How to Get Job Seekers to Join Talent Networks—And Why It's So Important

Current talent networks are kind of like the 2.0 version of the old talent pipeline. Now, technology enters the picture and provides electronic options for collecting and maintaining endless amounts of data about potential job candidates and job opportunities. Talent networks are not just a list of names and resumes. They are powerful communities that bring supply and demand together. (See our White Paper, Staffing Firms and Talent Pools: The Time Has Come to Sink or Swim.)

They are such a win-win for job seekers and employers that you’d be hard pressed not to have or join one.

Benefits to the Company
Here is a quick summary of advantages to creating a talent network for your company:

Getting your message heard – You are creating a space where you can share your vision, ideals and opportunities, and encourage likeminded people to connect and consider how they might fit.

Developing and strengthening your brand – Talent networks allow you to raise your profile among target audiences and increase recognition in order to attract a more highly skilled workforce.

Attracting and retaining top talent – Job candidates will have direct access to a broad range of opportunities, information and company employees so they can develop a real relationship with your company over time.

Filling job vacancies much faster – When you’ve already got a pipeline of skilled workers categorized according to experience, skills, interests and so on, the recruitment process gets whittled down substantially.

Tracking trends – As you collect more and more data based on the way people within your talent network interact and respond to information, you can leverage this to market your company and your job opportunities more effectively.

So, how do you populate your network with talent? Start by creating awareness and making people understand the value it brings to them.

Create Awareness

-On your careers page or agency site, you want to make the opportunity to join your talent network front and center. It needs to be easy to join and navigate.

-It’s also important that you optimize your page so search engines find it. (Search engine optimization is a huge topic in and of itself, so if you aren’t already on top of that, be sure to get help from a good SEO firm.) You will want to have a lot of relevant content on the page. In addition to current job openings, you should, at the very least, include things like comprehensive and interesting job descriptions for all the positions you fill regularly, news and city guides for the locations of your jobs and offices, and a few good company-branding YouTube videos.

-Advertising your talent network is also important for creating awareness. Use these places to actively and engagingly advertise your talent network.

Social media sites

Job boards

Job fairs

College career services offices

Freelance marketplaces

Your corporate website

Ads on search engines like Google and YouTube

Messaging apps like Twitter, Snapchat and Periscope

And don’t just follow, friend and connect. Actively engage with people who show some interest. Stream events, showcase what it’s like to work at the company, and provide them with significant information and resources they could find valuable.

-Get your employees to actively invite friends and acquaintances to come and join them in your company’s talent network.

-Old school phone calls and emails that offer the suggestion to just check out your talent networks page can still be effective too.

Benefits to Job Seekers

As you advertise and encourage candidates to join your talent network, be sure to point out how they’ll benefit. People who join can:

·       Stay connected with companies of interest

·       Have direct access to a broad range of opportunities and develop relationships with companies

·       Receive alerts with new job opportunities that match interests and capabilities

·       Share job opportunities with family and friends through Social Media or email

·       Create a living profile with things like video and a portfolio

·       Have a virtual community to discuss opportunities, goals and interests, as well as to ask questions and get information about career-related and other topics

·       Stay in the loop and receive prompt feedback about the result of their expressed interest

The scope of what Talent networks can offer will just continue to grow. The sooner you get started, the sooner you will have access to a wide array of great talent that will keep expanding as your business does. If you have questions about how to create a talent network for your organization, call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com.