Hiring Rut, Part Two: Filling Your Talent Pool

This week, I’d like to focus on cultivating an exciting talent pool. Of course, every organization has its own hiring process, but no matter the search, there are ways for a hiring manager to build or improve their talent pool. Here at Chaloner, we have a process that helps us move beyond the obvious steps to fill any position, no matter the needs of the individual search. Here are three questions we like to ask ourselves:

What are the selling points?
It’s no secret that candidates want to fully understand the job for which they’re interviewing. As we’ve discussed in a previous post, millennials in particular crave information about a company’s ideals and mission. When reaching out to potential candidates, we want to be able to share with them the exciting or unique qualities of the position or company. Is there a special company culture? Are there impressive benefits? Is there exceptional potential to advance within the company? Honing in on these selling points will help you attract excited candidates!

Who do I want for this job?
Now that you’ve considered what the candidate might want in a job, ask yourself what you want in a candidate. It’s important to think about what type of person, in a perfect world, would fit the position. Allowing yourself to dream big typically reveals an important trend in traits, and may help you discover or clarify a quality or qualification you may have accidentally overlooked. The perfect candidate may not exist, but how will you know for certain unless you know exactly what you’re looking for?

Who in my network can help?
Lastly, we like to explore our network and reach out to people who may have referrals or insights. At Chaloner we are lucky to have friends in all industries who are often eager to point us in a particular direction or introduce us to a potential candidate. When at its most effective, hiring is a collaborative process. If you’re stuck and feel as if you’ve exhausted your avenues, look to your network. You may be surprised by how many people are enthusiastic to help!

No matter your company’s hiring process, asking these questions will help you fill your talent pool with candidates who will excel at the position you’re trying to fill. For more tips on emerging from a hiring rut, check out last week’s blog post about changing your job description.

Chaloner

Chaloner, founded in 1979 as Chaloner Associates, is a national executive search firm that focuses on recruiting mid- to senior-level communications, public relations, marketing and investor relations professionals.