According to statistics on IT hiring, the overall shortage of the right candidates ranks second among the leading challenges in recruiting employees in the global IT industry.
If you’re fortunate enough to spot the right talent, you risk being left behind by competitors, as some of the best talents are snatched up early on. So, how do you get ahead of the rest and ensure your company has the best talent for a specific role?
The secret is to build and broaden your talent pool—a database of competent candidates that you can tap into to fill positions in the future. Whether you oversee the HR division of your IT Company or a recruitment foundation, a proper talent reservoir helps you build connections with individuals whose skills and experience complement your business’s values and competencies.
Read on to learn more about a talent pool and how to build one for your organization!
Benefits of Establishing a Robust Tech Talent Pool
You shouldn’t spend time and resources sourcing for candidates if you have a talent reservoir that helps you with immediate and long-term hiring needs. Building your tech talent pool from scratch to the top has recruitment advantages that can change the landscape of your IT firm.
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits:
1. You Benefit From an Updated Candidate List
A good tech talent pool database has details about each applicant, such as their qualifications, possible positions they could take on, and if they are a good culture fit.
This makes it easier to employ strategic hiring rather than starting the process from the beginning for every position. The hiring department and recruiters will operate more productively, and you’ll concentrate more on the remaining facets of the available position.
2. Cuts Down on Hiring Time and Costs
Hiring is a tedious and expensive process that could significantly affect your company’s budget. New benchmarking data from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) averages the cost per hire to nearly $4,700, with the potential to rise even higher.
You can quickly reduce this burden by establishing a talent pool with candidate profiles that fit your organization’s needs. A readily available talent pool ensures that you don’t spend too much time getting in touch with the candidates now that they are prepared and ready to join your team.
Besides, you can save money by not having to pay for job board listings and recruiting ads because the candidates have already been found. If the cost per hire declines, you can allocate more of your budget to other areas of the hiring process.
3. Enhances Hiring Diversity
Talent pooling fosters diversity in hiring and creating an inclusive organizational culture. You achieve this by attracting a wide range of candidates, regardless of gender, race, or other diversity dimensions.
Having a talent pool of diverse candidates increases the chances of hiring individuals from varied backgrounds. This can lead to a more inclusive and innovative work environment, as different perspectives and experiences contribute to a more well-rounded and effective team.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Talent Pool for IT Professionals
With the right recruitment sourcing strategy, you can create a suitable tech talent pool for your organization. Below is a step-by-step guide to creating an effective IT professional talent base that can save your organization time and money.
1. Engage in Tech Communities and Networks
Building and maintaining a strong tech talent pool requires constant communication and active engagement. You must also constantly engage in tech community forums and networks or communicate with potential candidates via social media or newsletters.
By touching base with candidates via these communities and networks, you get a clear-cut view of the current IT landscape while enjoying direct access to talented professionals. An excellent way to get started is by:
- Participate in developer forums and platforms
Most IT professionals are found on online tech forums such as GitHub, Reddit, Stack Overflow, and LinkedIn groups. Ensure you actively participate in these forums to connect with developers and other tech professionals and discuss code, projects, and new trends.
- Attend tech meetups and conferences
The tech world has evolved, and unlike before, we now have global industry events such as the upcoming TECHSPO series and CISCO Live event in Amsterdam early next year. These events offer valuable opportunities to network and exchange ideas.
When building a talent pool, you should explore these opportunities to meet and engage with IT professionals. They keep you updated on trends and help you spot potential hires who may consider career opportunities with your organization.
2. Collaborate with Freelancers and Tech Agencies
Traditionally, good sources for talent acquisition, such as career fairs, are too crowded with other companies looking for their potential new hire. To gain a competitive edge in building your talent pool, you should look at far less common sources, such as freelancers and tech agencies.
This is especially helpful if you’re looking for younger talent to nurture and develop within your company. Working with freelance developers and specialized tech recruitment agencies expands your access to a diverse and flexible talent pool, which you can grow into your next top team member.
- Networking with freelance developers
Most freelance tech professionals are individuals working on personal projects and various tasks that afford them the right experience. They are a great option and a flexible resource for your current IT projects, and you can transition them to full-time positions within your team.
