Recruiting in 2022: Finding Hidden Gems in The Talent Pool

As we continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic and the Great Resignation, many companies are looking for talent and simply not finding the right candidates. We all know how competitive the hiring market has gotten in 2022. Recruiting during this time can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re trying to source from a limited pool of candidates who have a lot of options. This is where the importance of outreaching to passive candidates comes in. With that, you can open the doors to finding hidden gems that could be the perfect fit for your company.

How to Find Gems in Your Talent Pool

There is no one silver bullet to recruiting. Whether you’re just starting to source on Linkedin or using other recruiting platforms such as Covey on top of Linkedin, here are helpful tips for you to bring fresh eyes to the process and find great candidates.

More than ~70% of candidates are passive candidates.

More than ~70% of candidates are passive candidates. There can be some truly hidden gems found in your passive candidate pool. The key thing to remember is that passive candidates can have a wide variety of backgrounds, and they may not fit the mold of your active candidates. They are likely a person who may be okay at their current job but open to new opportunities if presented to them.

How do you unlock these candidates who are not applying to your careers page or job boards?

You need to reach out to them. These aren’t people who are looking at job listings or trolling LinkedIn for leads. These are people looking for the right thing at the right time, and you need to find a way of recruiting them to your company.

Setting up an outreach strategy

When it comes to who to outreach to, these are some of the ways you can begin your sourcing strategy.

1. A list of companies where you’d want your candidates to be working at
2. A similar job title, or one level below the job requirement
3. Specific backgrounds such as having both startup and FAANG company experience
4. Particular skills that the candidates should possess
5. Unlock talent networks of your existing employees

Customize your messages to candidates

Candidates can tell when they’re getting a generic recruiting message. In fact, some candidates may get so many of these automated messages that they simply don’t read them. That is why it is so essential to customize your messaging to candidates, from subject line to sign-off.

Make sure you clearly state what role you’re hiring for, what made you reach out to the candidate, and what your ideal next steps would be. Don’t be afraid to add a little personality as well. That’s exactly what can help you stand out and connect with the candidate.

Outreaching via emails

An average software engineer could be receiving up to 3 linkedin inmails per day from recruiters. With that, even a well-crafted message wouldn’t necessarily get their attention, as they likely have unread inmails piled up overtime. Outreaching via emails might be one of the best ways to get a passive candidate’s attention.

Look beyond typical keywords in your recruiting platform.

It’s easy to get into a groove when using a recruiting tool, using the exact keywords for the same candidates repeatedly. But if your search isn’t yielding the candidates you’re looking for; it may be time to revisit the keywords or tools you’re using. Think of keywords that may be tangential to the role that you’re sourcing, especially if your current list isn’t working. You can also filter candidates by other dimensions instead of relying on a limited set of keywords. No matter your approach, it always pays to bring a fresh perspective to your recruiting.

Recruiting is changing, but why we recruit isn’t

It may seem daunting to find the right candidates right now. With so many positions available, candidates can afford to be very choosy when searching for their next role. And some candidates are not searching altogether, instead, waiting for you to come to them. But at the end of the day, with new strategies, you can still find gems in this competitive recruiting market.

Track your lead funnel with a comprehensive recruiting software

The best thing you can do for your recruiting funnel is to align your teams with sourcing, outreach and CRM technology. A comprehensive recruiting platform like Covey helps you to source, send drip campaigns, gather referrals and track recruiting pipelines. When you can manage your candidates through a unified recruiting software platform, it eliminates friction between recruiters and keeps the process moving smoothly.

Request a demo today.

Want to find out more? See how companies like Miro, Clearbit and Sendoso hire better together on Covey.