Proactive Candidate Outreach Means Getting There First
May 6th, 2010 by Louis P. Kadetsky, CPC
An increase in demand for a particular skill set or competency means that any opportunity for a competitive advantage is lost. You and your competitors wind up chasing the same superstars, losing time and employee productivity while paying more for critical talent than you need to. This is economics 101. Demand increases, and it carries prices with it. Now, if you could make the right hires before the market is looking, you could preserve budget, hire faster and put more distance between you and the competition. To do this, you need to think ahead.
Watch market conditions. Get a sense for when an opportunity is brewing that can affect your entire industry. Then, when it looks promising, start to develop your talent pools. Begin talking to top industry talent, whether they are actively considering a job change or telling you they are happy in their current positions. You’re getting a feel for the market while other corporate recruiters are spending their time talking to applicants to job postings. Then, when the business need and approvals come in, you can quickly turn from recruiting to hiring … while your competitors are still looking for talent pools and deciding who to talk to.
KGTiger’s STREAM service can jumpstart this process for you. Our methodology begins with a broad market survey identifying top talent, cultivates strong industry networks and maintains relationships within that network until you are ready to start scheduling interviews. Your new employees will be delivering value when the rest of the market still fighting over the leftovers.
Corporate recruiting, historically, has been reactive – and this will be a difficult tendency to overcome. If you change your perspective and start planning now for future developments, the results will speak for themselves. Time can be your advantage – not a liability. If you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready!