Proactive Recruitment: Get Ahead in the War for Talent

To stay on the cutting edge of the recruitment industry, consultants need to be more proactive in their sourcing processes.

The newspaper "big ad" days when you could pot a role and wait are over. Today, you need to be proactively reaching out to and engaging with potential candidates.

In this article, we'll go over what proactive recruitment is, the different methods it involves, and some strategic tips to get a head start on the competition.

1. What is proactive recruitment?

Proactive recruitment is the process of actively searching for and engaging with potential candidates. This is different from other sourcing methods, where you promote roles for your agency and wait for them to come to you.

Proactive recruitment can be done via networking, using social media, attending job fairs or industry events, or even directly reaching out to people with cold calls or emails.

2. What are the differences between reactive and proactive recruitment?

When it comes to sourcing strategies, some consultants might take a reactive approach. I.e., they passively wait for candidates to see a job post and hand in applications. But over the years, reactivity has become a losing game. As the competition for top talent grows, consultants need to seek out, not wait for, the best candidates.

Reactive recruitment can lead to a smaller, less diverse candidate pool, as well as a longer time-to-hire. It takes too long and leads to some great candidates self-selecting out.

Proactive recruitment lets you build relationships with talent and provide a better candidate experience. With the right strategy sorted, you’ll get higher-quality hires and a faster turnaround.

3. How can proactive recruitment benefit staffing businesses?

As a recruiter, it’s essential to think ahead and build a strong talent pipeline. If you’re still convinced by the old ways, try having a look at some proactive recruitment’s strong points.

We think the benefits speak for themselves:

Better candidate experience

By getting the ball rolling and putting in effort with potential candidates, you’re showing them that they’re valued. It’s sure to create a positive impression. Based on that, candidates will often show a higher commitment level to the recruitment process. Then retention rates will soar.

Higher-quality hires

Proactive recruiting lets you better assess the skills and fit of potential candidates before even inviting them for an interview. With this info in hand, you can find higher-quality hires and waste less time interviewing the wrong candidates.

Stronger talent pipeline

Building relationships with talent is good for the long haul. If a candidate isn’t ready or suitable for a role right now, they’ll still think of your agency first when it’s time to make a move. This increases the chances of successful hires in the future and strengthens your talent pipeline.

Saving resources

Faster time-to-hire means fewer resources wasted on the wrong candidates. This should save your staffing business a ton of time and money - which can then be redirected back into revenue-generating activities.

4. Different methods of proactive recruitment

There are plenty of ways to go about proactively recruiting. The main categories you’ll find are:

Attraction marketing – Using social media, company branding, and other attention-grabbing techniques to get the word out to potential talent.
Direct sourcing – Reaching out directly to candidates through channels like LinkedIn, calls, or other immediate contact methods.
Referral programs – Encouraging people in your network to refer their contacts for open positions.

Some old-school methods can still pay off. Remember the power of face-to-face connections with one of these proactive methods:

Networking – Attending events or joining industry groups in your niche to build connections and potentially source candidates. This is also a great way to stay up to date on the latest industry trends, which can inform your sourcing strategy.
Job fairs – Going to job fairs to meet and engage with a large number of potential candidates at once. As a bonus, you can build relationships with the organizations that put on the fairs for more business connections.
Campus recruiting – Building relationships with universities, participating in on-campus events, and recruiting students for internships or entry-level positions.

For more sourcing tips, you may also be interested in: 5 Clever LinkedIn Hacks for Recruiters

5. Four phases of a proactive recruitment process

Typically, a proactive sourcing process follows these 4 steps:

Build up a talent pool – The first step is to create a database of potential candidates, often through active networking, social media research, and job board searches.
Engage with candidates – This involves reaching out to potential candidates through emails, calls, or other comms. Building relationships with them take regular chats and adds something of value to the candidate (like industry updates or job search insights).
Introduce open positions – When there are roles available, assess their fit and share the opportunity.
Convert – Get the candidate placed in the right role by guiding them through the recruitment process.

6. Seven extra proactive recruitment strategies

Ready to get ahead of the game? We’ve got you covered with even more ideas on reaching out to the right candidates before the competition.

Optimize your job postings

Make your job advertisements clear and attention-grabbing, and use appropriate keywords to improve their visibility on job boards and attract more qualified candidates.

Start a referral program

As stated earlier, using your contacts’ networks can be a great way to source candidates. For a recruitment agency, asking placed candidates if they can refer a friend is a good source of new talent.

Stay active on social media

LinkedIn and other social media platforms are valuable tools to promote job openings and engage with potential candidates. Keep a strong company presence on these platforms with regular updates to share relevant content.

Reach out to potential candidates with cold calls

In some cases, directly reaching out through cold calling or emailing can be an effective way to source talent. But make sure to do your research and have a clear understanding of the type of candidate you’re looking for. Knowing the candidates’ interests and motivations are an important conversation starter.

Leverage recruitment agency software

Last but not least, don't forget to streamline your staffing process with recruitment agency software. This can help with things like managing your talent pool, automating communication with candidates, and optimizing your job postings.

Overall, the most important part of proactive recruitment is consistency. Building and maintaining a strong talent pipeline takes steady work. And once that’s sorted, you’ll have a steady stream of qualified candidates for future job openings.

By thinking long-term with your strategy and putting in the work to reach great candidates, you can put your agency ahead of the competition.

7. How Vincere helps proactive recruiters

Looking for a long-term solution to making your staffing activities more proactive? Look no further than Vincere - the ultimate Recruitment Operating System.

Our configurable talent pool and recruitment CRM capabilities make it easy for recruiters to manage their contacts and stay on top of proactive recruitment efforts.

Plus our staffing platform is designed with various automated communication features to streamline the outreach process, allowing recruiters to engage with potential candidates in a timely and personalized manner.

Want to learn more about how Vincere can help with your proactive recruitment strategy? Schedule a demo with us today.

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