How to recruit the best people more quickly and cost effectively

1. 8 steps to creating
a talent pool
How to recruit the best
people more quickly
and cost effectively

2. A talent pool is a group of desirable and
qualified people who have been proactively
selected to be ready for vacancies when
they arrive, particularly for reoccuring
roles that are crucial to the business
and/or hard to fill.
What’s a talent pool?

3. Finding the right talent at short notice can be a challenge. Relying on reactive
methods like job ads can be time consuming and a game of chance.
Signs you might need a talent pool:
Your recruitment is
taking too long
Time
to hire
Your competitors
have better known
employment brands
The rest,
not the best
The cost of
recruitment is too
high due to over-
reliance on job ads
or agencies
Cost
to hire
You’re relying on
a small pool of talent
to apply for your
advertised roles
Limited
gene pool
Existing employees
experience burnout
due to taking up the
slack from vacancies
Low
morale
Why talent pool?

4. Forward-thinking organisations stay
on the front foot; they seek out the
candidates that their organisation needs
most, build a talent pool and start the
process of winning their hearts over time.
Cameron Davidson – Director, Strategic Sourcing,
Asia Pacific, Hudson

5. How do you talent pool?
Talent pooling involves engaging over
time with a selected group of active
and passive candidates, building
up a relationship and inviting them
to apply for key roles.

6. for building
a successful
talent pool
steps

7. 1. Get your team on board
Ensure you have full buy-in from management.
This strategy requires time, consistency
and commitment.
A talent pool may not deliver instant results, but
the investment that it requires will be justified
and validated over time through better quality
candidate shortlists and faster times to hire.

8. Be realistic.
A talent pool is not necessarily the best
for all roles in an organisation.
Keep it to key roles that are reoccurring,
hard-to-fill and/or crucial.
Tip

9. 2. Map your needs
Consult with department managers
and hiring managers about what roles
are key and what will be needed over
the next one or two years.
Establish the qualitative criteria
that candidates need to be added
to the talent pool.

10. Aim high.
Set the bar high and ensure your recruiters
fill the talent pool with the best.
Don’t fill it with poor quality or unsuitable
candidates just to boost the number.
Tip

11. 3. Develop your
sourcing strategy
List the channels you will use to source
candidates, what messages you will
convey and how you will position the roles.
For rare skill sets, you will need
to be proactive in finding where
those candidates are, what media
they consume and where they
exchange ideas.

12. Check your social media policy.
If approaching candidates using social media,
make sure the marketing team is on board.
Does your social media policy need updating?
Tip

13. 4. Get the technology
Ensure you have a good (CRM) Candidate
Relationship Management system.
The CRM system will house the talent
pool and give you data such as how
quickly the talent pool is growing, how
many candidates have been shortlisted,
how many have been placed.
A CRM system assists you in communicating
with your talent pools – both campaigns
and automated.

14. Set KPIs.
Have a list of clear KPIs and report on them monthly,
quarterly and annually.
Only then can you properly monitor effectiveness.
Is your cost per hire and time to fill going down?
Tip

15. 5. Separate sourcing
from recruiting
We recommend having a candidate-facing
sourcing specialist who is out every day
talking to candidates and building and
maintaining the talent pool.
In a separate role, have a recruiter
who interviews and hires under
the direction of the hiring manager.
If both roles are combined, there
is a risk this function will be too
preoccupied with filling roles and lack
the capacity to be forward looking.

16. Partner with experts.
If you’re unable to effectively resource a talent
pool, partner with a recruitment process outsourcing
(RPO) specialist with experience in talent pooling
to manage the entire process for you.
Tip

17. 6. Source potential
candidates
Build a list of potential candidates.
Seek out active candidates among
online job applicants or those who
have narrowly missed out on previously
advertised positions.
Seek out passive candidates
via your networks, social media,
recruitment tools and referrals.

18. Use industry experts (if possible).
Sourcing specialists with deep experience
in the industries they are responsible for
are usually more effective at building rapport
with the candidates they are seeking out.
Tip

19. 7. Make the approach
Ensure you able to articulate your
value proposition as an employer.
Set yourself apart by tailoring your
message and making it personal.
Ask talent pool candidates
how they would like to be kept
in the loop and tailor your
approach to communicating
with them accordingly.

20. Review your EVP
Your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is crucial.
Be clear on why your organisation is the best workplace
in your industry and how to articulate that.
Tip

21. 8. Keep them engaged
Treat your talent pool like a paying
audience whose reviews could make
or break the success of your show.
Engage them with a clever CRM
strategy and warm them to your
brand over time.

22. Don’t drop off the rader
Putting candidates into a talent pool
and never contacting them again can
leave a negative impression.
If a candidate continues to be put
up for roles without success, at some
point arrange an exit from the talent pool.
Tip

23. We do talent pooling for a great client in the life
sciences field. Despite being a fantastic employer
and offering a range of great benefits, this company
is not widely known outside its home country.
With our talent pool solution, we’ve been able to tell their
story and sell their value proposition as an employer.
Over time, I’ve seen highly desirable professionals who
weren’t even looking to leave their current jobs warm
to the opportunity this company offers and ultimately
become active candidates.
Kimberley Hubble – Global RPO Leader, Hudson

24. Not ready to strike out on your own?
Contact Hudson RPO for more information
about how Hudson could help you reduce
costs and improve candidate quality in your
recruitment process.