If there’s anything we learned from the latest news in tech, it’s this: Don’t underestimate the power of a diamond in the rough.
Facebook’s recent $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp is a tale of trial and tribulation, and undoubtedly, one of the company’s most memorable hiring blunders. In 2009, the mobile app’s founder, Brian Acton, applied for a job at Facebook, got rejected, and then received a pretty penny for his brainchild five years later.
We can’t promise that you’ll find (and keep) the world’s next Brian Acton, but maybe someone close to it. Try out some of these tactics for spotting your company’s happy coincidence to come.
Start scouting talent before you realize you need it.
As mom said, “It’s better to be safe than to be sorry.” Developing a proactive recruiting strategy helps your company make the best hire possible, retain customers, and evaluate upcoming market trends. Because sourcing and hiring is a time-consuming process, searching for talent now can prevent long breaks between openings in your staff. An empty spot on the team might as well be a current employee slacking on the job, which increases the risk of your company’s customers reaching out to competitors. Anticipating a staff vacancy also allows you to gauge the ebb and flow of the market, giving you the chance to one up your industry rivals with a well-built team not to be meddled with.
Build outreach with local universities.
Your alma mater is an optimal space for scouting talent that has yet to surface the job market. Connect with professors to find out about stellar students who have talent and skillsets to be recognized by the industry. Long-time college instructors have seen their fair share of young adults who complete enough work to get by, and those who tackle challenges with a refreshing perspective and unyielding drive. Find this jackpot of talent and get to hiring. If you leave campus with an open req, you haven’t left completely empty-handed. Many students are open to taking on internship opportunities for college credit, allowing you to whet and vet a potential hire.
Participate in online discussions to discover thought leaders.
The internet is an unrivaled arena to observe and identify who’s who in your industry. With that said, make the most of your content marketing and social outreach strategy by incorporating interesting, quality blog posts, tweets, status updates, and online discussions. Take note of who replies, how they reply, and the frequency of their interaction. You may find a gem with a website or profile showcasing their high caliber work — work that you wouldn’t have stumbled upon unless you poked into their daily, virtual lives.
When the going gets tough, offer training.
If you’re having a difficult time placing local talent in your organization, look elsewhere. For example, while San Francisco is ranked one of the most difficult locations to recruit tech talent, it doesn’t mean the job seeker market is limited to the city and Silicon Valley. Seek out candidates who are interested in making the relocation to your city and be sure to offer them competitive benefits and pay to make the position more appealing, improve their retention rate, and to compensate their travel expenses.
Jumping the gun isn’t always a bad thing. Build out a plan of anticipatory recruiting action, and you could be boasting the industry’s coolest new trend, program, or app. And if that doesn’t work out, expect to have a serendipitous situation of being part of a company that can get there.
