Attract, Engage, and Retain Top Talent with a Strategic Pipeline

 

In our post-Covid world, having a strong talent pipeline is more crucial than ever.

And the skills shortage that was present in almost every industry pre-Covid is still threatening organizational growth.

When you’re recruiting, it’s not about the number of people you can attract to your organization; it’s about the quality of these candidates. Even with the perceived increase of candidates in the post-Covid job market, there are still skills shortages across most industries. Depending on the role you are trying to fill, recruitment can be a lengthy and involved process.

One of the most effective ways to ensure you can quickly fill the critical gaps in your team is to have people ready to step into your organization at the earliest available opportunity; in other words, your talent pipeline.

Let’s talk about the why’s and how’s of building a robust talent pipeline.

The Benefits of a Strong Talent Pipeline

Despite the pandemic, skills gaps are widening across all sectors; in fact, the pandemic has brought to light just how crucial the skills gaps are in many industries.

In developing a strong talent pipeline, the aim is to avoid the scenario where you have critical skills gaps and no-one lined up to fill them.

Many organizations think of recruiting only when they actively have a vacant position. A talent pipeline is a way of thinking about your team, and recruitment, in a more holistic way. You will always have an active, engaged audience and the idea of working for your company is something that is always on their radar.

Let’s look at some of the main positives of building your talent pipeline now.

1. Identify More Candidates

When a vacancy arises on your team, wouldn’t it be ideal to already have someone in mind to take over the role?

This is where a talent pipeline comes in; it reduces the fear of having a critical vacancy open as you have a range of potential candidates set up to open a dialogue with.

Your talent pipeline will speak to the 70% of candidates who aren’t actively looking for a job, the ‘passive candidates’ market. Organizations without talent pipelines are missing out on this significant portion of the workforce.

You can start to bring candidates into your talent pipeline at different stages in their careers, starting with graduates up to Exec level.

When you have a talent pipeline you can rely on, you have a range of candidates ready to be invited for an interview rather than starting the recruitment process from scratch.

2. Reduce the Time to Hire

I’m sure you’ll agree that in our post-Covid world, the thought of having critical vacancies on your team is an unpleasant one.

This year, teams have been stretched to the breaking point, with many taking on extra roles, having to adapt to working from home and generally being busier than ever before.

To keep your entire team working cohesively, you need to know that any critical vacancies will be quickly filled, instead of being left unfilled, damaging team output and reducing morale.

3. Increase Your Offer Acceptance Rates

One of the most frustrating things that can happen in the recruitment process is when you think you’ve found the ideal candidate, but then they turn down your job offer.

The more people you have in your talent pipeline, the more they will get to know your organization, and this relationship is what pushes great candidates over the line to say yes to your job offer.

As you can see, there are many benefits to creating a talent pipeline to make your recruiting process much easier.

Next, let’s look at how to build and develop your talent pipeline.

 How to Build Your Talent Pipeline

Creating a talent pipeline means proactively forming long-lasting relationships with candidates who would be the right ‘fit’ with your organization – both in their skill set and their culture and values.

So, how do you do this?

Define What Your Organization Needs

The following are questions to ask when thinking about what you want from your talent pipeline –

• Who are your key employees and in what roles?
• What skills are most critical to your organization?
• Where do you want to take your business in the next 3-5 years?
• What type of people will you need in your business for it to grow?

Drawing on your experiences with Covid can help here too. When your business was in ‘critical survival mode’ like many were during the height of the pandemic, did this highlight any areas where you were missing vital skills?

Attract the ‘Right’ Talent

Attracting the right candidates to your organization is the critical part of building your talent pipeline.

Building a talent pipeline focuses on attracting both passive and active candidates, rather than a recruitment process which focuses solely on filling a current vacancy.

Having an excellent employer brand will be essential in attracting the type of talent you want. Any prospective talent that comes into contact with you will be forming an opinion as to whether they would like to join your company, whether they’re an active or a passive candidate.

