It’s a given that most businesses want to save money – but only hiring new talent when there’s an job vacancy might not be the strategy. Whilst it may seem to be a waste of time and money given how involved the hiring process is, PGP Australia suggest that it may actually be one of the best things your organisation can do.

Hiring ahead allows you to get the best talent who might not be around when you’ve got a job vacancy going. Looking for new employees only when there is a need for it limits your options, whereas keeping applications open allows you to get more valuable candidates on-board with your organisation. It is advised to hire ahead when growth is stable rather than declining.

PGP Australia’s advice for finding the best talent

While keeping your doors open is crucial for getting new talent in, it’s also important that you make efforts to attract their attention. Consider what you have to offer – is it a rewarding career opportunity, a fun work environment, or a secure job? Being able to market your business to potential employees is important.

Be proactive

Waiting around for a job opening or for candidates to come to you isn’t always the best strategy. It’s difficult to predict when growth will boom, and waiting until the last second to start hiring people can result in hindered expansion and more passive (rather than engaged) applicants.

There is strong competition for highly skilled labour, putting the onus on businesses to become more proactive in their search for new employees. This can be achieved by having ongoing job listings on employment websites for evergreen positions such as customer service and sales roles, putting job listings on social media, and by advertising ongoing internships.

Consider your top customers

Another lesser utilised strategy for finding top talent is targeting valuable customers and people who are engaged with your business. Considering people that engage with your business or social media presence as potential employees is a great approach to hiring that has benefitted a number of companies. This is because people that are passionate about and truly believe in an organisation tend to make for motivated, engaged and loyal employees. Consider sending your biggest fans an email asking if they would be interested in joining your team – it can’t hurt to ask!

Consider young talent

Ensuring that you have a backup of great talent prepared in case a position opens up is important yet difficult, especially if you’re in a small town where the talent pool is small. This is why hiring ahead is useful – and internships are a great way to do this. Internships, like those at Premium Graduate Placements, allow you to give your interns a rewarding experience whilst giving you the opportunity to assess their suitability for employment. It is also a good opportunity to shape young talent in order to fit skill gaps within the organisation. You may want to consider the roles and skills your business will require in the future in order to get a sense of which candidates you should hire ahead.

Have an open interview policy

Avoid turning away great candidates with the ever-dismissive “we aren’t hiring”. Keep your doors open and be willing to have regular interviews in order to increase your chances of finding the best talent for your business. If you meet someone that you think has potential, regardless of whether or not they have an unconventional background, it’s a good idea to give them a chance – they might just end up bettering your business! For instance, you might want to hire someone who lacks experience in the specific role they are applying for, but has experience in another field that they could carry over (or is just really self-motivated and able to learn on the job). Or, you might want to consider someone who lacks a university degree but has lots of real-world experience. Sometimes experience is related to general knowledge, so expand your knowledge base by reading Kev’s Best.

Conclusion

If your business growth is stable, consider hiring employees ahead in order to source the best local talent. Make sure you are proactive about engaging potential new staff by offering internships, having an open interview policy and targeting valued customers.