Just as the world has changed how and where it works, organizations have shifted how and where they find talent. Job boards have traditionally served as a key source of talent for staffing firms for many years. However, re-recruiting rates have traditionally been disappointing to say the least. Organizations too often re-recruit upwards of 50% of the the candidates they place from job boards. In other words, approximately half of candidates found on job boards at the time of placement were already in the corporate applicant tracking system. This is abysmal.
Staffing firms that look at their talent pools as interactive and candidate-centered will come out ahead. There is a huge opportunity to use existing candidate databases to augment how staffing firms source talent. As those talent pools grow and evolve, candidates can engage and share information, refer friends for jobs, apply for jobs, and interact in all aspects, whether on or off assignment with the staffing firm.
For example, in light industrial warehousing roles, staffing firms and companies are thinking outside the box and giving candidates more control. Instead of going to the ATS and running a search for candidates based on a home address that could be quickly outdated, recruiters are putting the power in the candidates’ hands. Firms are starting with prequalified and screened candidates, providing them with the job requirements and then offering jobs. All of this is being done through automation, saving significant time and increasing revenue as it allows more of the right candidates to be placed at scale. It puts candidates in charge of the process, whereas in the past they have been treated more as commodities with dictated terms.
Are you looking to maximize your investment and bring operational efficiency to your sourcing strategy? If so, here are some tips:
- Update/scrub your existing ATS. You likely have much of the right talent already in your ATS as companies have spent years building database volume. Create efficiencies by engaging with the talent who is already in your database and is most familiar with your brand. Doing so will build and grow the quality and strength of your talent community.
- Cultivate relationships. Communicate with and serve as a resource for your talent community. Provide content to candidates that is relevant to them as job seekers, even when you’re not actively recruiting them. Let candidates know you see them as more than a source of revenue.
- Invest in reskilling/upskilling. Partner with organizations to reskill and upskill your talent. Identify influencers in your talent community who can mobilize and bring others into the community. When they are successful, reward them for doing so. Providing candidates with continuing education helps them access new and better opportunities to grow their careers while strengthening your relationship with them.
Staffing, as other industries, must continue to evolve and change with the times. Doing business the way it has always been done without an eye for innovation and integration will leave you far behind. Our industry must continue to uncover ways to leverage our most valuable resources, our people and our technology, with a focus on delivering increasingly improved experiences that work to significantly impact business.
MORE: Top Trends in Staffing Now, Part 1
