How to Launch a Successful Talent Search
By Jen Goldman & Patti Dorsey, Bolster
Summer 2023
Launching a talent search for a new position can be an exciting but challenging endeavor as a hiring manager. Finding the right talent—someone who not only possesses the required skills but also fits well within the organization—is crucial for long-term success.
To ensure a successful talent search, it's essential to approach the process strategically and efficiently. In this blog post, we’ll explore some key tips hiring managers can use to launch a new talent search with confidence.
1. Clearly Define the Position Requirements:
Before beginning your talent search, take the time to determine and clearly define the requirements for the open position. Collaborate with stakeholders, including team members and supervisors, to identify the key skills, qualifications, and experience needed for the role. Create a detailed job description that outlines the responsibilities, expectations and goals, desired qualifications, and attributes that align with the company's values and goals.
Be sure to use inclusive language, and avoid adjectives or skills that might imply any type of bias. It helps to be clear on which items are requirements, and which are just desirable or could be learned on the job. Starting with a thorough understanding of what you are looking for will help identify suitable candidates and streamline the evaluation process.
2. Craft an Engaging Job Posting:
A job posting is a bit different from a job description, and crafting a compelling job posting is essential to attracting top talent. This is where you can highlight the appeal of the position, including the potential for growth, exciting projects, and the company's unique selling points.
Remember, candidates are evaluating your organization, too. The way you communicate about the value of the position and about your company culture can significantly impact a candidate’s decision to apply. Welcoming a diverse talent pool is the best way to ensure you hire the right person, so use gender-neutral language and check your writing for hidden biases. Finally, make sure to use relevant keywords throughout the job posting to enhance its visibility in online searches.
3. Leverage Multiple Sourcing Channels:
If you only post a job on your company’s career site, the likely result is a limited applicant pool. To cast a wide net and reach a broader group of candidates, use multiple sourcing channels. There are plenty of options, starting with online job boards, professional networking platforms, and industry-specific websites. Attending career fairs, hosting virtual recruitment events, and engaging with industry associations can help expand your talent pool, or you can partner with organizations, associations, and universities dedicated to developing and supporting marginalized and underrepresented talent. Finally, don’t forget about your own network! Encourage employee referrals and tap into your own professional connections.
4. Implement a Structured Screening Process:
Establishing a structured screening process is crucial to efficiently evaluating candidates. Prior to conducting any interviews, hold a kickoff for the interview team to ensure everyone is aligned. You’ll want to review the ideal candidate for the role and establish what each interviewer should focus on in their interview. The interview team should be made up of individuals with varying backgrounds, experiences, and opinions. Getting different perspectives from key team members during the interview process can help ensure a good fit.
Next, conduct a thorough resume and application review, focusing on relevant skills, experience, and qualifications. This process will help you shortlist the most promising candidates, saving valuable time during the interview stage.
5. Conduct Behavioral-based Interviews:
Consider adopting behavioral-based interview techniques. Behavioral interview questions are questions or statements that ask job candidates to share examples of specific situations from past experiences. This type of interview is “past looking” vs "what would you do" which is “future looking”. Asking open-ended questions prompts candidates to provide specific examples from their experiences and allows you to assess their problem-solving skills, adaptability, and interpersonal abilities.
6. Selecting the Right Candidate:
Once you’ve completed the interview process, bring the interview team together to discuss the pros and cons of each candidate and provide additional feedback. Ultimately, it’s the hiring manager’s decision, but collaborative feedback is important to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
7. Prioritize Candidate Experience:
The talent search process is a two-way street, and your company culture is on display from first contact. Strive to create a positive candidate experience, regardless of outcome. It goes a long way when you respond promptly to inquiries, provide feedback, and keep candidates informed throughout the process. A positive experience, even for unsuccessful candidates, can enhance your employer brand and encourage future applications or referrals.
8. Continuously Evolve and Learn:
Finally, treat each talent search as a learning opportunity. Collect feedback from interviewers, candidates, and internal stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of your process and identify areas for improvement. If you listen, these insights can help you refine and continuously improve your talent acquisition strategy.
Launching a successful talent search requires careful planning, effective communication, and a commitment to finding the right person for your organization. Approaching the process with intentional care will increase your chances of attracting and hiring top talent. Remember, hiring is not just about finding candidates; it's about finding the right candidates to drive your organization forward.
Bolster is an on-demand executive talent marketplace that helps accelerate companies’ growth by connecting them with experienced, highly vetted executives for full-time, interim, fractional, advisory, project-based, or board roles. Jen Goldman is Co-Founder & Head of Talent Acquisition & Member Supply and Patti Dorsey is an Executive Recruiter. Learn more about Bolster here.
This post is part of the America Achieves Talent Summer Series. America Achieves is a national nonprofit organization founded in 2011 to strengthen democracy by building educational bridges to the middle class and re-establishing the link between work and opportunity.
In early 2023, America Achieves selected Bolster, Edgility Consulting and LER Consultants (LER) and DGW Consulting Group (DGWCG), all nationally recognized talent sourcing and executive leadership firms, to participate in a philanthropically funded national talent pipeline pilot project known as the Collective Impact Talent Initiative. The Collective Impact Talent Initiative builds upon America Achieves’ work with equity-centered economic growth and workforce regional coalitions through the Commerce Department’s Build Back Better Challenge and Good Jobs Challenge, both of which were part of the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan. The Collective Impact Talent initiative, with its partners, provides inclusive, place-based regional coalitions from across the country, from upstate New York and Central Valley California, to Virginia and Texas, among others, with individualized and capacity-building support to source, recruit and hire the key diverse talent needed to drive the regional coalitions’ innovative and bold visions of equity-centered economic growth and workforce development. The Collective Impact Talent Initiative is grounded in the belief that coalitions and their work are only as good as their teams and people. You can learn more about the Collective Impact Talent Initiative by going to catalyzeblog.americaachieves.org/talent_initiative or by emailing catalyze@americaachieves.org.
