Building a talent pipeline: 5 simple steps to start

I talk to a lot of organizations and what I often find is that they are still stuck in the reactive mode of filling open positions instead of building a consistent pipeline. A pipeline is all about creating, maintaining and enhancing relationships with talented candidates, including passive and active job seekers. Everyone wants that talent pool available to source from, but they can’t seem to get started.

What are some of the simple ways to begin building a talent pipeline?

 1. Make a commitment to the candidate experience.

As you think through all recruiting, hiring and retention activities, keep the candidate in mind at all times. Where can you reach both active and passive candidates? What kind of content are they looking for? What messages will resonate with them, even the ones who are not openly seeking a job right now? That’s the first step in building the pipeline, because you can’t truly connect with talent unless you are saying something they want to hear.

2. Take better advantage of your Talent Network.

Most employers use their Talent Network to collect names of potential candidates and send out job alerts. The more savvy employers do more than that – they market targeted messages to candidates based on their job families. News about your company, career events, awards or accolades are all appropriate messages that keep interest high and your name in front of the individuals who could be your next hire.

3. Promote your employment brand consistently.

It’s not enough to be visible only when you have an open position. The organizations that are committed to building their employment brands do more than that. They work in the community. They sponsor hiring initiatives. They market themselves through television, radio and online channels. Think about how you can become more than just an occasional presence in the places where candidates might encounter you.

4. Market your career site on an ongoing basis.

Most candidates will link to a job from a posting or from a marketing effort you made for a specific position. Wouldn’t it be great to get some traffic from potential candidates who are just looking around? Try using Google ad campaigns over an extended period of time to drive traffic to your site all the time, not just when you have a job available. It’s easy to do, easy to measure and great for building a pipeline.

5. Assign a resource to the pipeline.

Let’s face it. Your recruiters are recruiting. No one has time to devote to anything that is not bringing in talent to fill specific roles. If this is your attitude, you’re limiting your possibilities! If you can assign someone (and a portion of your budget) to working on pipeline initiatives, your recruiters will have a pool to source from and could find the right people before they even have to reach any further.

Creating a strong pipeline pays off in the long run. You will have candidates at the ready before the need arises, so you will fill positions more quickly, save time and lower your cost per hire. Every effort you make will enhance your employment brand – and the likelihood that job seekers will search for you before you have to search for them.

Interested in talking further? Get in touch today.

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