The following article discussing talent pipelines was originally published in August 2020. All copy and relevant statistics have been updated as of June 2022.
By building a proactive pipeline of qualified professionals, employers create an arsenal of candidates with the skills and competencies they can rely on when the time is right. This saves HR departments the time-sensitive process of researching, sourcing, and qualifying candidates when you’re ready to hire.
It’s not enough to just have your pipeline ready, as many other companies will be in the same position and fighting for the same candidates in this tight labor market. Talent pipelines can often be neglected when they’re not at the forefront of your needs, but we’re here to let you know how to keep up with them.
Keep reading to find out our tips for talent pipeline transformation you may be ignoring.
A proactive #TalentPipeline is the way of the future, no matter what curveballs the workforce sees. Take a look at these tips for transforming your pipeline via @IQTalent:Click to Tweet1. Speed Up Your Sourcing And Screening Processes
There’s no better time than now for you to take your existing process up a notch. On average, only 37% of job candidates hear back from employers within a week. Competition for top-tier talent is fierce, and you need to stand out from your competitors.
Whether you have a little extra time on your hands or are searching for ways to make up for lost time, you can:
- Prepare pre-written screening questions to send to applicants right after they apply
- Gather any additional essential information needed to move forward
- Nail down an effective video screening process
- Add the above into a streamlined, automated recruitment workflow
2. Streamline The Application Process.
No one wants to spend a whopping hour of their lives anxiously filling out a job application — fearful that one of their open-ended question responses will get misconstrued and end up with their application thrown into the ‘applicant black hole’ with no feedback. Even just 30 minutes is 25 minutes too long.
You shouldn’t be trying to attract candidates by how detailed and complex your application is. Instead, you should be focusing on the relevant experience and skillsets needed.
The purpose of the application is not to decide if you will hire the candidate. Instead, it should be a quick step that collects a few basic pieces of information that tell you if someone has the make-or-break experience needed to move forward.
3. Ditch Antiquated Career Sites.
Millennials account for the majority of the workforce, and this percentage is only growing. As you try to fill your talent pipeline with this generation, you shouldn’t expect them to switch from their phones to a laptop to send their resume and cover letter.
A jarring 92% of applicants abandon job applications if they take longer than 15 minutes, and 72% of these ‘application abandoners’ blamed a lengthy process with too many requirements as the main factor. For initial screening and entrance into your talent pipeline, do candidates really need to provide more than their resume and cover letter?
Move to a responsive, mobile-friendly career site, so the application process is simple on any device to ensure you’re not losing your next great employee due to application drop-off.
Bonus: Hear from Chris Murdock of IQTalent and Yvan Demosthenes, CEO of HamiltonDemo, as they discuss the importance of maintaining long-term candidate relationships in our podcast. Listen here.
With the right tech and automation, you can eliminate worries about missing out on amazing candidates (candidate #FOMO), knowing the initial screening and engagement are taken care of. See more via @IQTalent:Click to Tweet4. Automate The Daunting Stuff.
Quality candidate FOMO (fear of missing out) is real. When you need to start sourcing for an open position, you’ll naturally have a fear of missing out on that perfect candidate for the role. Maybe another search on LinkedIn? Another look at that resume you received six months ago?
It’s natural to wonder if you’ve overlooked a great candidate. With the right tech and automation of the initial parts of your process, you can eliminate these worries, knowing the initial screening and engagement are taken care of.
If initial candidate engagement and answering the same questions time and time again slow you down, consider a chatbot that reflects your brand and handles those tedious first questions. Then, these platforms deliver the information you need to take the next steps.
If administrative tasks weigh your team down, invest in an upgraded ATS or one of the many HR scheduling platforms that act as your personal recruiting assistant. If you view this uncertain time as an opportunity to reevaluate your processes and reassess the tech you already have, you’re sure to attract top talent with your improved, seamless process no matter what comes next.
Want to expedite the creation of your candidate pipeline? IQTalent Xchange is our talent marketplace where you provide a job description, and we provide an expertly vetted and ranked list of professionals matching your needs — waiting for you to engage when you’re ready.
With a combination of AI and our sourcing experts, we narrow down our pool of over 300 million professionals to ensure we deliver only the best. Expert tech, vetted by expert recruiters.
