Early talent — that is, talent on track to graduate from college or a professional program or recent graduates of such programs — tends to be hungry. People who are excited to join the workforce and showcase their skills would love to work for companies that are ready to put those skills to the test. In most cases, though, recruiters fail to connect the best talent with deserving companies searching for competitive candidates.
What happens? Companies often treat recruitment events and other solo stints as silver bullets. They assume that by spending money in the right place and achieving high numbers of attendees, they can guarantee a better pool of interested talent. This is especially common in diversity hiring, where companies look to correct imbalances in the demographics of their ranks by adding more members of underrepresented groups.
At these events, recruiters set goals to talk to as many people who meet their criteria as possible. Unfortunately, these conversations rarely go beyond the superficial. The recruiter meets the candidate, makes the introduction, and moves on down the line. It’s a numbers game, and everyone loses.
Building legitimate relationships requires trust, and trust takes time. Companies cannot solve their recruiting woes, especially those related to diversity, with a silver bullet or one-time fix. Making real change takes real effort. Only by creating new, sustainable processes for talent attraction and retention can companies break through their hiring plateaus to create the workforces they need to stay competitive.
Fresh Start on a Digital Battleground
Just because a company has an employer brand in real life does not mean that reputation translates fully online. Some of the biggest organizations can get away with limited online presence in certain fields, but for most, an online presence is a non-negotiable prerequisite for attracting the best talent.
Companies must make the effort to build reputation among prospective hires online just as they build their reputations among prospective buyers of their products and services. Candidates today, especially the tech savvy early talent pool, are adept at evaluating the credentials of would-be employers. Without a strong foundation, employers leave themselves on shaky ground.
Establishing that foundation is more essential than ever because candidates have the upper hand. Even when unemployment numbers rise, companies continue to struggle to fill roles with the best talent — doubly so when simultaneously pursuing diversity initiatives. Candidates are hyper-critical regarding how companies treat them, what the current employee demographics and morale are, and whether the brand stands for something they can support. Without those factors in place, candidates will take their skills to the next opportunity.
It’s Not Just About the Jobs
Recruiting in 2020 is not transactional. Finding and wooing the best talent requires companies to do more than post jobs online in the right spaces.
Instead, companies must bring experiences to prospective hires that show those hires a bright, rewarding future at the company. What does a day in the position look like? How do other employees at the company use their time? Do they stay for years, start their own businesses, or bounce after a few months in search of greener pastures? Getting to know the company is now just as important as learning the ins and outs of the role.
If every conversation with a prospective candidate revolves around jobs, something is wrong. Early talent wants to make a difference. Talk to candidates about recent wins by the company, product launches, new partnerships, and examples of commitment to a mission. An engineer can be an engineer anywhere. Why should that engineer choose this company over all the rest?
Salary, benefits, and other perks matter, as they always have and will. Companies cannot utilize progressive, mission-driven language only to skimp on employee compensation and benefits. However, as candidates evaluate otherwise equal options, they will usually choose the option that lit a little fire inside them, even if that option pays a little less. Just not too much less.
Recruiters and the companies that hire them cannot continue to seek a silver bullet for early talent hiring, especially in the case of diversity hiring. Building the foundation takes time, but every hour invested is a step toward a more sustainable, talented workforce.
