• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
MP Logo

MP

Wired for HR

  • Our Solutions
    • Payroll
    • HR
    • Time & Attendance
    • Benefits Administration
    • Recruiting
    • Talent Management
    • Training/LMS
    • Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC)
  • ERC
  • Partners
    • CPAs
    • Brokers
    • Private Equity
    • Financial Advisors
  • Resources
    • Webinars
    • eBooks
    • HR Blog
    • MP Briefs
    • Infographics and Checklists
    • MA PFML
    • COVID-19
  • About MP
    • Why MP
    • Testimonials
  • Careers
    • Job Listings
    • Company Culture
  • Request a Demo
  • Log In
  • Contact
    • Contact Sales
    • Client Support
  • Contact
    • Client Support
    • Contact Sales
  • Log In
  • Request a Demo

by

5 Key Talent Acquisition Strategies for Keeping a Bench of Talent Ready

June 25th, 2021
  • Share on Twitter Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email Share via Email
Talent Acquisition


Employers are facing an unexpected talent recruitment challenge after the massive unemployment of last year: the pool of qualified talent is shallower than ever. To ensure that they can fill empty roles, MP’s HR services team and talent acquisition solutions team suggest that among their talent acquisition and retention strategies, employers focus on keeping a warm bench of talent ready. To achieve this goal, here are five talent acquisition tips:

1. Build a long-term relationship with candidates, even if they don’t get hired this time.

Sometimes during the HR talent acquisition process, the final few candidates are all excellent fits. The final choice might come down to a small difference, meaning the second or even third-choice candidates would still have been excellent hires. Instead of simply rejecting these candidates, employers should build a longer-term relationship with them. They can begin by sharing some feedback about why the candidate didn’t get the job in this particular case, then note that they could be a fit for an open job down the road. The employer should ask the candidate if they’d like to keep in touch—and then take action. The employer should check in around every six months and reach out when a role opens that the candidate could be an excellent fit for. An applicant tracking system (ATS), like MP’s, could help hiring managers store the resumes and contact information of candidates who weren’t a fit this time, but may be later.

2. Ask the team for referrals for future talent acquisition.

HR providers and talent acquisition services experts always note that talented people know other talented people. People who went to excellent schools or worked for high-performing companies will have many people in their network who are talented and would make great hires. An employer should put out an open call to its internal team for referrals, even for positions that aren’t currently open. If employers don’t already have a referral bonus program, they should consider implementing one. Hiring managers can go so far as to set up calls with referred candidates and interview them, whether they have open roles or not. The employer can then ask if the candidate would like to stay in touch and reach out when a role does open up. Employers should note that this tactic will only work if everyone is honest. Candidates should know from the start that there aren’t currently open roles. Then, they can decide if this abbreviated hiring process is something they’d like to engage in.

3. Start recruiting before positions open up to prepare for future talent acquisition needs.

Many employers have certain roles that are cyclically open. To ensure a faster and better hiring process for these roles, employers can create job postings ahead of time. They can even post their ads, saving resumes of candidates who could be a suitable fit when the role does open up. This process might also be occasionally applicable for roles that aren’t often open, but are key to the organization. If an employer loses a star team member, it can make the loss less impactful if there are already candidates lined up to call for the hiring process.

4. Make a practice of communicating more frequently with star candidates through the talent acquisition process.

If an employer makes it a best practice to share frequent updates with impressive candidates during the hiring process, this will help them to build a roster of people to call in the future. (Sometimes, this may even mean sharing that there is no update for the candidate. Another tactic is to check in with the candidate to see how their job search is going and if they have any other offers lined up.) Even if a candidate wasn’t hired, if the employer treated them well and kept them updated through an interview and hiring process, they may want to stay in touch for future open roles. If the candidate decides that they don’t want this particular job at this particular moment, they may also still want to stay in touch if the hiring process was a positive one. There are many scenarios in which candidates aren’t hired, but the company may want to reach out to them about future roles. This will be much more possible if the candidate felt as though they were treated with respect and given frequent, honest updates about the hiring process.

5. Encourage candidates to take viable offers if they get them.

Keeping a bench of warm talent will only work if an employer is honest and acts with integrity. If candidates have a good offer on the table, the employer should let the candidate go. They may still be able to hire that candidate later or get a referral from them. If they are misleading and suggest the candidate wait for an open opportunity, this may sour the relationship. Employers should also be aware that acting with honesty and integrity is always of the utmost importance for their employer brand. Candidates who have a bad experience with employers will post about it online and other candidates will read it!


Related Posts

ACA Reporting

ACA Reporting: Key Updates [Infographic]

2022 HR & Payroll Buyers Guide Checklist

2022 HR & Payroll Buyer’s Guide Checklist


Recent Posts

  • Wrongful Termination Lawsuits: 8 Steps for Prevention, Part 1
  • ACA Reporting: Key Updates [Infographic]
  • 2023 Employee Retention: 7 Key Strategies
  • HR Compliance: New Mandatory Employment Poster
  • Should Employees Receive Time Off for Voting? What Employers Need to Know

Categories

  • ACA (5)
  • BizFeed (6)
  • Business Strategy (118)
  • COBRA (5)
  • Compliance (119)
  • COVID-19 (93)
  • Diversity (12)
  • eBooks (19)
  • Employee Engagement (32)
  • Employee Handbooks (24)
  • ERTC (29)
  • FFCRA (7)
  • HR (259)
  • MP Insider (13)
  • Payroll (64)
  • PFML (9)
  • PPP (24)
  • PTO (5)
  • Recruiting (45)
  • Remote Work (39)
  • Return to Work (33)
  • Unemployment (1)
  • Wellness (21)

Archives

  • March 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
Request a Demo

Filed Under: Business Strategy, HR, Recruiting Tagged With: Talent Management, Talent Management Strategy, Talent Strategy


MP

Follow us

LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Log In

Request a Demo

Our Solutions

Payroll
HR
Time & Attendance
Benefits Administration
Recruiting
Talent Management
Training / LMS
Employee Retention Tax Credit

Resources

Webinars
eBooks
HR Blog
Morning Mindset Podcast
COVID-19
NCS Background Screening

Company

Partners
About MP
Testimonials
Why MP
Careers
Company Culture
PressRoom

Contact Us

Contact Sales
Client Support
(978)-998-6896

Copyright © 2023 MassPay, Inc All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Sitemap