The following are the most direct ways to build your talent pipeline –

• Networking events – getting your name out in your industry is crucial in building a following.
• Working with a recruitment specialist.
• Your social media channels – are you regularly posting engaging content for your candidates?
• Existing contacts and referrals – do you have a robust referral program in place? How often do you review and reconnect with former colleagues or managers?
• Graduate campaigns – getting to know the new generation of talent coming through the ranks is an excellent way to build your talent pipeline.

 Review Your Application Process

A poor recruitment process is enough to put even the most interested candidates off.

Making your recruitment as seamless, engaging and professional as possible will leave even candidates who are not successful in receiving a job offer, want to apply again in in future.

Make sure your recruitment process is mobile-friendly; 58% of active job seekers use their smart device to search for jobs. But with many sites still not being mobile-friendly, mobile seekers complete 53% fewer applications and take 80% longer to complete each application than applicants using desktops.

A mobile-friendly application process increases the number of applicants to each role by 11.6%.

Write easy to read job descriptions with clear information; stay away from jargon.

Make sure you have the recruitment process planned out step by step so that applicants can be informed of the exact date by when they will be progressed to the next stage or not.

Important: Always stay in touch with candidates via email or phone throughout the entire recruitment process.

Start Building Your Talent Pipeline

With a network of engaged potential candidates ready to join your business, you’ll ensure that you always have potential on-hand to fill essential roles.

So, now you have the premise of building your talent pipeline, it’s time to get started.

Remember that you don’t have to go it alone – working with a dedicated recruiter is a great way to work on building your talent pipeline.

For more information on how we can help you build your talent pipeline, get in touch with us at 919-813-2454 or email us here Info@theblackdiamondagency.com

When it’s time to interview the shortlist of candidates for your vacancy, you need all the help you can get to ensure you eventually make the ‘right’ hire.

Interviewing is a skill, and just because you are in a managerial position, that doesn’t mean that interviewing comes naturally to you.

Likewise, just because you’ve been interviewing for years, this doesn’t mean that your technique doesn’t need honing.

Today, we share 6 clever tips for interviewers to help you make the best possible hire from your shortlist of applicants.

1. Review Your Company Mission and Vision

Companies with the strongest culture attract the best candidates; it’s a fact.

Reviewing your company vision and mission might be a case of refreshing your memory of the values and attributes that your business aspires to, but it could also be a case of rewriting them entirely.

Since the pandemic and the shake-up to businesses that this caused, many companies are finding that their mission and vision has changed – is this true in your business?

For example, in some organizations, communication between employees in the form of weekly in-person meetings might have once been an essential part of their business strategy. But since the introduction of remote working, this is no longer the case. Does your company recognize and appreciate the need for flexibility to allow for remote working, which is more vital than ever?

The first thing to do before the interview process starts is to review your company vision and mission statement for our post-pandemic world.

2. Get Familiar with the Job description

In an ideal world, you will have written the job description yourself and inherently understand what you need from your new hire, but this is not always the case.

In larger companies, there can be several people involved in the recruitment process, so it is essential that everyone involved is aware of what you are looking for in your open role and that this is communicated to candidates at every stage.

Especially now in our ever-changing world, the position that you are hiring for might be an entirely new role for the company – do you know the exact skills and attributes that you are looking for?

3. Use a Consistent Process

Interviewing candidates can be an emotionally-charged experience for both the employee and the employer.

Many interviewers by-pass red flags in the interview and go with their ‘gut feeling’ – but this is not the best way to hire the right talent for your business.

For every interview to have the best outcome, you must work to a method and stick to it. This means:

• Choose your questions carefully and don’t deviate. You can ask extra questions that might crop up in your mind at the end of the planned questions – this gives all candidates a fair interview.

• Practice your note-taking – taking accurate notes is an essential quality for all interviewers to have.

