Four Tactics to Hire for Tomorrow, Today
Have you ever accepted a new job when you “weren’t even looking for new opportunities” in the first place? Great opportunities come our way when we least expect it. Some of the best candidates out there are never on the market. So how do you attract top talent if they aren’t putting themselves out there? Here are four actions you can take today to build your hiring pipeline for the long term.
1. Schedule time to reconnect in the future.
You connect with a stellar candidate via email, LinkedIn, at an IRL event, etc. You identify them as someone who you’d love to have on your team but they aren’t open to leaving their current role. Rather than wishing them luck and loosely committing to stay in touch, schedule a time to reconnect with them down the line… and actually send them a calendar invite, even if it’s for months later. The chances you will still be excited about potentially hiring that person in 5–6 months are extremely high. The chances you will remember to reconnect with them at that time are low. Plus the candidate might lose sight of your company, too. Get it on the calendar.
2. Take the pressure off.
Approach your outreach from a networking/get-to-know you standpoint. Share a bit about your vision and then say something along the lines of “Most of the folks I speak with aren’t even looking for new opportunities right now, but I never pass up on the opportunity to talk to someone outstanding so I’d love to have a 10 minute chat, get on each other’s radars, and then reconnect when the timing is right.” You can also ask if they’d be open to a call for general networking purposes so that you can better understand what you should be looking for in this specific hire because you think their background is spot on. Perhaps you can even offer some career advice if they’re open to it.
3. Ask for referrals (you’ve heard this one before, so let me elaborate).
Candidate not interested? That’s okay, set a reminder to connect with them in a few months (or even better, revert to tactic 1 and ask if they’d be willing to get it on the calendar so you both don’t forget). Even if all they replied was “thanks but not interested” that counts as engagement so while you have their attention, ask for referrals to folks in their network. As opposed to the generic, “here’s our job description, let me know if anyone comes to mind!” I’d recommend sharing some copy they can actually use to make the referral introduction. Here is what I say — feel free to leverage it!:
“Thanks for the reply. I’m sure you get these types of messages often! Glad things are going well in your current role. I’d love to keep in touch.
Also, if you happen to know of anyone with a similar background who might be looking for a change, can you please send them my way? I’m attaching the job description just in case. To make it easier on you to do that, here is some copy you can use:
Hi X, I wanted to introduce you to Rachel who leads Talent at FirstMark, the venture capital fund. Several of the startups within her portfolio are looking to hire top engineers and I thought of you. Connecting you two so that Rachel can share more.
Thanks again and have a great rest of your week!”
4. Expand your LinkedIn network.
It sounds simple, but the more you connect with great talent on LinkedIn, the more likely you are to spread awareness about your mission and your vision. Think about all of the times you share company updates, fundraising news, etc on LinkedIn. Maximize the eyes that see your posts by connecting with people after you meet at an event or even if you only had a brief correspondence over e-mail or LinkedIn in-mail. I’ve found that candidates are extremely receptive to accepting LinkedIn connection requests as it is less formal. There’s also the added bonus of having more visibility into when candidates leave their current roles, hit their 4 year marks, go through acquisitions and company changes and more. Next time you attend a virtual or in-person event, or chat with someone via email, take that next step and click the “connect” button on their LinkedIn profile. It’s an easy way to stay in touch.
Hope you found these tactics helpful! Feel free to reach out to me at rachel@firstmarkcap.com with any questions, or just connect with me on LinkedIn here :)
