I’m pleased to see that as we head into 2013, unemployment rates are slowly following a downward trend. I’m hopeful that this trend will continue and that employers are planning appropriately with stronger recruitment strategies as the labor supply tightens. A powerful recruitment strategy that I recommend and see more and more employers adopting is the practice of continuous recruiting. Continuous recruiting means seeking talent and sourcing candidates at all times, not just when a position becomes vacant.  It prepares employers to respond to staffing needs with a pipeline of candidates readily available.

A major goal of continuous recruiting is building a database of solid applicants, particularly for hard-to-fill positions.  Often, managers are so anxious to fill an open position that poor hiring decisions are made if the process is taking too long. With a larger pool of candidates up front, a manager may not feel he or she needs to jump at the first qualified one available.

I know some are skeptical about continuous recruiting, me included at one time in my life. For example, many years ago I worked as a campus recruiter and was sent to New York where I interviewed dozens of Columbia University and New York University graduate students for positions which weren’t currently available. I was skeptical about the assignment and felt that the costs were unnecessary. I recall thinking that these students will no longer be interested in a position by the time one actually becomes available and that my time could be better spent recruiting to fill more immediate needs.  I also felt that interviewing for unavailable positions was misleading to the students.

To some extent, I still take these considerations into account and it’s important to be forthright with candidates, but the benefits of continuous recruiting far outweigh the costs. Candidates should be informed that they are being considered for future openings and recruiters should expect that many of these candidates will find satisfying jobs elsewhere while waiting for a position to become available.  Urgent staffing needs should always take priority, even if that leaves continuous recruiting efforts on the backburner temporarily. Still, being proactive and continuously recruiting allows for faster turnaround, fewer hiring mistakes and reduced turnover, which ultimately leads to a reduction in recruiting costs. Other benefits include increasing networking opportunities, and promoting and gaining visibility for the employer. If a need within your organization suddenly arises, having a supply of potential qualified candidates puts you way ahead of the curve and is a huge value-add to your recruiting efforts.

As such, I the following recruiting tools are great resources for continuously seeking new talent:

  • Networking at career fairs, conferences, trade shows and industry-specific events
  • Utilizing social media, such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook
  • Highlighting that the company is  “always seeking top notch talent” on the company’s website, promotional materials and job ads

Employers should keep in mind that as with any new practice, employees should be informed of any organizational changes. Let your employees know that the company wishes to continue seeking the best talent in the market and will be taking steps toward continuously recruiting.