• Use a scale to rate candidate answers – you can give a score out of 10, or use ‘excellent’ to ‘poor’ at the end of each answer to remind you when you are looking back over your notes.

4. Be Compassionate

Interviews can be daunting, and this is something that interviewers and hiring managers can become desensitized to, especially if they have a lot of experience conducting interviews.

Showing compassion and consideration instead of the stony managerial tone some interviewers adopt will benefit both the interviewee and yourself.

Candidates perform much better in interviews when they feel at ease, and so making sure they feel relaxed is a great way of seeing the real candidate and allowing their best self to shine through.

So, don’t be continually testing the candidate or focusing on negativity and flaws to try and ‘catch them out’. Keep it positive, even if you plan on asking the dreaded ‘what’s your greatest weakness?’ question (we will look at interview questions in another next section).

Take your time, and allow the candidate to take theirs – allow enough time for a good conversation, don’t aim to get them in and out in 20 minutes.

And finally – smile!

5. Get Your Questions Right

There are certain interview question stereotypes, which it is best to avoid if you want better interview outcomes.

There are standard questions that many interviewers ask, such as ‘what will you bring to the role’, ‘tell us what you know about our company’ and of course, ‘what is your greatest weakness’.

Try asking the candidate to explain a passion of theirs to you – preferably work related. As this will allow them to demonstrate their communication skills and their interests. It can help bring people out of their shell and shows how effective they can be at communicating ideas to another person.

Another great question right now is to ask how they coped with the Covid-19 crisis, either at home or at work. We all had to make changes to our lives and routines – did they take it in their stride or did they find it hard to adjust quickly to new ways of living and working?

Additionally, aim to curate an interview environment which feels like a conversation rather than an interrogation – this will put candidates at ease and makes the interview experience more pleasant and productive for everyone involved.

6. Candidate Aftercare

Ensure that you treat each candidate, even unsuccessful ones, as you would treat a customer, even after the interview process is over.

This is a great way of looking after your talent pipeline – candidates who are suitable but unsuccessful on this occasion will be inclined to apply again if they come out of the experience with a positive view of your company.

Respond to candidates in a timely manner – this goes for successful and unsuccessful candidates both during and after the interview process.

Encourage unsuccessful candidates to apply again, and you can even keep in touch on LinkedIn, where you can share information and updates about your business.

As for the successful candidate – congratulations on your new hire; now it’s time to get them onboarded successfully.

Finally

If you are looking to employ new talent into your organization and you need help attracting the right talent – we can help.

For more information on how we can help you recruit the high-performing individuals you need, get in touch with us at 919-813-2454 or email us at Info@TheBlackDiamondAgency.com.

Finding the right talent for your company is no small feat, especially in today’s competitive market. As more organizations search for qualified candidates, skilled professionals have become increasingly scarce. In fact, research presented by Korn Ferry predicts that by 2030, there could be as many as 85 million unfilled roles due to a shortage of skilled workers.

To compound matters, job seekers are now more selective than ever when it comes to choosing where they work. With an abundance of positions available for virtually every job role, candidates have the luxury of being particular about company culture, benefits, and even employer branding. If you want to attract and retain the best people for your team, it’s essential to update your hiring strategy.

Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to get started.

1. Refine Your Employer Brand

Your company’s employer brand is a critical factor that sets you apart from other top retail organizations competing for the same talent. It’s the unique combination of your salary and benefit options, a sense of purpose, and shared values that attracts candidates and makes them want to work for you.

In today’s competitive hiring landscape, establishing a strong employer brand is essential for success. Yet, many companies still struggle to position themselves effectively in front of the right candidates. So, what can you do to stand out?

Start by defining what motivates people to work with your business. Consult with your team members and gather insights into what convinced them to stay with your company over the years. Perhaps you have a fantastic leadership team, various opportunities for development and growth, or a culture of empathy and support that reduces the risk of burnout.

