In today’s market where unemployment hovers above 4.5%, more folks are actively searching and applying for positions on job boards. There are typically people who are unemployed (does NOT mean unemployable!) or are dissatisfied with their current employment situation. With this growing pool of candidates, we could assume that finding the right talent to fill critical roles would be easier now more than ever. Without a doubt, Artificial Intelligence tools have added workflow efficiencies to the talent acquisition process including writing job descriptions, candidate skill identification, matching, tracking, and ranking.
Where these tools fail is in basic communication and relationship building. Even in this employer-advantaged landscape, there is fierce competition for those candidates with in-demand skills and experience. Especially high-performing sales professionals and growth leaders who are happy and well-compensated in their current jobs. These people can be the most difficult to recruit. Trying to connect with these people through auto-messaging (please stop!), demonstrates a lack of personalization, discovery, and effort on the part of the talent seeker. Because passive candidates are not actively looking, the initial message should create a sense of excitement about your company and position. Include details about what makes your organization stand out, its competitive position, its culture, and how the company can benefit from the candidate’s unique skills and experience (do this!).
Be authentic in your communication as generic outreach is unlikely to capture their attention. Selling your brand and vision is a vital step in building relationships with high-quality talent.
