Building your talent pool

A talent pool is a hugely powerful tool and during times of uncertainty or crisis, such as we are all facing now, there is no better time than to start building one if you haven’t done so already. It will mean that as soon as you are in a position to recruit, you will have access to a group of people who are already engaged and interested in your company, and who are most likely to be relevant to your business needs.

Yet despite the obvious benefits in having a supply of talent ready and waiting, many businesses do not invest enough time building these databases. As specialist recruiters, we regularly develop pools of talent to help fill our client’s brief and we have gathered together some of our top tips for companies looking at building their own talent networks.

Hone your talent acquisition strategy

First and foremost, you need to have a good understanding of both the current, and future needs of your organisation. Even with the most successful recruitment drives, there is a natural time lag between the role being advertised and the employee actually entering the workplace. Multi-staged interview processes and lengthy notice periods often conspire to make placements take longer than anticipated. If you know what skills you are likely to need in a year’s time, taking the time to find potential individuals who might fit these skills now will mean you can act a lot faster when the time comes. This is particularly important if you are a business that relies on people with skills that are in high demand, but low supply, such as the semiconductor industry. Identifying these individuals and taking steps to build a rapport with them will go a long way in putting you ahead of your competitors.

Prioritise your employer brand

Without a strong employer brand, you may find it harder to attract skilled candidates in the first place, let alone build a bank of potentially interested parties. Although it’s not a quick fix, investing in your employer brand and building a business where people want to work will play dividends in helping you to create a talent pool and attract highly skilled individuals to your business.

As part of this, take time to think through how you want to market your business to potential new recruits. Develop a social strategy for your business that aims to bring to life the best bits. Platforms like LinkedIn are obvious areas of focus, so use your company page to share updates about your business and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise. Video content can clearly show what it’s like to work for your company, whilst interviews with existing employees can bring your business to life. Consider using other platforms like Instagram too, as these are a slightly softer approach and are ideal for celebrating employee achievements and showing the everyday happenings in your company.

Use your networks

Spend time finding and researching the individuals who might fit your talent requirements. LinkedIn is a fantastic tool in helping you to search for, and connect with, potential future recruits.

Importantly though, you don’t have to build this pool of talent alone. This is particularly pertinent if you are looking to build a pool of skilled people, but the skillset is quite niche or hard to come by. Here a specialist recruiter will prove invaluable as they will already have strong networks and good relationships with the individuals that you might wish to target. 

Naturally you have to be compliant with GDPR, but if a candidate has sanctioned it, then look to maintain contact with those people already in your network who have recently applied to advertised roles. While they might not have been the perfect match for your existing role, they may offer other skills or experience. Their career will only continue to grow, and they could represent an ideal hire in the future. 

While a lot of the measures outlined in this article require longer term planning, it is vital that you do take time to address them. Having access to a good talent pool will set you apart from the competition and if you put in the effort now, it will certainly pay off in the long run.

Building an effective talent pool starts with an attractive employer brand. For help and advice on crafting your employer brand and filling your talent pool, get in touch with one of our consultants today.