3 Strategies For Sourcing Candidates To Win 2021
The last year flipped recruiting processes upside down, changing many of the traditions and practices HR leaders had become accustomed to at work. With an expedited rise in digital transformation and a movement toward virtual work, recruiters must find unique strategies for meeting candidates where they are. A lack of available talent and an increase in the competitiveness in the hiring space means that modern recruiters need to distinguish themselves and create an enjoyable candidate experience.
Savvy recruiters realize now is the time to start planning and preparing for a post-COVID recovery. Does your organization have strategies in place for when hiring ramps back up? Do you have the necessary tools and technologies to support recruiting in a virtual capacity? If not, it will be a race for top talent once we enter the recovery phase.
To create a resilient hiring pipeline and lay the foundation for future hiring success, your recruiters need to follow 3 easy strategies to tackle post-COVID growth.
1. Assess Your Skills Gaps And Talent Shortages.
With all the turmoil and uncertainty of this last year, recruiters need to take a step back and analyze their current talent and evaluate any gaps in skills or lack of talent in their departments. This assessment needs to take place regardless of whether your company took a hit or saw signs of significant growth over the course of the pandemic.
Even with talented people continuing to look for work after the layoffs and furloughs of 2020, recruiters will still have their work cut out to remain competitive in hiring. The power is shifting to the candidate, and recruiters need to prepare themselves for a fierce market when it comes to attracting top talent. What talent did you lose out on during the pandemic? What kind of competencies do you need from a new hire to maintain profitable operations?
Once you take the time to assess your current workforce and identify talent gaps, you can begin to align your recruiting goals with your organizational values. To beat out competitors for the best talent, you need a complete view of your current workforce and their strengths.
Tip: In 2021, HR teams are focusing on recruiting diverse employees and building inclusive workplace cultures. Leverage the skills and talent gaps you identified in your assessment to hire a more diverse and unique workforce.
2. Leverage Internal Growth And Mobility To Build A Resilient Workforce.
Too often, employers fail to leverage their existing talent to fill open roles. However, hiring internally helps save your organization time and money. Your current employees are already well versed in the culture and microcosms of your organization. Plus, your current employees understand the expectations and requirements of your positions. Leaning on your existing employees to advance their careers will help you engage your best employees and hire someone you are sure is a good fit.
Internal mobility is an excellent strategy for retaining valuable employees. It helps keep them engaged and showcases your commitment to their progression. Keep in mind that not all internal moves need to be vertical. Sometimes, you can leverage an employee’s skills and talents to better support a different team or function within your business.
Tip: The most efficient recruiters understand the importance of people analytics. Leverage the data and information you collect on current employee performance and potential candidates to make the most informed hiring decision.
3. Lean On Technology To Invigorate Your Recruiting.
The recent workforce disruption forced many of us to embrace new digital tools and technologies that support a remote work format. The best candidate sourcing strategies lean on these tools and technologies to streamline candidate communication, deliver a stellar candidate experience, and connect with candidates in a remote capacity.
Even as organizations begin considering opening up their on-site offices, remote work remains highly popular. Many companies are committing to offering flexible work environments, with some offering partial remote work or full-time remote work. Consequently, talent professionals agree that virtual recruiting will remain the new normal. While your organization may blend and mix virtual and in-person hiring, chances are, the initial stages of candidate sourcing will be done virtually. This flexibility in hiring makes it easier to reach pools of talent from all over the world.
As remote recruiting and flexible work options increase, recruiters and hiring managers need to stay updated on the latest technologies. Embracing communication and automation tools in their hiring workflow will enable recruiters to spend more time strategically connecting with candidates rather than sourcing and sifting through resumes.
Tip: Organizations that perfect their remote interviewing, screening, and onboarding are now placing themselves in a great position to attract top talent when hiring scales up. Taking the time to get your processes nailed down now will pay off later.
To stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in your candidate sourcing, you need to embrace the rise of virtual recruiting and digitization. Finding and implementing new technologies into your recruiting process will help you reach new pools of talent, communicate more effectively with candidates, and reduce time to hire.
Don’t have time to source and recruit candidates yourself? We can help! Our team of expert sourcers is standing by, ready to help support your in-house recruiting efforts when you need it and on-demand. For more information about how IQTalent Partners can help you build your ideal team, reach out and schedule your free consultation now.
This was originally posted on the IQTalent Partners’ blog.
