Should You Make Room for Extraordinary Talent – Even Without a Current Vacancy?

Personnel budgets are tight. Hiring a candidate when you don’t have a place – or the budget – may seem counterintuitive, but there are several reasons why it could make business sense for your organization. Consider the long term when making hiring decisions that could impact your business in the years or months to come.

Strategy Trumps Luck

The chances of stumbling across an extraordinary talent at just the time you have an appropriate opening are pretty slim. When you come across someone with the experience and competencies that will fit into your team, it makes sense to make space for them in your organization.

Consider the Contenders

Sometimes, when you do an excellent recruiting job, you’ll find more than one candidate worthy of hiring. When you choose just one, what happens to the other? Most likely, they go to your competitor. If a solid candidate was just barely edged out by a superstar, why not find a way to add them to your roster instead of worrying about how their talents are being used across town?

Embarrassment of Riches

Bring on people with extraordinary skill sets to work on projects that you have back burner or fuel initiatives that your current team doesn’t have time for. Outstanding talent doesn’t take long to pay for itself, so what may seem like an unwise fiscal decision can make sense in the long run.

It’s a Zero-Sum Game

If you don’t hire a top talent, your competitor will. It’s that simple. If you pass on a candidate, they don’t just fade away, they go elsewhere. Think beyond if you want to hire this person right now, consider whether you want the competition to hire them.

Don’t Hesitate

When you do find that rare talent, don’t get bogged down in process. Top 10% candidates field multiple officers, often in a short period of time.  If you don’t snap them up at the first opportunity they won’t be there long.

Employers have embraced the idea of attracting passive candidates – those who are happily employed, but willing to listen to extraordinary opportunities. But what about the flip side? Does “passive hiring” also make sense? Being open to opportunities to bring on extraordinary talent?

If you are looking for better hiring strategies for current positions or to build a talent bench, contact the specialized search consultants at BrainWorks today.