Once you’ve identified what makes you special, highlight these factors to your recruiting partner, feature them prominently on your website, include them in job descriptions, and share them across social media. Here are the bullet points:

• Define what motivates people to work with your business.

• Consult with your team members to gather insights and perspectives.

• Highlight your unique strengths to your recruiting partner, website, job descriptions, and social media content.

2. Work on Your Digital Presence

When it comes to attracting top talent in retail, a great employer brand is only part of the equation. To achieve real results, you must also effectively position your brand in front of the right people – and a strong digital presence is essential for any business in today’s landscape.

Consider this: nearly 80% of job seekers are now using social media to aid their job search, while many more are scouring the web for reviews and insights into company culture before considering potential employers.

To succeed in this environment, it’s crucial to offer candidates a behind-the-scenes view of everything that makes your company special. This means outlining your values, mission statement, and vision in a way that captures their interest and imagination. It’s also important to ensure a consistent presence on all the social channels your target candidates use, and don’t forget to assess and update your appearance on job review boards too.

Here are the bullet points:

• A great employer brand is only part of the equation for attracting top talent.

• A strong digital presence is essential for any business in today’s landscape.

• Offer candidates a behind-the-scenes view of what makes your company special.

• Ensure a consistent presence on all social channels used by your target candidates.

• Assess and update your appearance on job review boards.

3. Utilize Your Existing Employees

Your staff members are not just instrumental to the success of your business in terms of generating revenue, but they can also play a significant role in attracting new talent. By giving your employees a voice, you can offer potential candidates valuable insights into your company culture and the unique experiences you provide.

To make the most of this opportunity, consider sharing stories about your staff members’ accomplishments on your website and social media pages. Encourage team members to share links to your recent job postings when they are active online, as this can help expand your reach and attract a wider pool of qualified candidates.

4. Update Your Hiring Strategy with a Focus on Candidate Care

In today’s retail landscape, professionals have varying priorities, but one thing remains constant for all job seekers: the need for empathy. Job seekers want to know that their employer has their best interests at heart. To demonstrate your commitment to your candidates, it’s essential to implement strategies that prioritize candidate care throughout the hiring process.

One effective way to provide the right level of support is to offer a range of interview options that cater to different candidate preferences. Consider incorporating video and remote sessions, as well as face-to-face conversations, especially if you’re looking to hire remote or hybrid employees. By doing so, you’ll create a more efficient and streamlined process that meets the needs of all candidates.

Another approach to engaging candidates is to gamify the hiring process with challenges and competition. This approach not only makes the process more enjoyable but also helps to identify top candidates quickly. Standard operating procedures can also help streamline the selection journey, making it easier to narrow down options and find the best fit for your organization.

Finally, it’s crucial to stay consistently connected with your candidates throughout the hiring process. Regular communication is key to a positive candidate experience. By implementing these strategies, you’ll be able to show your candidates that you care and are committed to delivering a top-notch candidate experience.

5. Partner with a Specialized Recruitment Company

Partnering with a skilled recruitment consultant in the retail industry can be a game-changer for businesses seeking to attract top talent. These experts offer invaluable support in positioning your company in front of the right candidates through a range of channels, including job boards, social media, and industry events. But their impact goes far beyond that.

Working closely with a recruitment consultant can help you build a comprehensive talent pipeline that ensures you always have access to the best candidates. These consultants will leverage their networks and expertise to consistently seek out skilled professionals who can add value to your team, even if they aren’t currently actively job hunting.

Passive candidates, in particular, represent a significant talent pool that is often overlooked. Recent data from LinkedIn reveals that around 70% of the world’s talent falls into this category, making it essential to have a recruitment partner who knows how to reach and engage these candidates.

By partnering with a recruitment consultant and their firm, you can tap into their extensive networks and connections to access even the most elusive candidates. This means you won’t miss out on top talent who are waiting for better job opportunities, and you’ll have the edge you need to stay ahead of the competition.

