Sourcing Strategies to Find Talent for Hard-to-Fill Roles
Many companies take on similar approaches towards finding placements for those hard-to-fill roles. The model is simple: post and pray. Many companies post a new role on their website and LinkedIn page and pray… or wait until they hear back. We are here to provide some insight to help guide companies to leverage alternative tactics to inform sourcing strategies and find top talent to fill those difficult positions.
To be successful in today’s digitally inclined climate, companies must be more creative and divergent in their thinking for sourcing strategies. We put together several tips that are based on real time trends across the talent landscape to provide a useful and effective approach to source hard-to-fill roles for your companies.
Don’t forget your network
The name of the game is strong relationships. You most likely have valuable people in your network that can shed a light on talent in places you yourself may not have access to. Consider reaching out to someone that (1) knows a talented person that aligns with the skillset you are looking for and (2) has interviewed people for a comparable role in the past. More often than not, your colleague will have some candidates in mind and share names of recommended persons to help meet your requirements and exceed expectations.
The candidate pipeline
In order to find a needle in a haystack, you must go where the eyeballs are. LinkedIn user groups are at the disposal of the user. An effective sourcing strategy we have seen includes active participation in groups by posting relevant content and latest opportunities. Once you cultivate a valuable community, compelling candidates will come forward organically through this process.
Industry Pulse
It’s important for companies and hiring managers to stay on top of industry news and keep a pulse on talent. A major company has been acquired? One company went under? Whatever it is, this insight will allow companies to keep track of competitors experiencing major changes. There is fruit to bear by reaching out to talent that may be looking for an out in their current company. Are they exploring new options? Find out!
Keep in mind of course that candidates may be put in a difficult place. This is a moment when empathy goes a long way. Make sure to strategically reach out and target only people with that ‘it’ factor and hard to find skillset.
Referrals
According to SHRM, employee referrals are the most powerful source of finding candidates. These referrals are typically great quality and they also close quicker. This approach is time saving and resource friendly. Employees voluntarily offer their insight to the hiring process and add value to talent acquisition, basically becoming what we call brand ambassadors. Leverage your employees and spread the word regarding new available postions.
These examples are just some of the ways companies and hiring teams can get creative with their sourcing strategies. It’s no easy task to find quality talent for those hard-to-fill roles. The methods we identified are effective ways to reach the finish line with the candidate you are pursuing and otherwise would not have known existed.