What are the best practices for building and maintaining a talent pool of potential candidates?

1 Define your talent pool criteria

The first step to building a talent pool is to define your criteria for selecting and segmenting candidates. You need to have a clear idea of what skills, competencies, experience, and qualifications you are looking for, as well as what types of roles and projects you anticipate needing in the future. You can use your existing job descriptions, employee profiles, and performance data as a starting point, but also consider the market trends, industry changes, and customer expectations that may affect your talent needs. You can then create categories or groups of candidates based on these criteria, such as passive candidates, active candidates, referrals, alumni, or talent communities.

2 Source and attract candidates

The next step is to source and attract candidates to your talent pool. You can use various channels and methods to reach out to potential candidates, such as social media, job boards, career fairs, networking events, referrals, or talent scouts. The key is to tailor your message and value proposition to each segment and channel, and to showcase your employer brand and culture. You want to create a positive and memorable impression of your organization, and to highlight the benefits and opportunities of working for you. You also want to encourage candidates to join your talent pool by providing them with easy and convenient ways to sign up, such as online forms, chatbots, or email subscriptions.

3 Engage and communicate with candidates

Once you have candidates in your talent pool, you need to keep them engaged and interested in your organization. You can do this by communicating with them regularly and providing them with relevant and valuable information, such as industry insights, company updates, career tips, or job alerts. You can also invite them to participate in online or offline events, such as webinars, podcasts, workshops, or meetups, where they can learn more about your organization and interact with your employees or leaders. The goal is to build trust and rapport with your candidates, and to demonstrate that you care about their career aspirations and development.

4 Evaluate and update candidates

Another important practice for maintaining a talent pool is to evaluate and update candidates periodically. You need to track and measure the quality, quantity, and diversity of your candidates, and to assess their fit and readiness for your roles. You can use various tools and techniques to evaluate candidates, such as online tests, surveys, assessments, or interviews. You can also ask for feedback from candidates, such as their satisfaction, expectations, or preferences. Based on the results, you can update your candidates' profiles, statuses, and preferences, and move them to different segments or groups within your talent pool. You can also remove or archive candidates who are no longer interested, qualified, or available for your roles.

5 Convert and hire candidates

The final step is to convert and hire candidates from your talent pool when you have a specific role or project to fill. You can use your talent pool as a source of pre-screened and pre-qualified candidates, and reduce the time and cost of hiring. You can also leverage your existing relationship and communication with your candidates, and make them feel valued and appreciated. You can use personalized and timely messages, such as phone calls, emails, or texts, to inform them of the opportunity, and to invite them to apply or interview. You can also provide them with a smooth and positive hiring experience, and to give them feedback and support throughout the process.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?