Hiring Strategy: Should You Always Be Hiring?

Some career experts say job seekers should always be actively looking for new job opportunities. If job seekers are always looking, should companies also continuously search for top candidates?

The answer is yes. Even if your business does not have a job opening right now, actively seeking out top candidates can lead to finding and expediting top quality new hires when a position opens up. Here are three reasons why you should always be hiring:

1. If There Isn’t an Opening Now, Just Wait. Positions open up all the time, even during hiring freezes. Employee turnover means you must find and hire a new employee with a similar skill set as soon as possible. New technology and new business strategies can translate into finding new hires with specific skill sets not available internally. Even if the job isn’t there right now, it could be tomorrow.


2. Think of Hiring Like a Marketer. When it’s time to purchase a new item like a pair of shoes, most people head to the store with a few brands in mind. This consideration set—the group of three to five brands the buyer is seriously considering—can come from brands purchases previously, advertising seen and positive reviews from friends and family.
   

   Think of hiring strategy in the same way: If you let top potential candidates know about your business, they may include you in their consideration set when looking for that perfect job. Tap into networks of existing employees, and you might find a referral waiting in your inbox when a matching position opens up.

   
   


3. Keep Your Talent Pool Fresh. Do you have a talent pool you can reach out to when positions open? These communities, comprised of job seekers, potential candidates and others who have interest in engaging with your business, can decrease the time and effort spent during the recruiting process.
   

   Even with a talent pool in place, you need to continue to grow and refresh the pool. Use your applicant tracking system to keep in contact with previous job candidates or potential candidates who sign up for future job information through a web form or a recruiting fair. Share information about your business and culture—anything that might pique the interest of quality candidates—through email newsletters, social media postings and engagement on online job boards. The more potential applicants see your company name, the more likely they will be to jump at a new job posting when it appears.

   
   

Keep looking for and tracking those top candidates even when your company isn’t in a position to hire so you can identify top candidates when opportunities arise.

Hiring Strategy: Should You Always Be Hiring?