As recruiters look to attract the best in talent to their opportunities today, we know we need to think beyond the usual job boards and searches on LinkedIn.
One recruitment strategy that’s getting plenty of notice today (yet remains underused) is niche networking events, both in-person and virtual, that are tailored to a specific industry and/or skill set they’re targeting.
Such networking events can be terrific at helping companies discover top-notch professionals who are passionate about their fields. In fact, these events often are full of potential candidates who might not currently be looking for a new position but are nevertheless open to a compelling offer.
Identifying these Events
Decide what niche networking events are the type that the talent you seek might attend.
This will mean going beyond the traditional networking event: they can range from seminars for a specific industry to a “hackathon” for tech talent, etc.
Social media channels, newsletters focused on a specific industry, and niche-specific professional forums could be terrific resources for finding such gatherings.
In addition, you should look to your existing network to find out about invitation-only meetings/conferences that could help you connect with particular talent pools.
Engaging with Potential Candidates
Once you’ve decided on which events to attend, you’ll need to decide how you’ll effectively engage with the people you’ll meet at them.
This means far more than merely showing up: you’ll need to participate actively and interact with people genuinely.
Your first step is to research the event’s theme/focus, as well as study the profile of speakers and attendees.
Doing so will help you have meaningful conversations, ensuring you ask insightful questions and demonstrating your true interest in the business sector and the people who work within it.
You also can share your knowledge about recruiting/job searching in the sector and/or make introductions to people who could help the people with whom you speak.
No pitches!
Talk more about the candidate and his/her work. Never specifically mention your company’s need for people like your fellow event attendees. Instead, your primary focus should be building a relationship with the person based on their interests and mutual respect.
You can share stories about your company’s culture, of course, as well as how much the company is growing, how your company treats its team members, etc.
Effective follow-up
Your follow-up is where the relationship truly begins – and the recruiting magic starts. Make sure to personalize your follow-up with references to the specific things you talked about. It’s also smart to express your interest in approaching the person when you feel that one or more roles at your company could be a good fit for the person.
As your email relationship develops, move on to asking the person for a coffee meeting or Zoom call.
All of this effort will expand your candidate pipeline.
Another terrific way to grow that pipeline? Talk to Debbie’s Staffing about working with us to source candidates for you.
Learn more about how our recruiters can help you source, find, and “land” great talent.