Does chaos ensue at your company when an employee submits a resignation letter? Not only are you upset to be losing a valued team member, you’re suddenly in a mad rush to hire someone to replace them. It doesn’t have to be this way. If you take the time to create a talent pipeline, you can have a vast network of outstanding professionals to call on.

5 Savvy Ways to Grow Your Candidate Selection Pool

Create your talent pipeline by following these five steps:

1. Ask for Referrals: If you’re not already encouraging your current team members to refer their connections for positions at your company, it’s time to start doing so. Create a referral program offering a cash reward to anyone who refers a candidate that is hired and stays employed for at least six months or a year. You can trust your employees to only recommend the best, because they don’t want to put their reputation on the line for someone who’s just okay.
2. Focus on Boomerang Employees: When an employee leaves your company, it doesn’t have to be forever. Many people choose to explore new avenues and eventually end up back with a former employer. Stay in touch with anyone you’re not happy to see leave and you may be able to get them back one day. If not, they’ll probably be willing to refer their own connections, thanks to the great relationship they have with you.
3. Attend Networking Events: There’s a very good chance your city has at least one networking group dedicated to your line of work. Members who attend these events are truly passionate about their work and dedicated to keeping their skills updated. Join these groups and make connections with members so you’ll have their information on hand the next time you need to fill an open positon.
4. Connect with Local Colleges and Universities: Partner with the career services department a local school to help you find top young minds to work at your company. This is a winning situation for everyone, as the school gets to boost its employment rate for new graduates and you’re able to easily find new talent that’s eager to impress.
5. Start an Internship Program: Not only can interns bring bright fresh ideas to your team and help you better manage your workload, they also might make great permanent employees upon graduation. Testing them out in an internship program first is a good way to gauge their work ethic and see how well they fit into your company culture, before making a hiring decision.

Want more time in your day to focus on righting top talent? Partner with ECS. Our team provides solutions to clients and recruiters seeking cost-effective management and deployment of their contract labor workforce. We have more than 20 years of experience in the contingent staffing industry, helping companies optimize and simplify the process of providing and utilizing contract workforce personnel in an efficient, compliant environment.