6. Update Your Job Descriptions

The job descriptions you craft are often the first point of contact with potential candidates, so it’s critical to get them right. You don’t want to deter talented [sector] professionals by listing unnecessary or “preferred” skills. Instead, focus on highlighting the characteristics and qualities that are essential to the role.

It’s also essential to avoid language that may show unintentional bias towards a specific audience. By using inclusive language and avoiding any potentially discriminatory terminology, you’ll attract a more diverse pool of candidates.

In addition to outlining the requirements of the role, be sure to showcase the reasons why candidates would want to work for your company. Highlight your unique culture, competitive salary package, and any training and development opportunities you offer. By emphasizing these factors, you’ll differentiate your company from competitors and attract top talent who are seeking more than just a job.

Improve your Chances of Attracting Talent

In the retail industry, talented employees are in high demand but can be hard to come by. In fact, data from McKinsey indicates that a staggering 82% of businesses feel ill-equipped to recruit and hire the best staff.

To increase your chances of attracting top talent in today’s competitive landscape, it’s crucial to update your hiring strategy with the steps outlined above. By focusing on empathetic candidate care, building a talent pipeline, crafting compelling job descriptions, and avoiding unintentional biases, you can set your company apart from competitors and appeal to the best candidates.

If you’re still struggling to find the talent you need, working with a specialized recruitment company like The Black Diamond Agency can provide an extra boost. With their expertise and expansive network, they can help you expand your reach and uncover new opportunities to connect with the best candidates.

For over seven years, The Black Diamond Agency has been providing expert talent acquisition services to corporate retail clients and helping job seekers find their dream roles. If you’re interested in learning more about how we can assist you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 919-813-2454 or email us at info@theblackdiamondagency.com. We’re excited about the opportunity to work with you!

Finding the perfect talent for your company can be a challenging task, especially in today’s competitive job market. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of organizations searching for skilled professionals, but unfortunately, the number of available candidates with the required skills has dwindled.

To put this into perspective, a recent study by Korn Ferry predicts that by 2030, as many as 85 million job positions could remain unfilled due to a shortage of skilled workers. In addition, job seekers are now more selective than ever, considering factors such as company culture, benefits, and employer branding when choosing a company to join.

There are several steps companies can take to attract, engage, and retain the best people. It starts with re-evaluating your hiring strategy and updating it to meet the changing demands of today’s job market.

To get started, here are some tips and tricks that you can use to optimize your recruitment strategy and find the right talent for your company.

1. Refine Your Employer Brand

Your company’s employer brand is what sets it apart from other retail organizations competing for the same top talent. It’s the secret ingredient that ensures you attract the right candidates with the same sense of purpose and shared values as your company. It’s also helpful to have an enticing salary and benefit package.

In today’s hiring landscape, it’s widely recognized that having a strong employer brand is crucial to recruiting great talent. However, many companies still struggle to effectively position themselves in front of the right candidates. So, what can you do to stand out?

Firstly, start by defining what makes people want to work with you. Speak to your team members and ask them what convinced them to stay with your business over the years.

• Is it your fantastic leadership team?

• The various opportunities for development and growth?

• Or maybe your emphasis on empathy and support that reduces the risk of burnout?

Once you have identified what makes your company special, share it on your website, in job descriptions, and across social media channels. By doing so, you will help potential candidates understand why your organization is an excellent place to work, which will make them more likely to apply and stay engaged throughout the recruitment process.

2. Work on Your Digital Presence

When it comes to attracting top retail talent, having a great employer brand is only half the battle. To truly stand out, you need to make sure that your brand is visible to the right people. And in today’s digital age, that means having a strong online presence.

Did you know that nearly 80% of job seekers use social media in their job search? Additionally, many candidates also turn to the internet to research reviews and get a glimpse into a company’s culture before deciding to apply. That’s why it’s crucial to have a website that showcases everything you do as a company, from your values and mission statement to your vision for the future.

