In today’s time-strapped world, organizations and HR departments are under intense pressure to fill a never-ending list of leadership roles as quickly as possible. As a result, it frequently means solely focusing on those individuals that are actively looking for a job at that particular time or have applied to a public posting on the myriad of social media platforms. Although this does satisfy the requirement of speed, the byproduct is a real sacrifice in the breadth and quality of the talent pool for consideration.
While reactive recruitment certainly has a place in any talent acquisition strategy, it can not be the defacto “weapon of choice”. Realizing it is simply not possible for most organizations to be proactive with all leadership roles. Organizations should consider identifying the most critical, high leverage/high-risk executive roles and proactively start with a systematic approach to build talent pipelines for the future.
A talent pipeline is a group of potential candidates who are pre-qualified to fill positions when they are created or might become available, and with which the organization has developed an ongoing relationship and dialogue.
The foundation of any talent pipeline is not only the identification of key talent but more importantly, the developing and nurturing of strong relationships with key prospective talent. Often, organizations can be weak in this regard, and we think it’s one of the most critical opportunities for improvement.
The many benefits of a talent pipeline include having higher-quality, engaged prospects that are interested — not because they need work but rather because they align with the organization’s vision, culture and fit with the mandate.
Getting to know the top talent in a less time-constrained, high pressure, “deal or no deal” manner, will ultimately lead to more due diligence for both parties, more informed decision making and better outcomes.
Building talent pipelines requires foresight and commitment, but the results are well worth it. Fortune favours the bold and the winners in top talent acquisition differentiate themselves by being proactive, building key relationships and shaping their narrative and employment brand in the marketplace.
Are you willing to step outside of the traditional “reactive” talent acquisition model as the sole arrow in the quiver?