Recruiting teams and hiring managers share a special skillset for finding top talent. However, their roles aren’t solely defined by the quotas they hit or the positions they fill. Top recruiters are also able to find the right candidate for the role every time. This isn’t based on luck or sorcery; there are specific qualities that top recruiters share that help them stay ahead and continually fill their organization with the best people for the job.
Here’s a quick list of the top 5 habits that highly successful recruitment teams practice to find top talent every time:
Communicate Consistently
Consistent communication is the lifeblood of a good recruitment strategy. Connecting with prospective candidates, maintaining quick response times, and delivering timely updates and feedback throughout the hiring process should be top priorities for recruiters. Not only does thorough, consistent communication put candidates at ease, but it also helps recruitment teams stay organized and maintain positive relationships with prospects.
The best recruiters are able to tap into referral networks and relationships to help fill open roles and maintain pipelines of top talent. Those talent pools are built from an array of sources, including prior candidates. Even if an interviewee isn’t ultimately selected for a job you’re recruiting for, staying in touch with them can help you fill future roles for your organization or another recruiter in your network.
Innovate
The best recruitment teams are often the ones who invest in innovative strategies and develop creative solutions to common challenges. One example is using different channels of communication like Slack or text messages to reach candidates or update them on the hiring process. Many teams have also found success in organizing events or even gamifying their hiring tactics in order to attract attention from job seekers in relevant industries.
Top recruiters know that in order to stay ahead of the competition, they will need to remain nimble and adaptable to succeed. Everything from internal processes to technology platforms should be continually evaluated to determine if they are the right fit for the current hiring environment. Thinking outside the box is ultimately what attracts (and builds) stellar teams.
Be Proactive not Reactive
The best recruiters are proactive rather than reactive. Although job aggregators now make it possible for your postings to reach millions of people, sometimes the best approach is to put yourself in front of job seekers first. Never shy away from seeking referrals or tapping into your network to source talent. Sometimes the best candidates do come to you, but there’s no harm in head hunting to find them too.
Top recruitment teams also remain proactive throughout a volatile market. The pandemic has drastically changed the recruitment ecosystem, and only the most proactive recruiters have navigated those changes successfully. Even in market downturns or recessions, skilled talent mangers are still able to find top talent by putting themselves out there and quickly adapting to changing conditions.
Stay on Top of Tech
One uniquely positive change that the pandemic has spurred is a more integrated use of technology in the hiring process. More recruiters than ever are now using applicant tracking systems, onboarding software, and talent databases to streamline their hiring and effectively source job seekers for roles across industries.
The best hiring teams research and utilize all the tools available to them. There a number of quality solutions available on the market today that can be easily integrated into your current processes and networks. Whereas complacent talent teams can feel intimidated by new technology, the most successful recruiters embrace it and are continually looking for new solutions to make hiring more effective.
Streamline Processes
An inefficient hiring process is the death of good recruitment strategy. Taking too long to follow up with candidates, being behind on scheduling interviews, or pulling from pools of outdated applications can lead to longer hiring times and prospects who flee for other opportunities. Don’t let your competitors win out because your processes are inefficient.
Highly successful recruiters are constantly examining their processes and identifying gaps. If there’s an area where technology is impeding the process, it’s important to identify that quickly and adapt. Similarly, if there’s a portion of the process that’s time consuming and could be improved with automation, the best hiring managers are quick to find the right solution to meet the moment.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking to amp up your recruitment strategy in the next year, it’s imperative that you make these habits a priority. Gone are the days of relying on outdated solutions and reactive methods of sourcing top talent pipelines. In order to stay relevant and appealing to candidates, it pays to invest in new approaches.
Of all the habits that highly successful talent teams practice, technology has become the most crucial. One such solution that top recruiters have turned to is ScaleFront. This platform helps recruiters streamline processes by finding talent quickly. After defining your search parameters, you’ll quickly receive a quality pool of candidates to start interviewing right away. With shorter lead times and better prospects, ScaleFront allows you to recruit like top talent teams with one affordable, easy-to-navigate solution.
