Where are all those great job candidates hiding?
Some companies seem to have an inexhaustible supply of candidates in their new-hire pipeline. What about YOU! You, as a job candidate. Are you in that pipeline, or are you on the outside looking in. More important, if you’re on the outside, how do you make the leap to get on the inside?
Go to the source
At a recent panel discussion of corporate HR types, the group was asked, “Where do you go to find great talent?” The lead response may surprise, or depress you.
One company’s “new pool of candidates comes from their existing pool of employees – same schools, same majors, etc.”
All the panelists, however, also agreed that referrals are “the most powerful way” to get candidates. One panelist – who represented a company that was listed among Fortune’s Best Places to Work – stated that “50 percent of their hires result from employee referrals.” To make Fortune’s list, they must be doing something right.
Others note that many company’s actually offer referral fees when they refer an individual who ultimately gets hired.
What’s the message?
Maybe it’s time to break out the old black book, or to start sifting through that mountain of old business cards, or that old school yearbook to develop a list – a list which may contain former co-workers, former vendors, colleagues, classmates, et.al. Scour and digest that list for any possible referral opportunities. More contacts, more opportunities.
You never know. Some don’t like to admit it, but in many cases, job seeking comes down to a numbers game.
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