Talent management concepts and practices

Human Resources

Sourcing initiatives must be highly visible, accessible and intriguing to would be job applicants.

It is strategically important to build a reputation as a diversity-friendly organization. The image conveyed to the world affects recruitment, not only in the short-term but in the long-term. Progressive organizations worldwide are continuing to develop and improve practices that optimize their attractiveness as employers of talented and diverse workforces.

Many women and other minorities report that they find the trailblazer role exhausting. They are looking for signs of inclusion and acceptance in the organizational culture. If a group is seen as an organization that offers real opportunities to diverse employees, where all employees are treated with respect and where senior management is composed of a mix of people, chances are diverse applicants will seek it out.

Sourcing strategy # 1: Courting Sources

Approaching and encouraging potential candidates and approaching people who might know of (or be able to influence) potential candidates. This is fairly common practice for filling senior positions, often because many potential candidates for senior vacancies fall into the passive market category. In other words, they are quite happy in their current positions.

Sourcing strategy # 2: Tapping networks of board members and current staff

Board members may be good sources of names of potential candidates who are women or nationals of developing countries, particularly for senior scientific or management positions. New staff members may have a host of good contacts who would remain otherwise unknown. Networking is a most powerful sourcing strategy. It can be highly effective if a broad range of staff members access their networks to identify and encourage potential candidates.

Sourcing strategy #3: Utilizing the Internet

To be a successful recruiter in the electronic age, it is necessary to know how to make creative use of the resources readily available on the Internet. The reach of the Internet is massive. The Internet opens channels into talent pools never before available. At the same time, using the Internet is faster and cheaper than most traditional recruitment methods. Positions posted on Internet sites can remain for periods of 30 to 60 days, or more, and are accessible 24 hours a day. Candidates anywhere in the world can view detailed information about the job and the Center, and they can respond electronically.

Sourcing strategy #4: Advertising in the print media

Placing position announcements in newspapers and periodicals remains an important way to reach candidates and can easily work in combination with Internet recruitment. Many newspapers also place their print announcements on their Internet sites.

My organization primarily focuses recruiting efforts on a combination of networking and accessing internet tools, including the Company website. Through utilizing the network of contacts of each employee, talent management/recruiting efforts are globalized as each employee has the opportunity to participate and build our company's collective team. Due to the fact that human resources is not the sole arbiter of who our organization hires, we find employees feel more empowered with a stronger sense of company ownership.