No matter what the economic and hiring landscapes look like at any given time, one thing always remains true - every organization wants to attract and retain the best candidates on the market. And while many attraction and retention methods exist, talent nurturing is one of the best ways for an organization to ensure they are the employer of choice for top talent and that they continue to be once those candidates are hired.
Talent nurturing encompasses all the techniques that enable an organization to maintain and grow its relationship with candidates and their existing workforce. The best candidates and employees always have options waiting for them, but if talent nurturing is done right, organizations have a much better chance of securing these employees compared to any of their competitors who have not incorporated talent nurturing techniques into their TA strategy.
The Importance of Candidate Nurturing
Traditional recruiting methods are not enough anymore. Companies can’t expect to post a job listing and have a mass of the best-fit candidates apply. Instead, companies need to build talent pools comprised of active and passive candidates that they consistently nurture. The process of talent nurturing keeps candidates hooked and engaged by sparking initial interest, maintaining that interest, consistently communicating, and eventually actively re-engaging them for hire.
One of the main goals of building and nurturing a talent pool is to ensure that your organization is top of mind for these candidates when a job becomes available that matches their interests and skills. Talent nurturing also helps companies avoid last-minute candidate dropouts and improve their turnover rate. This is because if you have been properly nurturing candidates for some time, they will have a good idea of whether or not the job is right for them before they apply. After taking these factors into account, it’s evident that talent nurturing will save your organization time and money on their recruitment efforts in the long run.
Tips for Nurturing Candidates
- Customize your nurture strategy as much as possible for each potential candidate − personalized messages stand out.
- Don’t underestimate the power of social media and marketing content. Share different types of posts on your social platforms and email marketing content to your talent pool so they can understand what your company does.
- Use automation tools to your advantage to maximize the efficiency of your talent nurturing strategy where possible.
- Be intentional with your outreach. Offer to be a resource to your talent pool and help them in any way you can to foster a positive relationship.
- Treat your talent pool like customers. You are trying to sell candidates the idea that your company is the best place to work, so you should give these candidates as much attention as you give to your customers.
The Importance of Nurturing Existing Employees
On the other side of talent nurturing, organizations can immensely benefit from nurturing their existing employees to promote internal growth and retention. Sometimes the best way to find talent is within your own workforce, so it’s crucial to nurture from within. To nurture your current employees, you need to show them that you care about their wellbeing at work and that you advocate for their career development.
According to a Pew Research survey, 63% of respondents who recently left their jobs cited a lack of advancement opportunities as a reason. Giving your employees professional development opportunities will encourage them to stick with your company, and it will also improve their skills which will benefit your organization, too. Another advantage of internal mobility is that it significantly decreases the amount of time it takes for an employee to adjust to a new role because they already know your company’s systems and processes. Overall, it is worth it to invest in your employees as long as it allowing both parties to meet their goals.
Tips for Employee Nurturing
- Implement a mentor program. A mentor can be a great teaching asset to ensure your employees are continuously learning.
- Invest in advanced training software so your employees do not have to handle training each other on their own.
- Prioritize goal setting to create attainable professional development plans.
- Managers should have regular one-on-one meetings with their direct reports to check-in and make sure employees are satisfied at work.
- Promote cross-functionality among departments so employees can get an idea of which job role they are best fit for in your organization. Introducing a job shadowing program could also be useful.
By adopting these talent nurturing strategies, your organization will excel when it comes to hiring and retaining the best talent. Employee nurturing techniques ensure that candidates and employees alike are receiving the personalized attention that they deserve and ensures they have the means to flourish in their career.
