Treat your talent talent management approach as if you were a rockstar

 

Like an awe-struck teenager, you’ve been hoping for a rock star to show up at your company’s doors. But the great performer you long to recruit may not even be in the market, and no matter how hard you’ve tried to lure that one game-changer, your efforts have failed. Why not try these practical tips to change your luck.

start hacking non-traditional media

GE and Goldman Sachs are doing it. Fetch is really pushing the envelope with it. Even the world’s most valuable brand, Apple, is taking to non-traditional media to reach recruits. It goes to show that to find the talent your company desires, make your pitch in the places they live.



Don’t stop at messaging. You can take a page out of Hard Rock Cafe’s playbook by creating your own app. The iconic restaurant and entertainment chain launched an app that also used Facebook to host interactive content. You can’t argue with the results: 120 hires were made from a slate of 1,000 candidates.

crypto-verts

Secret adverts, or “crypto-verts,” help you to target really specific skills. Volkswagen once hid job postings in the undercarriage of cars sent to German engine repair firms. It was a great way to reach the mechanics that the carmaker needed to grow its business. Can you similarly get creative and stealthily target workers your competitors need?



A great example of being creative is Google’s cryptic roadside billboard, which challenged drivers to solve a math equation that led to a series of other problems to solve. The ones who made it to the end landed an interview with the Silicon Valley giant.

go "speed-dating"

Have you ever been deluged by applications? Then you know that by the time you’ve screened for qualified choices, many could have moved on or lost interest. Every hour counts in today’s talent-scarce environment. Wouldn’t it be great if employers and candidates could quickly determine if they’re a match? Some companies are borrowing the concept of speed dating for their recruitment efforts. It’s like courting meets a job fair but without the romance. Companies such as Individuum and those in the voluntary sector are able to quickly meet with many candidate and hopefully find a prince among the frogs.