The top candidates are looking to interact with companies on a different level. Hoping a top tier candidate will passively respond to a job ad won’t work. Those who are really top of their game will be expecting you to reach out to them.
Build your company’s brand
Sell your unique selling propositions to your ideal talent in the same way you would to your ideal customer. What sets you apart may be the deciding factor for someone to make a move.
Using social platforms that might not be your normal ‘go to’, like Instagram, is a great way to build your brand image.
Speak their language
GitHub.com is a great example. A platform built by and for developers to connect is the place to ask questions and listen, to find the people who are doing interesting things and to show that your company is too. Just don’t be that guy who is putting up the hard sell.
Make sure your existing talent are happy
There’s nothing more effective in attracting a new customer than a referral from an existing one. Apply the same logic in your hiring strategy and look to your existing group of talent to tell their friends and colleagues about what they could gain by working at your company. You’re far more likely to find someone who might just be the right fit through this kind of warm introduction. A positive word from someone who already works within your organization is more valuable than all the incentives you could possibly offer.
With these seemingly simple strategies, you can build a database of potential candidates who have the right skills and would be a good fit for your organization. And remember: even if you don’t have a role for a candidate you’ve come across right now, you might have one in the future, so maintaining contact is a good way to speed up your process, down the road.
Stay in touch with interesting candidates, invite them to events, and keep yourself in their minds. You never know: the day might come when they are looking to make a move and who do you think they’ll think of first when they do?
This blog is part 2 in a 2-part series on Building your Tech Workforce: Attracting Top IT Talent
Read Part 1: How IT Talent is Leveraging a Tight Market
Photo by You X Ventures on Unsplash
David Aplin Group is a private family and employee owned Canadian staffing agency founded in Alberta in 1975, recognized as one of Canada's most accomplished recruiting firms. Our mission is to positively impact lives. Blog author, Jay Edwards, is the Vice President of Business Development, based in Calgary, Alberta.
