Keeping the competitive edge on Talent · Six Degrees Executive

As the market for talent continues to tighten it is now more important than ever for businesses to have a clear strategy around attracting and retaining top performers. Whether you are seeking a competitive advantage or looking to drive business growth through talent acquisition, establishing and maintaining a pipeline of skilled and engaged candidates, will ensure you are ahead of the game when it comes to filling in skill gaps or vacant roles within your organisation.

Smart companies do not wait until they have a need to hire to begin recruiting talent. Having a focused approach to market mapping ensures you have a database of qualified individuals who are ready to join your organisation and these candidates can be secured quickly when a vacancy arises. Some simple ways to enable a continual flow of candidates suited to business development needs can include the following practices;

Market mapping 

Understanding who the top performers in competing or related industries are. This talent pool can be engaged through proactive introductions utilising the means of LinkedIn groups, networking events, and industry-related associations. Having an active presence through such means and projecting a positive and progressive Employee Value Proposition will ensure your business is on the radar for top candidates in the market.

Staying in touch

Maintaining networks, whether through specialist agency providers or internal resourcing teams, will allow for a greater understanding of active talent with the ability to discuss specific appointments at the time that an individual is open to change or career development.

Career alerts and company updates

Maintaining a proactive dialogue and actively promoting available opportunities or company news; especially that of innovation, strategic acquisitions and market positioning. This will again increase the level of interest of top performers and ensure that your business profile is up-to-date and front of market in a highly competitive landscape.

Determine tight talent areas

Pipelining and the development of talent pools is particularly effective in tight talents areas i.e. - Brand, Account and Demand Planning. Identifying the areas within the organisation with the highest needs or development requirements will enable a flow of the right talent for business-critical appointments.

By adopting these practices and a disciplined approached your business will benefit through reduced times to fill vacant roles, reduced recruitment costs, and limited business disruption. Building a talent pipeline is a longer-term investment in your business success and a clear differentiator in the on-going talent war.

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