Skills and competencies that employees need are changing rapidly, and new trends are reshaping company needs. The newest job is the ‘head of AI,’ but no one knows what they should do in this position. Ironically or not, the actual situation is somewhat like this: 77% of global companies report a talent shortage (and not just for recently invented jobs), according to a study. This high (and ongoing) demand for qualified professionals necessitates the exploration of new approaches in recruitment, and one solution could be proactive recruitment. What it is, how you can start recruiting this way, and how IT companies currently engage in proactive recruitment are detailed below.

What is proactive recruitment?

Proactive recruitment is an approach that anticipates recruiting needs and works consistently to build a talent pool long before vacant positions open up. Unlike traditional reactive recruitment, where companies start looking for candidates only when a job vacancy arises, proactive recruitment takes a strategic, long-term perspective.

How can you start proactive recruitment?

There are several strategies you can adopt to engage in proactive recruitment and streamline your talent acquisition efforts:

  • Talent Mapping: It’s a strategic approach that helps companies anticipate and meet long-term recruitment goals. While businesses may certainly have short-term or immediate recruiting needs, talent maps focus on the organization’s overall objectives and the employees needed to achieve them.
  • Building Relationships: When recruiting, make sure to engage in the process. Candidates who don’t receive a job offer are 80% more likely to reapply if they’ve had a positive recruitment experience. So, pay attention, provide feedback, focus on the candidate (not just the job), and be transparent. Making a good impression will benefit your company in the long run.
  • Engaging Passive Candidates: 70% of the global workforce is passive talent, not actively seeking job changes. Your candidate database (or talent pipeline, in specific terms) should stay updated with what your company is doing, receive newsletters, information, and relevant updates to remain an active and relevant database. Don’t let candidates interested in your jobs forget about you.

How do IT companies currently engage in proactive recruitment?

  • Career Fairs: IT companies actively participate in career fairs, where they can showcase their culture and opportunities, interact with potential candidates, and establish direct connections.
  • Employer Branding Campaigns: Online and offline, with creativity and seamless collaboration between marketing and HR, you can create highly successful employer branding campaigns. If you don’t believe it, maybe Cognizant Softvision can convince you with their employer branding campaign, ‘The place to be, now and beyond,’ which brought 1,000 people into their team in just 11 months.
  • Recruitment through the Company Website: IT companies invest in comprehensive career websites not only to post job openings but to tell their entire story. For example, Accesa has many employee stories, not just job listings, values, and contact details.
  • University Collaborations/Internship Programs: Many IT companies partner with universities and educational institutions to identify and recruit young talents in the early stages of their education. You can attract and develop internal talent by giving them the opportunity to work and learn directly in your company, using the technologies your teams use.
  • Technical Events: Organizing hackathons, seminars, and webinars to attract and assess potential candidates with technical skills.
  • Referral Programs: Implement referral programs for current employees, giving them financial incentives to recommend potential candidates from their network.

Conclusions

Proactive recruitment isn’t just a trend; it’s necessary in today’s competitive job market. By shifting from a reactive mindset to a proactive one, you can gain a strategic advantage in securing the talents needed to thrive. Through the methods outlined in the article, businesses can create a talent pipeline that fuels their growth and success. Examples from the IT sector demonstrate that proactive recruitment is feasible and highly effective. As companies evolve and adapt, those who embrace proactive recruitment will be better positioned to navigate talent acquisition challenges and stand out as leaders in attracting top-notch professionals.

But what if we don’t have internal resources or time to recruit proactively

Recruitment agencies are the experts you need for talent acquisition, regardless of the specific skills or seniority required. Agencies have access to a vast pool of candidates and can proactively identify and target the critical skills employers need. At Jobs Hunt, we have a database of over 60,000 candidates, and 85% of the roles we recruit for are senior positions. By using a recruitment agency, employers can expand their visibility in the job market, and if recruiters ensure they present them in the best light to candidates, they can recruit proactively, even indirectly.

If you need a recruitment agency attentive to your business needs, we’re just a message away.