A Talent Community is a group of potential employees who have shown interest in an organization but may not be actively looking for job opportunities. Talent Communities are crucial in building a strong talent pool and ensuring that your organization has access to the right talent when needed. They also play a large role in Direct Sourcing, where talent curation through the development of engaged communities helps to ensure a plentiful supply of talent to fill contingent roles. In Direct Sourcing, businesses leverage their brand to optimize the acquisition of both new and pre-identified talent, including “known populations,” including referrals, independent contractors, alumni, retirees, and “silver medalists.”
By proactively engaging with your Talent Community members through regular, brand-consistent messaging, you ensure talent remains engaged and ready for the right contingent opportunity. Building these carefully curated talent communities allows hiring managers to quickly shortlist talent as soon as a need arises. Let’s review four reasons why you should engage effectively with your Talent Community.
1. Faster Time to Fill
Engaging with your curated list of candidates can significantly reduce the time-to-hire when a suitable position becomes available. Instead of starting from scratch, you can reach out to pre-qualified candidates who have already shown interest in your organization, you can streamline the hiring process, often resulting in people being put to work an average of 3-5 days sooner.
2. Cost-Efficient
Nurturing your Talent Community is cost-effective because you can leverage your existing network instead of spending significant resources on external recruiting efforts.
3. Better Quality of Hires
Engaging with potential candidates over time allows you to assess their skills, cultural fit, and long-term potential, leading to better hiring decisions. And, because of the sense of connectedness in Talent Communities, there is often a shorter productivity ramp.
4. Employer Brand Recognition
Regular interaction with your Talent Community creates a positive impression of your organization, even among those who haven’t joined your company yet. This can attract top talent and improve your employer brand.
To build a robust talent community, consider these sourcing options outside of your ATS or CRM:
- Monthly Newsletters: Encourage individuals to voluntarily join your mailing list to receive updates on industry and company news, including the latest job openings.
- Job Alerts: Notify candidates of relevant job openings through job alerts when they sign up on a form through your website and allow them to upload their resumes directly to your ATS.
- Career Fairs: Take part in career events to interact with candidates, as well as have them sign up for your Talent Community through a contact form via phone or iPad.
In today’s market, creating a strong Talent Community helps companies stay competitive. This ensures that when an opening arises, you have a pool of qualified candidates ready to join your team. By following the strategies outlined above, you can create a Talent Community that not only meets your current needs but also supports your future growth and success.
