When you need to fill a vacant position, your goal is to find the absolute best candidate available. The issue is, if you aren’t attracting the right talent in the first place, find the ideal professional for the role can be surprisingly challenging.
Luckily, there are things you can do to improve the quality of your talent pipeline. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are six great ways to attract better candidates to your team.
1. Engage One-on-One
Cultivating a high-quality talent pipeline often means engaging with stellar candidates well before you need them. That way, you can develop a rapport, increasing their interest in your opportunities over time.
One of the best ways to create the right level of engagement is with one-on-one conversations. Ideally, you want to invite them in for an in-person meeting, including a discussion with yourself and a chance to meet your team. However, if COVID-19 restrictions are still in place at your company, video chats can work, too.
The idea is to have conversations about their career goals and capabilities, allowing you to identify alignment points based on what your company can offer. It’s more casual than interviewing, focusing more on relationship building than anything else.
2. Set Up an Employee Referral Program
If your team already has some great talent in the mix, ask them for referrals. In most cases, professionals have robust networks brimming with highly skilled candidates. By setting up a simple employee referral program, you make it easy for them to provide recommendations, making it easier to tap into the power of their networks, too.
3. Make Leaders Accessible
It isn’t uncommon for company leaders to seem a bit mythical. If yours aren’t regularly engaging with employees and the local community, consider changing that. By having them engage with team members, speak at events, and take similar actions, they seem more accessible and authentic, which can work in your favor.
4. Focus on Mentoring, Not Just Managing
While managers need to provide their team with clear guidance and formal expectations, adopting a mentorship mindset can reap dividends. The approach is more supportive, showcasing your desire to help your team grow. Over time, it also influences your culture, often in a way that candidates will notice.
5. Stay in Touch with Past Employees
When a great employee leaves, don’t sever the relationship. If they exited on good terms, they might be open to rejoining the company later. This is especially true of short-term hires who may have preferred to stay, as they may genuinely appreciate all opportunities to come back.
6. Partner with a Recruitment Agency
Recruitment agencies have well-developed talent pools filled with excellent candidates. They work diligently to cultivate those relationships, ensuring candidate engagement is high among active and passive job seekers alike.
If you want to attract better talent, the staff at The Advance Group can help. Contact us today.
