Traditional recruiting methods have their place, but it’s critical to branch out into creative and nontraditional methods in a persistently competitive talent market to gain awareness among eligible candidates. One such approach is to turn networking–which you’re probably already doing regularly–into a tactical part of your recruiting strategy.
In this post, we’ll explain how to use a networking recruitment strategy to forge strong relationships that can turn into valuable avenues for sourcing talent.
Networking Builds Relationships
At its core, networking is about relationships: forming, maintaining, and leveraging them in a way that benefits both parties. The best networkers find ways to turn small interactions into enduring, meaningful relationships, which tend to produce the best outcomes, like job referrals and new business.
Relationships = Trust
As humans, we trust people we have relationships with over those we don’t. Let’s say you were choosing a vendor for an important event. If given the choice between someone you’d met a few times and had a good rapport with or a total stranger, nine times out of ten, you’d pick the more familiar option.
When you solicit someone for a job, you ask for their trust. You’ll get much further if you have a pre-existing relationship with the person than if you’re coming into their inbox out of the blue. Thus, networking–a.k.a. relationship building–is a highly effective recruiting strategy.
Best Practices for Using a Networking Recruitment Strategy
So, how can you use networking to produce a steady stream of qualified job applicants? Follow these tips.
1. Offer value
Effective networking requires you to give more than you receive. This takes effort, but it also yields better results. When reaching out to prospective contacts for the first time, offer value from the get-go. This could be in the form of industry insights, career advice, or opportunities for professional growth.
By providing something of value and not just asking them to apply for a job, you build the all-important trust we talked about a moment ago and demonstrate that you’re genuinely interested in the person’s professional development beyond just making them a candidate for your vacancy. This approach builds goodwill and makes it more likely that a candidate will consider your job opportunities in the future.
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2. Ask for a favor
People love to feel like their help is valuable. One way to spark a connection is to contact a prospective contact for guidance in their area of expertise. If you notice that a candidate has published a thought-leadership piece, email and ask them to clarify some aspect of the topic for you. If you want to contact someone who works at their organization or a place they’ve previously worked, ask if they can point you in the right direction.
This approach plays on the so-called “Ben Franklin effect.” It’s a psychological phenomenon where people are more inclined to like you after you’ve asked them for a small favor. It runs contrary to what you’d expect, but experiments have proven it for decades. Asking for a favor makes the other person feel valued and appreciated, and they’re more likely to feel positive sentiments toward you (and, for our purposes, be open to recruiting efforts) in return.
3. Customize messaging
Generic “let’s connect!” messages are all too common these days, and they’re easy to ignore. Customize your outreach to each prospective contact by highlighting what caught your attention about their particular skills or experience. You can mention mutual acquaintances, recent accomplishments, or industry trends relevant to their work.
Personalized messaging shows that you’ve invested the time to understand them on a deeper level rather than just cutting and pasting the same thing you sent to dozens of other people, which increases the chance of getting a receptive response.
4. Prioritize referrals
Referrals are a networking recruitment strategy gold mine, leading to high-quality candidates who are likely to fit well in your company culture. In addition to asking your contacts to refer people for your open positions, you can leverage referrals in a broader sense to expand your professional circle.
Great people know other great people. Tap those who are already in your network to refer you to other top performers you should know. While these referrals may or may not have skills that are suitable for a current vacancy, every new person you can add to your network increases the size of your “web” and the likelihood that it will lead you to a strong hire down the road.
5. Host and attend career fairs
Career fairs are an excellent opportunity to expand your network quickly. You can optimize your networking opportunities during these events.
Prepare your elevator pitch to succinctly tell new contacts about your company and current job openings. Have a list of qualities you’re looking for in mind to make it easy to spot people you want to follow up with. Have goals for how many connections you want to make. Be sure to exchange contact information with the candidates you meet and follow up with them promptly.
Related: Career Fair Tips for Employers
6. Network on social media
Social platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook are valuable tools for recruitment networking. You can use these platforms to share job openings, industry news, and updates about your company. In addition to merely publishing posts, use social media to strike up one-on-one conversations with candidates you’d like to make part of your network. Comment on their posts and participate in conversations in groups relevant to your field.
The great thing about social media is that anyone can see your posts, not just the person you’re responding to. So, each post you make does double duty by helping you make connections and growing your visibility.
Related: The Complete Guide to Social Recruiting
7. Keep your LinkedIn profile fresh
When you engage with connections on social media, one of the desired outcomes is that those people click through for a closer look at your profile. When they do so, make sure they find a wealth of information that supports how great it is to work for your company.
On LinkedIn, update your headline with a summary of the types of people you’re looking for. Post about your vacancies often and share highlights of the company’s culture. Include a link to your careers page prominently in your bio.
Related: How to Use LinkedIn to Source Top Candidates
8. Leverage employees’ networks
Your current employees can be some of your best networking recruiters. Encourage team members to share your job openings and engage with the content you post online to expand its reach. Employee endorsements carry significant weight since their connections make them more likely to feel confident in information shared by someone they know than someone they’ve never met. Remember, trust is paramount!
9. Organize networking events
Hosting your own networking events can help you connect with potential candidates in an informal setting and give you a good deal of control over the types of people you’ll interact with. For example, if you’re looking to recruit developers, you might host a meetup for IT professionals in your area.
Hosting larger events like conferences and workshops can raise your profile in the industry and give you a valuable chance to showcase your company culture. If an attendee has a great experience at your event, it’s only natural that they’ll be inclined to apply with you when a suitable opportunity becomes available.
10. Be patient
Like any relationship, the associations built through networking take time to grow and mature. Thus, a networking recruitment strategy requires patience. Networking is a long game that’s highly effective when conducted with intention and care.
By consistently engaging your network, providing value, and maintaining an open line of personalized communication, your efforts will pay off in the form of a robust pipeline of high-quality candidates.