To ensure you’re reaching your ideal candidates, it’s also essential to have a consistent presence on all the social media channels they use. And don’t forget to keep an eye on job review boards and update your appearance there as well. By taking these steps, you’ll be able to position your employer brand in front of the right people and attract the best talent in your industry.

3. Utilize Your Existing Employees

Did you know that your current employees can be one of the most valuable assets when it comes to attracting new talent? Not only do they play a vital role in driving sales and revenue for your business, but they can also help promote your company culture and the unique experiences you offer.

One way to give your employees a voice is by sharing their success stories on your website and social media pages. This helps potential candidates get a feel for what it’s like to work for your company and the opportunities for growth and development that are available.

Another way to leverage your team’s expertise is by encouraging them to share links to your job postings on their personal social media accounts. This can help expand your reach and attract a wider pool of qualified candidates.

By involving your employees in the recruiting process and giving them a platform to share their experiences, you’ll not only strengthen your employer brand but also create a culture of engagement and empowerment that will benefit your business in the long run.

 4. Update Your Hiring Strategy with a Focus on Candidate Care

When it comes to job seekers in today’s retail landscape, empathy is a top priority. Candidates want to feel that their employer has their best interests in mind and will support them throughout their journey.

To show your candidates that you are committed to providing the right level of support, consider implementing strategies for better candidate care into your hiring process. This can include offering video and remote interviews, as well as face-to-face conversations, to make the process more efficient and straightforward. These options are particularly helpful if you’re looking to hire remote and hybrid employees.

Don’t forget to stay consistently connected with your candidates throughout the hiring process. Regular communication is key to providing a positive candidate experience and demonstrating your commitment to empathy and support. By implementing these strategies, you can attract and retain top talent in the retail industry while building a reputation as an employer who truly cares about its employees.

5. Work with a Retail Recruitment Specialist

Finding the right talent for your retail business can be a challenging task, especially in today’s competitive job market. One of the most powerful tools you can use to attract new talent is a retail recruitment partner.

Working with a recruitment consultant and their company can help you reach a wider pool of skilled candidates. They can also help you build a comprehensive talent pipeline, consistently seeking out talented professionals who may be interested in joining your team.

Furthermore, recruitment companies are skilled at engaging passive candidates, who may not actively be searching for a new job. These passive candidates can be a valuable resource, and the chances are high that your recruitment partner is already connected to them. By partnering with a retail recruitment firm, you can increase your chances of finding the right talent for your business and stay ahead of your competitors.

6. Update Your Job Descriptions

Your job descriptions are your chance to make a great first impression on potential candidates. It’s crucial to convey the right information and avoid any language that could unintentionally discourage top talent from applying.

Focus on highlighting the essential characteristics and qualities you’re seeking in a candidate, and avoid listing too many unnecessary or “preferred” skills. Instead, showcase the unique reasons why someone might want to work with your company, such as your welcoming company culture, competitive salary package, and extensive training and development opportunities.

Remember, a well-crafted job description can attract the right candidates to your business and set the foundation for a successful hiring process.

Improve your Chances of Attracting Talent

In the fast-paced world of retail, finding and hiring top talent can be a challenge, even for the most experienced business leaders. According to data from McKinsey, a whopping 82% of leaders don’t feel prepared to recruit and hire the best people. With the right approach, you can attract the talent you need to drive your business forward.

By implementing the strategies outlined above, such as showcasing your employer brand, creating a positive candidate experience, and streamlining your job descriptions, you can increase your chances of attracting the right candidates. And for an extra boost, working with a trusted recruitment partner like The Black Diamond Agency can help you expand your reach and unlock new opportunities.

Remember, finding the right talent is crucial for any retail business to succeed, but it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. With the right tools and mindset, you can build a strong team that will help you achieve your goals and drive your business forward.