Recruiting and hiring are no different than most areas of a business in that objectives and plans can be quite fluid. Similarly, the intensity of candidate sourcing activity will fluctuate as well. Three factors will be especially changeable in these situations: the number of hires needed across all open jobs, the size of the candidate pool required to meet those hiring targets, and the type and scope of sourcing methods and channels deemed necessary to generate those candidate pools. Each of these factors is influenced by both the internal operating context and broader market conditions. Internal drivers might include business performance against budgets, new, existing or deferred strategic initiatives, employee turnover and retention, and productivity levels.
Market conditions, most of which are out of an organization’s control, might pertain to the scarcity of talent who are “QIA,” or qualified, interested and available. And there is nuance in the definition of “available,” since talent might require some influencing to engage if they are passive candidates who are not actively seeking a new opportunity. Effectively engaging these individuals really requires a different playbook, one which includes a stance from the recruiting organization that does not expect anything more than a gradual, incremental commitment to the process from the candidate side. This will also require a greater emphasis from the potential employer on personalizing the process. This might involve elements such as certain points of emphasis in the job ad, targeting sourcing channels known to appeal to top-tier passive candidates for certain jobs, engaging via the preferred interaction mediums of each candidate, or even identifying and working within the best timing for recruiter outreach.
