Outline

Imagine you have an open role, deadlines to meet, and pressure to find the right person fast.

Yeah, that's where you need a pre-built talent pipeline the most. Instead of starting from scratch each time, you already have a pool of engaged candidates ready to go.

Let's walk through how to build a talent pipeline before the urgent need arises—

5 Steps to Build a Talent Pipeline that Your Company Needs

1. Identify Your Company Needs

The first step in building a talent pipeline is knowing what you're planning for. What type of talents your company needs is the utmost thing you should know before starting to create a talent pipeline.

To kickstart it, you can ask the managers about their team's future needs. You can also look at your company's past hiring data. This will give an idea of which positions took longer to fill or which roles have a high turnover rate.

Consider both short-term and long-term perspectives. Perhaps you will need to hire more sales representatives within the next 3 months. Or you may see the need for data analysts next year.

Once you have clarity, you'll know exactly which types of talent to focus on bringing into your pipeline.

2. Build a Strong Employer Brand

A strong employer brand is like a magnet for top talent. Candidates today want more than just a job. They look for workplaces that align with their values, culture, and goals.

To build a stronger employer brand, consider showcasing your company culture across various platforms.

Like, share how your employees are benefiting on your Career page. You can also highlight success stories and team activities through your day-to-day social media posting.

According to the Law of Repetition, people are more likely to believe something when they see it repeatedly. So, being active on platforms like LinkedIn and Glassdoor will build your employer brand among people whom they trust.

3. Source Candidates Like a Pro!

Sourcing is the heart of building a candidate pipeline. You can't just sit back and hope candidates come to you. Instead, you have to search out and find them.

But how to source the right candidate?

Job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed are excellent platforms for gathering candidate data. You can also join groups or attend industry events where freshers come to look for jobs.

But not all real talents will reach out all the time. Sometimes, you need to outsource candidates' profiles to learn more about them. Some of the best hires are passive candidates who aren't applying for jobs but are open to opportunities.

You can send a polite, well-crafted message that sparks their interest and brings them into your pipeline.

4. Get Help from Technology and Tools

Manual sourcing and recruiting take time. Nowadays, people utilize technologies and tools to shorten that process.

For instance, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can help you store and organize candidate information. At the same time, a Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) tool lets you segment candidates into groups.

To actively hire candidates, you can use multiple types of tools for mastering each process of pipeline building.

There are also top hiring software solutions, such as Airwork AI, which offer an all-in-one platform for hiring real talent. Instead of spending hours searching, Airwork AI offers 10,000+ pre-vetted candidates ready to be hired.

You can even conduct interviews, communicate with candidates, and hire the most suitable talent within this single platform.

5. Nurture Relationships Regularly

Whether you use an all-in-one talent hiring platform or source candidates independently, it's essential to stay connected regularly with your sources. Collecting their details or sending a single message is not enough to capture the interest of those candidates.

Once you've identified your potential candidates, the next step is to maintain the connection. But building a relationship will also take time and consistency. Your goal should be to stay connected to that radar without being irritating.

So, instead of sending a flood of job ads, share content that will actually matter to them. You can share your company updates, industry news, or just simple insights that tie back to their interests.

Take a moment to ask about their career goals and what they're currently working on. Small gestures like this show that you value them as individuals, not just as names on a list.

Creating trust early on pays off. When these candidates are ready to make a career move, they'll remember your company as one that took the time to connect in a meaningful way.

Talent Pipeline Metrics You Should Track

You should not build a talent pipeline that contains just their names in your database. Instead, it's also important to measure its effectiveness.

Here, tracking the right metrics will help you determine if your efforts are paying off and where you can make improvements.

Here are some of the most important talent pipeline metrics to keep an eye on:

• Time-to-Fill: Measures how long it takes to hire a candidate after a position opens. A shorter time-to-fill indicates that your pipeline is functioning effectively and you're prepared with talent when needed.

• Quality of Hire: Monitor the success of new hires in their roles. Strong pipelines consistently attract higher-quality candidates.

• Source of Hire: Get where your best candidates come from. Is it from referrals, job boards, social media, or direct sourcing? This helps you double down on the most effective sourcing channels.

• Pipeline Conversion Rate: Compare the number of candidates in your pipeline to the number who actually get hired. If conversion is low, it may indicate that engagement or nurturing strategies require improvement.

• Candidate Engagement: Track how responsive candidates are to your communication. Are they opening emails? Attending events? Responding to messages? High engagement shows strong relationships.

• Diversity Metrics: Measure the diversity of your pipeline across gender, background, and experience. A healthy pipeline should attract talent from diverse perspectives.

• Drop-off Rate: Examine the percentage of candidates who disengage before progressing to later stages of the hiring process. Identifying drop-off points helps refine your approach and keep candidates interested.

Turn Your Pipeline Into Real Hires

Your talent pipeline is not only a database of names.

It is a system of meaningful connections that can turn into strong hires at the right time.

You have seen how identifying company needs, sourcing effectively, and nurturing relationships create a foundation for a stronger pipeline. Here, adding the right metrics into the mix can make your hiring process more reliable and easier to manage.

You can take the best advantage of an outline before getting any pressure to build it. So, it's always better to start building one before you need it.

Master the steps we discussed on how to build a talent pipeline, nurture your candidates, and start hiring when you need them

FAQs on Building a Talent Pipeline

1. What tools can help build a talent pipeline?

Platforms like Airwork AI help companies find, organize, and stay connected with pre-vetted candidates in one place.

2. How often should I engage with candidates in my pipeline?

Stay in touch regularly with personalized messages, updates, or content that keeps them interested in your company.

3. What makes a talent pipeline successful?

Consistency, relationship-building, and tracking key metrics like response rates and engagement.