When you’re looking to hire new employees, it can be challenging to find decent candidates when your talent pool is slim. While a small talent pool can aid you in narrowing down candidates more easily, it also greatly limits your options for whom to hire.
Knowing how to expand your talent pool before the recruiting process begins is a great way to hire more effectively and fill the job you’re hiring for. Consider the following tips as you look to expand your talent pool for a more effective recruitment strategy at your company.
There are many reasons for recruiters to expand their talent pool when hiring for a position. Not only does it make job recruitment much easier, but it also allows you to:
If you need to know how to expand your talent pool but you’re not sure where to begin, consider the following talent acquisition strategies to get started.
Building a positive company culture is crucial for attracting potential talent to your organization. A work setting that’s both welcoming and flexible can help foster better work ethic and camaraderie among employees. If you want to attract great talent and retain it, it’s best to create an environment where your employees feel valued, both as individuals and together as a team.
Certain locations may not be ideal for finding a particular set of skills or experience, forcing you to look elsewhere. This is a great opportunity to research where top talent for the job position may be, so you know what locations to target with your recruiting efforts.
Consider looking for talent in other areas of the country or even internationally. It’s important to look in specific places to find appropriately skilled individuals, so do your research ahead of time to ensure you’re directing your company’s open positions to the right places.
Social media is a great tool for finding a wider, more diverse talent pool and can be very cost-effective when used correctly. With social media platforms, you can target candidates directly and engage with them one-on-one by informing them of job opportunities at your company.
Social media can also increase your brand awareness beyond your current audience. Anyone who stumbles across your page may be more inclined to reach out if they can get a sense of your company branding, messaging, and culture. This way, you can recruit a wider pool of candidates by simply interacting with them and including them in the conversation.
One of the most important steps for how to expand your talent pool is to review your recruitment strategy, make changes where necessary, and get help from an executive search firm when needed.
Your company’s recruiting strategies may already work well enough to find the best candidates when needed, or it may need some updating to keep up with the wants and needs of candidates today. You’ll want to ensure your current recruiting processes are fostering a talent pool for the future, rather than sticking to past methods. Consider the current economic state of the labor market and build job descriptions based on what’s important.
You may also consider a collaborative recruitment strategy, where you work with an executive search firm to access a wider talent pool. Recruiting firms are a great source for finding quality talent since they tend to have a wider pool of candidates to choose from. They can also save you time and money by performing the recruiting process for you.
More and more candidates are seeking job opportunities with the flexibility to work from home part-time or even full-time. Offering this type of flexibility is a great way to make your company more appealing and accommodate each candidate’s wants and needs, especially if they’re in a different geographical area or have family needs to consider.
Looking for remote talent also opens the door to recruiting candidates from various locations worldwide. If your research shows that top talent for the position isn’t local, consider recruiting in other places and offering a remote work scenario so anyone can work for you, no matter their location.
Your current employees can be a great source for finding talent, and if they are offered an incentive to do so, they will likely be more willing to connect you with qualified candidates they know. Many of your employees likely already have an extensive network of professionals they know, and they can advocate for your business by personally reaching out to those individuals.
Developing an Employee Referral Program is a great way to access this potential talent pool since it gives your current employees a reason to recruit others for you. With every successful recruit, consider offering that employee a reward for their efforts.
Like creating a positive company culture, fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace is also very important for attracting a wider talent pool. As a younger generation begins to enter the workplace, many job candidates will be looking for an environment where they feel included and seen.
There are also many benefits to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. Not only does diversity encourage a more well-rounded community, but it also allows individuals to learn from others who come from different backgrounds.
When recruiting for new positions, especially those higher up on the totem pole, it’s wise to look internally for talent, as well. Talent sourcing can be incredibly challenging and may even take longer if you’re looking to fill an executive position or another job placement involving a specific skill set.
Using internal talent can save your company both time and money during the recruiting process. Internal candidates already know the requirements of the job and the company culture, giving them a higher degree of familiarity than outside talent would have.
Additionally, if they’ve already shown themselves to be a great employee, they can be an incredibly valuable and reliable source of talent. You will also be cultivating a workplace that encourages employees to take on open leadership positions and grow in their careers as they become more experienced.
Need help expanding your talent pool? At Spencer Reed Group, we specialize in recruiting candidates for a variety of industries. To learn more, contact us today at 913-663-4400.
