Even the term talent pool is misleading - as if there were a large reservoir of talented individuals waiting to be found. THis articdle contains a dfew tips that has helped me over the years, and I am sure will be of some use to you in your pursuit of talented individuals.
1. Advertise on Niche boards - Want a consultant, advertise where they hang out. Want an engineer - ditto. Boards like Monster.com and Seek.com.au are literally flooded with roles. So much so that it is hard work sifting rhrough the malaise trying to find that job in your field that suits you.
Vertical search is the way to go, thats why we launched our job board in the first place.
2. Exercise the network connections. You have taken time, as a professional. to build and nurture a carefully crafted group of connections and contacts. Plumb them for the talent you are looking for. Take recommendations, look for employee sponsored candidates and maximize the ability to search through their contacts as well as your own. (Cash rewards do go a long way here I have found)
3. Show the money! (Or tell them early in the process) Top level talent need challenging roles. Thats why they are considered to be "top-level". But, man cannot live by bread alone and they also need.. money. More to the point, they are often at a point in their career where they are able to earn sizable rates already.
Mucking around and playing coy in the early rounds of discussion will not endear you to people who are in demand resources. More to the point; if you neglect the conversation early on, then when it happens the candidate is not interested - then you have wasted everybodies time.
4. Offer challenging WOW roles. Again, the best want the best roels. Not the easiest roles, or the best paying necessarily. But they have realized that their earning potential is directly related to their track record, so they actively seek out roles that will provide the profile they believe they need to have. (Fascinating working with self-selected people isn't it)
5. Be visibly referencable - Emploers aren't the only ones to check out references you know...
6. Develop people internally.Of all the points here the last one generally causes the most consternation. Many of the business gurus out there will tell you that if you can't find the best then don't fill the role, then wait for the best to turn up.
Sadly, this is not workable in professional service sorganizations. The best, as we have said, are busy... and expensive.. and often primadonas... so what to do?
Wait for the best to turn up? This isn't operations, its consulting. And even if you are willing to be patient your clients almost certainly are not.
Pay more money? Great if you have it. But you probably don't, or you don't want to set a precedent or any of the other annoying arguments that are given for not paying people what they are worth.
Look in different areas? Maybe.. but the timeframes are still long ones, and you will still be up against thepressure of "the best are busy".
So your remaining option is to lower expectations.
I don't mean second rate resources. Not on your life. Your clients are often paying top dollar for these people, somebody totally out of their depth will not do! (At all)
The best weren't born the best, they became the best
So your goal is to find those rising stars who are bouind for glory but don't realize it yet.
This has a lot of implications:
Shorter hiring timeframes - Longer "up to speed timeframes"
Less cash outlay for headhunting and salaries - but more risk of getting a square peg for a round hole. (Or an untested resource altogether.
Requires more understanding from clients - but less pressure to fill resource schedules.(Hence less overload ont he entire team)
Less superstars - More team players
Less Risk of early separation - Greater risk of "training the competition" (perople who will leave for your competitors.)
Not the most attractive option, but one that is becoming inevitable as we change the way we do work.
If you enjoyed this post please consider subscribing to this feed, or you can subscribe to Consulting Pulse by email.
