With the great resignation still afoot, what happens when you come across a fantastic talent that you know would be REALLY great – but doesn’t fit the role you’re actively recruiting for?
My Tactic? Look inward to see if there are other opportunities within your company that might suit the candidate. This blog post covers some great possibilities for you to consider so a talented individual doesn’t slip through your fingers.
Possibility #1: Look at current open requisitions publicly available in your company and ask the individual if they would be open to a chat about one of these roles with you.
Rationale: Most companies have multiple open positions posted on their websites at once. And often consider recommendations coming from people that already work at the company. You know how your company writes job descriptions, what they are looking for and you can chat with the hiring manager because you’re on the inside track.
My experience: As a leader who manages talent acquisition for our team, I know how hard it is to find the right mix of growth mindset, diversity of thought and experience. I’ve personally come across great talent that might not fit within my group, but would still be a good fit for my organization. So, I used the tactic above to see if there were other opportunities for them within the company, which included added them to our HR talent pool.
My tip: While it might take time for them to find a role in your organization, you will need to reach out to these candidates and start a dialogue. They may only be interested in your group, but if they want to work for your company, ask more probing questions to help determine what roles suit them. Discuss the current openings together and make an introduction to the hiring manager so they can be on the lookout for their application when reviewing candidates. Note that you are not guaranteeing a role but helping your peers in their recruitment search. You are also building a good experience for talent who could join your organization—a win-win for both parties.
Possibility #2: Be the impostor syndrome squasher for exceptional female talent
Rationale: Women typically only apply for roles when they have 100% of the qualifications and experience. In my opinion, that makes the candidate overqualified, as there is not much room for growth. If you have found a great candidate and are open to investing an hour or two of your time, reach out and ask them if they are interested in some feedback. If they say yes – offer your support and advice in areas you know might help them excel in future roles within your organization. You may be the one to help them gain the confidence they need and help squash that impostor syndrome tendency to the curb.
My experience: Recently, I’ve reached out to a few fantastic women whom I’ve not hired for my roles to offer mini mentoring sessions with them. It’s not a significant effort on my part but a passion of mine. Offering my support has allowed me to share insights into why they were unsuccessful. Most people shy away from sharing constructive feedback, but I have chosen to embrace the experience and help raise women to be the best version of themselves on their terms. I don’t invest in everyone who is unsuccessful; unfortunately, I don’t have that much time to spare, and I don’t limit this support to females. While it may seem too much, I see myself as an ambassador to my organization, helping find exceptional talent regardless of which team they join.
My tip: People need someone in their corner, and they may need someone to help them squash impostor syndrome thoughts they might be having about their capabilities. I support people, especially women, to embrace the confidence others have in them to go after roles that they are 50% + qualified for and where they have the experience that makes them a great candidate.. Sometimes this means helping them see how their experience can be demonstrated in non-traditional ways, especially if they have had a squiggly-line career.
You are an ambassador for your organization, and finding great talent is hard. Equally challenging is finding female talent to apply in typically male-dominated roles.
As a female that’s part of a technology team, we need more amazing women to gain the confidence, squash the impostor syndrome and apply for roles.
So, are you willing to not only support your organization, but talented people as well? If so, consider other possibilities when you find a candidate that would thrive in your company – even if it’s not on your team.
Follow Penny on LinkedIn or checkout theizzyway.ca for more of her blog posts.
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