The start of the new year can be a particularly difficult time for hiring managers. Resignations are more likely than at any other time of the year and high levels of employment and skills gaps in certain sectors make it more challenging to find the candidates you need.

So, what’s the solution?

If you’re looking for someone with a very specific or in-demand skillset, such as a bilingual employee, then taking a proactive approach to recruitment in the form of talent pooling could reduce the likelihood of a protracted hiring process. But what is talent pooling and how could it help you find the right employee?

What is a talent pool?

A talent pool is a shortlist of individuals who are not currently being considered for a role in your business but you believe have the skills you need. Bilingualism could be one of the key skills an individual must possess to make it into your talent pool, as could any number of other attributes that are difficult to hire for.

Research shows that while only 30 percent of the workforce is looking for a new job at any one time, 85 percent of employees would be willing to discuss a new role even if they’re not actively searching. By making a shortlist of potential candidates you meet through the course of your work, you have someone you can approach with opportunities as and when they arise. These so-called ‘passive candidates’ could be the key to quickly finding high-quality applicants for hard-to-fill roles.

Who can be part of your talent pool?

Your talent pool can consist of:

• candidates your team has sourced for previous roles who impressed you
• leads you have generated at events and career fairs
• candidates identified by executive searches you have conducted in the past
• individuals with the necessary skills you have identified through social media
• referrals from existing employees
• temporary workers from staffing agencies that could potentially become permanent employees
• speculative applications received through the company website

The importance of gathering all the data in one place

A number of specialist tools are available for a small fee to keep track of the individuals in your talent pool. However, you could also create a simple database or a Google document that keeps all their details in one place. Regardless of where you store your talent data, make sure it’s secure and meets the new GDPR regulations. You must also capture all their relevant details. This includes phone numbers, email addresses, LinkedIn profiles and CVs so you can review a candidate’s skills and experience quickly and get in touch when an opportunity arises.

Stay ahead of the recruitment curve

Building talent pools full of prospective candidates with the specific skills and experience you value helps you stay ahead of the recruitment curve. Building your talent pool is an ongoing process, but perhaps counterintuitively, it’s most important when things feel relatively stable. That’s when an unexpected resignation can bring you crashing back down to earth. Having a list of pre-qualified applicants with the skills to immediately fill a vacancy immediately reduces the likelihood of making a knee-jerk hiring decision.

How can we help?

How fantastic would it be to have your next bilingual employee already lined up? At Linguistica Recruitment, we have a database full of prospective candidates with the skills and experience you need. To find out more, please call 02392 987 765 or email info@linguistica-recruitment.com.