Keep filling the same roles? Here’s how to make repeat hiring more efficient and effective.

As soon as one role is filled, your team seems to be immediately hiring for that same role, but now from a more limited talent pool. 

It is a common enterprise hurdle: Many enterprises find themselves repeatedly hiring for the same roles as demand for professionals remains steady — e.g. retail sales associates, social media managers, etc. Thanks to an ongoing need to fill the same roles (often in different departments or business units), job posts may remain online for weeks or even months.

The challenge? While these added roles should mean more opportunities for jobseekers, often new posts are overlooked — after candidates apply, they may not recognise a “new” job post, particularly if the headline and job description are similar to those of a job for which they have already applied. As time goes on, posts can start to seem stale, garnering slower candidate engagement than earlier posts, despite being new opportunities for the same functional roles. 

If you are consistently hiring the same functional roles or similar roles, it is essential to differentiate posts — and to identify and activate a targeted audience of potential candidates, rather than waiting for talent to come to you. Here is how to get started and create a dynamic funnel of qualified candidates.

1. Be proactive

One solution is for recruiting teams to be more proactive. Retain qualified candidates’ applications, and when the same/similar roles become available, immediately activate those candidates. Reach out, one-on-one, to discuss recently opened roles and bring in interested candidates as soon as possible.

This tactic will ensure a qualified pool of potential applicants whenever a new position opens up. To keep the pool fresh, encourage your team to check in with these candidates throughout the year for updates so you can continually align talent with the right opportunities.

2. Create an internal talent funnel

Creating an always-evolving talent funnel is another internal best practice. Although many enterprises leaned on external recruitment during the pandemic, now is an optimal time to revisit or launch development opportunities within your organisation.

A strong learning and development (L&D) model is a major draw for potential hires, and also helps to retain existing talent. According to an article published by McKinsey & Company, “Workers are now in charge of their personal and professional growth and development—one reason that people list ‘opportunities for learning and development’ among the top criteria for joining an organisation. Conversely, a lack of L&D is one of the key reasons people cite for leaving a company.”

In addition, L&D can boost your bottom line. Companies in the top quartile of leadership outperform those in the bottom quartile by about two times when it comes to psychological safety, engagement and collaboration among employees.

Although your company undoubtedly has an L&D program, how well is it performing in terms of boosting retention, engagement and collaboration? What are competitors doing to improve these metrics via L&D? What about leading companies in other industries? Have you surveyed your employees to learn what’s currently working, what’s not, and what’s missing from the L&D program?

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Learning and development (L&D) programs can boost your bottom line

Companies investing in leadership training are 2.4 times more likely to hit performance targets.

The Indian Government has realised how important L&D is and has launched the “Skill India” project. It aims to provide skills training to 500 million people by 2022. Mudra and MSME schemes are well-funded to take this giant leap. By setting up 1,500 vocational training institutions (ITI/ITCs), the Government also aims to enhance this training capacity to 15 million annually.

Source: McKinsey & Company, The essential components of a successful L&D strategy, February 2019

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If you are not doing so already, direct your recruiting teams to identify and cultivate internal talent early on — from entry level to leadership level. Building and maintaining a funnel of high-performing, highly engaged marketing coordinators, for example, gives your team a candidate pool to explore whenever a marketing manager role opens. Better still, if these coordinators are part of an internal L&D program that teaches new functional competencies, they will be well-equipped to move into these types of roles quickly, without the same potential friction as an external candidate.

Likewise, if senior-level marketers have already received leadership training, they may be ideal candidates for managerial or executive roles. And, thanks to their first-hand knowledge of past performance and potential, the internal hires may be more aligned with the needs and expectations of their new position.

3. Make sure new posts stand out 

Lastly, ensure jobseekers can spot new roles — even if they look the same as a job for which they previously applied. Whether using a Sponsored Job or a clear indication the latest post is new, make sure candidates can quickly see what they have applied for and what they should apply for. This will not only help you spot very engaged candidates, but also streamline interviews and review processes — a single applicant may be a good fit for multiple roles.  

To that end, do not be afraid to go back to talent pools for other active or recently active posts. Just because a candidate did not move ahead for a specific role does no’t mean they are not a good fit for your organisation. It is possible their resume came in later in the hiring process, fell into an HR “black hole,” or they simply were not the top contender for the role — but could be great for a recently opened headcount.

By being proactive and building out a robust talent funnel, your teams will be able to fill roles efficiently and effectively — even for frequently needed positions. Tap into prior applicants, engage internal talent, and do not be afraid to reach out to your competitors’ teams. With the right opportunities and perks, you can likely secure qualified candidates ready to jump into your open roles.