In my last blog, I wrote about the importance of building a recruiting pipeline. In today’s world, recruiters are being asked to do more with fewer resources. This is where talent pipelining comes into account. If you want to be a leading employer in today’s market, you need to develop a pipeline of qualified and relevant candidates in anticipation of future hiring needs. Here are five keys to successfully building a recruiting pipeline.

1. Know the Business: Pay attention to the departments and roles that have the most turnover, and be ready with a list of potential candidates. Know about the company’s growth and expansion plans and be aware of any upcoming projects so you can anticipate hiring needs before they arise.
2. Evaluate the Process: This is where a little research in the beginning will pay off in the end. Where are you getting your candidates today? Which of these applicants became successful hires? Look into their backgrounds and search for anything they have in common. Evaluate the process now to ensure you’re focusing your time and money where it’s most effective.
3. Advertise: Apple, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Target. Those are some very large companies that all have something in common; they advertise year-round. It doesn’t matter how good or bad the economy is doing, they are constantly advertising and staying top-of-mind. I’m not saying you need to spend as much on advertising as those companies do, but you need to advertise. That can be as simple as updating a Facebook or Instagram page, or even posting on local and national job boards. One way or another, you need to get the company name out there!
4. Who You Know: Referrals are one of the easiest ways to build your pipeline. Offer rewards and incentives for referrals that get hired by the company. Nobody knows the job or company better than the people currently working there!
5. Keep In Touch: There is no cookie cutter approach when it comes to recruiting. Everyone is different. Some candidates prefer to get updates via a phone call, others through email. Have you thought about text messaging or using social media too? Regardless of how you communicate with candidates in your pipeline, you need to do just that. Communication with candidates in your pipeline is tremendously important and you need to continuously develop relationships with them. Like I said in my last blog, you need to build relationships with the candidates so they will know you, like you, and trust you. If you can do that, you’ll find that your job openings will get filled quicker and the hires are more likely to stay longer.

In terms of recruiting, it’s better to be proactive than reactive. Talent pipelining isn’t a short term strategy and it takes time to develop and nurture, but the long term benefits will be worth the investment.