Sourcing and recruiting the best candidates for your job is usually not an easy nor quick process. Qualified applicants for your role that also make a good fit for your organization can be quite scarce and therefore the recruitment process is of significant importance and should be taken very seriously. And, contrary to common thought, it´s not just the final stages of the recruitment process with interviews and offers that tend to be the most challenging, it´s what comes before that: it´s finding the pipeline of qualified candidates that enter the process.
Here are 4 tips to get you started on improving your access for qualified applicants for your role:
- Establish a pipeline even when you´re not actively hiring
Speaking of that pipeline, make sure to always have a pipeline with qualified profiles for possible successors, especially for your business-critical positions even when you´re not hiring. If you need to start thinking about interesting profiles in the market when a position opens up, you´re already a bit too late. Instead always keep an eye open on the market and stay in touch with qualified candidates so that you already have this overview when you have a vacancy.
- Get the right help
We have said it before but recruiting is not easy, so do not hesitate to get the right help in order to make sure you can find qualified candidates for your positions. A staffing agency will not only have a large database full of skilled profiles for the job, they also have access to many recruitment platforms and networks thereby generating a much bigger reach to qualified applicants than you will have as an individual company. In addition, getting help with the process will save you a lot of time, which you can dedicate to more pressing issues for your company. This is their expertise; your expertise is probably something else so for your business it´s usually best to spend your time there. Finally, their recruitment experience and also knowledge of the market will ensure that you have a much great pipeline of great candidates to enter the recruitment process. This knowledge will not only help you to find the right candidates but also develop the right strategies for onboarding and retaining them.
- Be active in industry events
By being active in relevant industry conferences and networking events, you automatically expand your network and meet relevant people that could be good fits for future positions in your organization. By being out and about, you have immediate access to the best industry professionals and top talent from all over. If you can, take it one step further and look at specialized events as well. E.g. send your marketing teams to important events for marketing professionals, your financial guys to the financial conferences etc. so they also have a good network of great professionals in their respective functional areas.
- Get online
Apart from networking offline, don´t forget to network online as well. Be active on LinkedIn, not just to find interesting profiles but also participate in relevant groups and discussion forums. Make sure your company has a great profile and also posts regularly about relevant industry developments or company updates. Connect with industry professionals and create a great network online as well of talent you can tap into when you have a position opening up.
In summary, when thinking about your recruitment process, don´t just focus on the interviewing and making great offers but also on the beginning of the process: finding the right candidates for entering the process. You can have the best selection process, but you will need qualified candidates to select from.
What are your tips for finding qualified candidates for your open positions?