We are currently in an era where there is a war for talent. There is a tremendous amount of competition, making it tough to attract and retain the best, most qualified individuals. Retaining high-potential top talent is becoming more challenging too. One reason is that the workforce is evolving, desiring increased levels of flexibility and autonomy. Why do most organizations continue to adopt a post and pray recruiting approach then?
What is “Post and Pray” Recruiting?
Too many recruiters and hiring managers are choosing to post a position and praying that the best candidate will apply. As an approach, this method is incredibly passive, and one that most organizations choose to take.
Talent acquisition teams spend most of their time creating job postings, uploading them on their company websites or career pages. The posting goes live, and the recruiting team waits. Sometimes, the waiting stretches weeks or months, or worse. Isn’t doing the same thing repeatedly, and expecting a different result the definition of insanity?
Why “Post and Pray” recruiting doesn’t work?
Unfortunately, in most situations, the best candidate is not surfing your corporate careers page or actively looking for a new job. The best candidate might not even know that the opportunity exists. What hiring managers are often left with is choosing from the best candidates that applied, not necessarily the best candidate. Lacking highly qualified candidates, organizations are left settling for the best of who has applied. Instead of adding superstars to the team, mediocre or sub-par candidates join.
The Alternative
To shift from the reactive, post and pray approach, to more proactive recruiting, talent acquisition teams need to spend more time hunting for prospects. Proactive recruiting means going to the talent first as opposed to waiting for qualified candidates coming to you. It’s a smarter, more effective strategy. Whether it is searching for candidates proactively on LinkedIn, sourcing employee referrals, attending colleges and universities with targeted presentations, becoming more proactive can help close the gap to find the superstars you need. Most prospects are not actively looking for jobs. Using a hunting mindset, recruiters should proactively approach candidates to see if someone is interested in their opportunity. Use social media, in combination with video, to promote your roles as well.
Recruiting Final Thoughts
Sourcing superstar talent requires setting high standards and maintaining them. Recruiters should spend most of their time hunting and sourcing instead of posting and praying. A well-resourced talent acquisition team is essential. Talent professionals should focus on building a pipeline of strong candidates becoming more proactive. Balancing filling existing roles, with an eye for future opportunities is necessary, saving tremendous time and improving value.
For additional advice and insight into finding, building, and developing top talent, connect with me for more. For a regular dose of advice, tips, and tricks from Evolving Management, follow us on our company LinkedIn page. You can also follow me or my podcast, The Chris Hanna Show on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn or visit chrishanna.ca for more solutions. Let’s connect.
