will keep you on their radar for the future when you have job openings that you need to fill.
Improve Your Social Media Presence
Some of the most effective recruitment today is done online. Establishing a strong social media presence will allow your business to show off its company values and culture, which will help you attract like-minded individuals that would be a good fit with the organization. Social media networks also help you keep in touch with candidates outside your immediate geographic area.
Don’t have the time or resources to build your own talent pipeline? Leverage ours!
Of course if all of the above sounds like an incredibly valuable but onerous undertaking, we at The Headhunters are experts in building and growing relevant talent pipelines. Our recruitment consultants are specialized in their own area of recruitment expertise e.g. Accounting & Finance, Engineering. They have spent years developing deep and loyal relationships with top talent; giving you access to thousands of ‘A’ players you won’t find on the open job market.
