2. www.sancusassociates.com | enquiries@sancusassociates.com Hiring Resources | Enabling Exceptional Careers
When hiring niche or rare talent you’re faced with
several challenges.There’s the fiercely competitive
market,an absence of talent when you need it,and
the frustration of matching the perfect candidate
to a role only to discover that person is no longer
available.
Finding niche talent can feel challenging, however
it doesn’t have to be that way. Sourcing specialist
talent may mean you are dipping into a small
talent pool, but that shouldn’t stop you from
thinking big.
Here are 7 sourcing secrets that will make finding
that elusive perfect candidate much easier.
1. Requalify your positions
Finding the best talent is often about thinking
beyond the confines of the usual profile. If
an individual has a skill set that is relevant to a
position but is currently working within another
industry they shouldn’t be ruled out.
Talent without direct experience can not only
fill a talent requirement, but often adds value by
bringing in new skills and best practices.A shining
example of this technique in action is London’s
Great Ormond Street Hospital, who consulted
none other than Ferrari’s Formula One Pit Stop
team to help them improve their intensive care
patient handover process.
When struggling to fill a niche vacancy, shift your
attention away from the “typical profile” and
instead realise (as Google, Facebook and other
successful startups have done) that the best hires
are not always a “perfect fit” on paper.
2. Go global
Sourcing internationally dramatically widens your
talent pool, gives you access to the best skills
and experience in the industry and increases
your firm’s competitive advantage. Furthermore
international candidates provide cross-cultural
perspectives, and a diverse workforce helps to
“encourage creativity and foster innovation” as
quoted by Acas.
If you are looking to relocate candidates, ensure
your relocation packages are competitive.
Relocation guides can also help candidates make
that all important decision about whether to
relocate or not.
3. Use contractors
Why not consider contractors, when looking
to fill highly specialist, time sensitive or project
based assignments? Professionals who work on a
contract basis are often the highest skilled, most
sought-after candidates in the industry.Therefore
if you are looking for a micro-niche skillset, it may
be worth consulting the contract market.
Furthermore, due to their high level of flexibility,
contractors can be available with very little
notice or for short periods of time. If looking for
a highly skilled professional to work on a short-
term project or looking to fill a position as quickly
as possible, a contractor could be the perfect
solution for you. Alternatively, a contractor could
be employed as an interim employee, whilst you
look to find a more permanent member of staff.
7 SOURCING SECRETS FOR FINDING
NICHE TALENT
3. www.sancusassociates.com | enquiries@sancusassociates.com Hiring Resources | Enabling Exceptional Careers
4. Use targeted content to
attract passive talent
According to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends
Survey 2015, 46% of respondents expect to
see the boundaries between recruitment and
marketing blur over the next five to ten years.
Niche talent acquisition will be driven by better
candidate experiences, greater social media
presence and stronger employer brands going
forwards.
A consistent, engaging digital presence is a great
way to nurture connections with candidates who
may not be actively looking for a new role.Go one
step further with this strategy by using specialist
social mapping techniques to profile the online
behaviour of niche candidates, and engage them
with relevant, bespoke content. Learn where,
when and what your candidate pool engages with
online in order to do this successfully.
5. Host networking events
Alternatively, engage with your target candidates
by hosting relevant events and networking
opportunities.As well as adding value, there is no
better recruitment tactic than meeting potential
candidates face-to-face and developing a personal
connection. In fact, according to a report from
ABC News, 80% of jobs are landed through
networking.
6. Offer flexible working
If you are looking to secure the best niche talent,
you need to offer a great package in return—
and that includes an option for flexible working.
A recent EY survey found job flexibility to be
a top feature wanted by full-time employees of
the world’s eighth largest economies (ranked just
behind pay and benefits).They also cited lack of
flexibility as a top reason they would leave a role.
Consider offering greater flexibility to not only
attract candidates, but also improve retention.
Additionally studies have found flexible working to
offer a host of other benefits, including improving
employee health, reducing stress, increasing
productivity and saving costs.
7. Re-sell the opportunity
When recruiting niche talent it’s vital to make
every opportunity sound as appealing as possible
to the right candidates.One of the most common
reasons that employers fail to secure the best
talent is because they haven’t articulated the
opportunity in a way that appeals to the right
people. Understand what motivates the talent
pool you are hiring,and consistently communicate
this throughout the hiring process to ensure you
secure the best talent for your role.
Of course, once you have found your ideal
candidate the next step is to secure them. But
that’s a whole other ballgame. For best practise
advice on securing candidates,request our“Never
LoseTopTalent Again” Guide.
4. This guide has been brought to you by
Sancus Associates, part of the Phaidon
International group.
Sancus Associates is a specialist provider
of Human Capital Management
recruitment solutions across Europe,
the US,Asia and the Middle East.
We believe every professional should
benefit from the advice of a trusted
partner throughout their career.
Contact Sancus Associates, for more
information about career opportunities
in this sector, or if you are looking to
expand your team.
Contact us today:
www.sancusassociates.com
enquiries@sancusassociates.com
Enabling Exceptional Careers
Sancus Associates exists to enable exceptional careers around
the world; we connect exceptional talent, with exceptional
opportunities.
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