Imagine this: you’ve recently filled 5 positions. Each one with incredible, talented professionals. The bad news is that you’ve drained your candidate pipeline and you have to start from scratch. It’s time to go back to the drawing board. Back to sourcing candidates, posting on job boards, etc. There’s got to be a better way to not have to start over time and again after filling a position. Well, there is: keep your candidate pipeline perpetually full. How is this done? Consider these 5 tips to maintain a healthy candidate pipeline.

A healthy candidate pipeline always has a mix of internal and external candidates. Too often , internal candidates are overlooked for open positions within a company. While external candidates can bring a new air and perspective to a company, it also takes a lot of resources to always source new candidates. In your pipeline, identify those employees that are ready to make the next step. Add to this a healthy mix of external top talent and your pipeline will always be full and healthy.

Next, keep your pipeline warm. Not every top candidate is the right fit. Your pipeline will consist of a mix of active candidates and passive candidates. Like the name suggests, passive candidates need a little more TLC. It’s important to keep them warm and engaged. That doesn’t mean you have to take them out to lunch every month, but a little note here and there goes a long way in the mind of a candidate. Even if a candidate isn’t a good fit for right now, don’t freeze them out because you never know when the timing will match up.

You have to hire an accountant. After weeks of sourcing all the best accountants on the market, you fill the position. Now it’s time to to pivot and fill an HR position. You spent all that time looking for accountants so your pipeline is left unbalanced. The way to avoid this problem in the future is to always keep your pipeline diverse in terms of job function, experience, etc. Identify the roles and functions in your company that are are the highest value to the organization. Then, spend your time sourcing and interacting with candidates. Your pipeline will always be full of a wide range of candidates. When the time comes, you can pivot and be proactive instead of always being reactive to whatever position needs to be filled.

Place a renewed emphasis on your employer brand. What does employer brand to have to do with maintaining a candidate pipeline? The goal is to create an employer brand that evokes positive emotions in the mind of a candidate. Then when they see a job ad, they will remember how great your organization is. The candidate experience is an important facet of employer brand. Candidates that have a great experience interviewing with your company become advocates for your company and will encourage others in their network to consider your company. Even if they weren’t selected for the position, a great candidate experience leaves them open to other positions in the future. These former candidates form part of your pipeline and when you come calling in the future, they will be more receptive.

The best way to keep your talent pipeline full and healthy is to engage the services of a recruiting firm. The great thing about recruiting firms is that one, they can provide you with a whole list of great candidates and two, they maintain their own pipeline full of top talent that is at your disposal. Depending on the recruiting firm, they will specialize in placing certain job functions or if you work with a firm like Recruiting Connection, we specialize in a wide range of job levels and functions and have a pipeline of top candidates.

Looking to build a team of top talent but don’t know where to start? Contact us by clicking the button below and we’ll be happy to help!