What is a talent pool and how can I create one?

Every professional in talent recruitment knows that, when it comes to finding the right talent for a specific position, the time is the most valuable resource. Therefore, if you have a brief period to fill a position that has very specific requirements, you should leave no stone unturned until you find the ideal candidate. Would you like to get out of that situation quickly? Then, you need a talent pool. 

This is a very important concept in recruitment since it provides you with qualified candidates without delay. In this article, we will delve into the concept of talent pools and the best way to have a successful one. 

What is a talent pool? 

In essence, a talent pool is a database that contains the profiles of top potential candidates for a specific position. In general, this database is comprised of talent that has shown interest in working with your organization, although it could also be created around a diverse set of candidates, as we’ll see later. 

So, whenever you have an unexpected and urgent request to fill a position, you already have a group of qualified candidates to choose from. In a world where the time you have to meet a specific position is very short, having a talent pool simplifies and streamlines the recruitment process. 

How to create a talent pool? 

Ok, the concept might be simple, but ¿how to have a good talent pool? Well, to have one you can rely on every time you need, you must start by creating a candidate database. This must be very specific and detail the different skills, competences, academic background, and experience each person has. 

Additionally, it is very important to update and expand the talent pool frequently. This way, it’ll grow over time and get more diverse and comprehensive. Also, if you want to create a good talent pool, there are two aspects you have to keep in mind: offering a good candidate experience and keep the candidate’s interest. 

First, providing a good experience during the recruitment process gives people a good impression about the organization. Even if the candidate doesn’t make it to the final stages of the process, that experience is enough to consider the possibility of working with your company in the future. That strengthens your talent pool. 

On the other hand, it is not enough with creating a database. It is also important to keep the candidates’ interest over time. As we’ve already said, your objective must be to turn your organization into a possibility for qualified talent. How do you achieve that? Well, you can maintain your presence with newsletters. 

In this aspect, you should know that the worst thing you can do is filling your candidate’s inbox with unimportant news about your organization. That won’t give then any benefit. On the contrary, they will think of you as a brand that creates spam. That is something you do not want. 

A much less intrusive form of keeping your company in their eyes is offering valuable content. Offer information that is really useful for them and be careful with the frequency. This way, they will see you as a relevant brand in your field and they will respond gladly the next time you have a vacant position. 

In a similar way, other channels such as social networks and blogs will be very helpful. Those are the perfect means to create content of value for candidates and maintain visibility. 

Type of candidates for a talent pool 

1. Silver medalists 

The main core of your talent pool will be all those candidates who applied to a position in your organization and had a promising profile, but were not selected because of specific criteria. You have already evaluated them and they passed all the interviews and filters so you will save a lot of time in the talent acquisition process.  

2. Former employees 

Most recruiters are not fully aware of the importance of keeping an eye on former employees. Unless the employment relationship ended on bad terms, they will be a valuable source of professionals whose knowledge and skills you already know. The best part is that they won’t have problem fitting with the organizational culture. 

3. Internal talent 

Recruiters have an important source of talent that is usually left aside: employees that are already in the organization. This is talent that has passed all the filters and is used to the culture. As long as they can assume the new challenges, you will find just wat you need. For that reason, you should always have internal recruitment as another possibility. 

4. Passive candidates. 

Finally, you can’t overlook the talent that is not interest in a position yet, but shows interest in your business. You can reach those professionals through the organization’s social networks and the content you create there. That is a source of professionals with interesting profiles. 

Now you know what is a talent pool and some of its benefits. This tool can help you streamline your recruitment processes. 

At Talent2Win, we strive to align your company’s business objectives with the best Talent Acquisition strategies available. If you want to learn more about the services we offer, do not hesitate to contact us.