A Talent Pool is Like Money in the Bank
Yourcompany isn’t just you, is it? I know, I’m a one-person company, but most ofour Chamber members are part of a larger entity. If you manage or work within acompany, you always appreciate talent when you see it.
Greasingthe wheels of commerce is no easy thing. It takes hundreds of people each doingtheir part in manufacturing, transporting, stocking, selling, advising andparticipating in our fragile economy. And it takes just the rightsomeones, too! Match the wrong worker to the job and snafus result, the bottomline plummets. This question arises: How do you choose the right someone to bepart of your company?
Firstand foremost, improve your candidate pool. When you need to fill a vacancy,you’re already behind in the game. Advertising, accepting resumes,interviews…they all take time. If you need a person now, you don’t enjoythe luxury of waiting for just the right candidate. Contrast that with theluxury of having two or three possible candidates waiting for your call, eagerto join you.
Theseare people who have already signaled an interest in your company. That’s yourfirst plus. They have been partially screened. There’s the second plus. Keepingthem interested is the important part of keeping an active candidate pool.
Regular company emails pique their interest. Youmay not have an immediate opening, but they remember you and are hoping foryour call.
Offering training prepares them for when anopening arises. It’s a promise of what’s to come.
An active Facebook page keeps you in constantcontact.
The ExchangeNetwork describes some of what goes into keeping prospective employees inthe loop, and suggests your branding has a lot to do with building a strongcandidate pool. Your good reputation in both commerce and among your currentemployees is taken as an endorsement by people hoping to work for you. Thatmeans all those company picnics, trainings and perks pays off when it comestime to attract the best employee possible. Word of mouth is more valuable thanempty promises.
What about head hunters? Are theya good investment? Entrepreneursuggests otherwise. It’s your company, and screening for the best employee isof supreme importance in maintaining a strong workforce. Try to stay involvedin the process. Trust your instincts.
Look for upcoming talent. College campuses are a good place for buildinga name for your company. Young talent may need to season a bit, but it comeswith great potential. Job fairs and relationships with advisors gives you asneak peek at raw talent. If you have time to invest, you may be more thanamply rewarded with a good employee when you hire straight out of college.
A good candidate pool saves youtime and money. TalentLyftpromises a better quality candidate for the investment. It requires continuedcommunication, true, but in a world where jobs are easy come, easy go, theright candidate is like money in the bank.