You can easily find them on Platforms such as UpWork, Problogger and LinkedIn.
- Collaborate with specialized tech recruitment agencies
Specialized IT recruitment agencies and foundations provide you access to a pre-vetted talent pool. They are your go-to option if you’re searching for candidates with specific technical expertise your company needs.
For example, IT hiring agencies such as DistantJob will help you hire vetted software developers that suit your company culture. They’re a top IT recruitment agency for finding the best global IT talent that’s right for your company.
3. Use Job Boards and Hiring Platforms Specific to Tech
Job boards and hiring platforms offer an excellent way for your company to expand its IT talent pool from qualified candidates. Those specifically tailored for tech roles enable you to target candidates with the necessary skills, leverage them to post positions, and connect with job seekers.
Here is how you can use some of the platforms to establish a solid talent pool
- Post on tech-specific job boards
To source the best talent, use websites focusing on tech roles, such as Stack Overflow Jobs, Dice, and AngelList. These websites make attracting skilled developers and other IT professionals actively looking for job opportunities easier.
- Leverage LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an effective recruitment platform tailored for professionals of all kinds. It’s an excellent hub for networking and connecting with potential hires for your tech talent pool. The platform’s advanced search features help you find candidates with the right technical skills and industry experience.
4. Define the Technical and Soft Skills Needed
Ensuring that each role has clearly defined technical and soft skills can help you attract individuals who will complement your team. Start by assessing your company needs—identify which skills are essential to your success right now and which ones you require later on.
Think about upcoming technological developments or your business’s growing areas. If you identify these critical skill sets and responsibilities early on, your tech talent pool will be a strategic asset, prepared to support your business’s expansion and evolution.
- Define specific skill sets
Define the technical skills, programming languages, and frameworks required for each role within your IT team. This will help you attract the best candidates with the proper expertise and streamline the entire selection process.
- Evaluate soft skills and cultural fit
In addition to technical competencies, assess candidates for soft skills like communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability. Consider how well they align with your company’s values and team dynamics to ensure a cohesive and successful IT team.
5. Implement a Technical Assessment Process
Implementing a technical assessment process streamlines the process of building your tech talent pool. It gives you a clear view of your preferred candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, and growth potential.
Combined with other talent evaluation techniques, such as video interviews, a well-structured technical assessment can comprehensively understand a candidate’s suitability for the position. For example, start by:
- Conducting coding tests and technical interviews
You can use coding challenges or technical problem-solving questions during interviews to assess candidates’ technical abilities accurately. These assessments provide insight into how candidates approach and solve problems.
6. Maintain Relationships and Keep Your Talent Pool Dynamic
Nurturing relationships and regularly refreshing your candidate database are excellent ways to build and keep your talent pool vibrant and up to date. You can achieve this by actively networking and following up with past candidates by sending them thank-you notes.
Engaging with past candidates allows you to nurture relationships and tap into a talent pool that may be a good fit for future roles. Building rapport with potential hires helps maintain their interest and keep them connected to your organization.
Furthermore, proactively sourcing new candidates through various channels ensures a diverse and ever-growing talent pool, providing you with a wide range of options for your IT recruitment needs.
By consistently refining these strategies, you can cultivate a robust and adaptable talent pipeline, enabling you to stay ahead of the competition.
Start Building Your Talent Pool
The competition for quality tech talent continues to rise, making it imperative to optimize hiring strategies. Building and maintaining a talent pool can significantly enhance recruitment processes by providing a pool of potential candidates with the right skill sets and experience. By leveraging this proactive approach, you remain on top of your talent acquisition game and secure top tech talent for future opportunities.
Ready to build your talent pool by hiring the best IT Talent? At DistantJob, we specialize in connecting you with career-driven software developers who fit your company’s culture, time zone, and industry. Our extensive screening process evaluates candidates’ soft and technical skills to ensure they are a good fit for your team and capable of handling whatever tech stack your projects require.
Get in touch with us right now to discover the ideal talent to advance your company!
