Successful recruiting, especially of top talent, increasingly relies on talent pools, targeted groups of candidates that have already been screened and assessed so they are ready to be put to work when an opening arises. Talent pools can make filling open positions much easier than starting from scratch with a typical job post, which is basically no more than the reactive recruiting that happens so often in companies. People in a talent pool have indicated some level of interest in a previous job posting, so it can be inferred that they might still be interested in a position with the company. Here are some ways to fill up your company’s talent pool to the brim with quality candidates. 1. Use talent forecasting to assess likely talent needs. When you have a general idea about what your talent needs in the next six months to a year might be, you can focus on the talent pool(s) you will most need to fill those open positions. You can also do longer range forecasting and work to build talent pools in those areas as well. 2. Develop brand new job descriptions for anticipated needs. Using the same old, tired job descriptions from years gone by will be unlikely to best meet your current needs. Applicants will respond best to brand new descriptions, since many of them may have already applied under the old description and not found success. 3. Maintain ties with previous applicants. Previous applicants have already shown interest in the company and could be valuable when the next opening comes. Using contact information to keep in touch with previous applicants or send periodic communications will prime the pump so that when an opening comes, you have a ready-made list of applicants or contacts to which to spread the word. 4. Encourage referrals, even by non-employees. An employee reward program will help build your talent pool, and you can even offer incentives to members of your talent pool when they make a successful referral, such as a new hire who is successfully retained for a predetermined period of time (6 months, for example). You want positive word-of-mouth to spread as far as possible in order to get the largest pool of qualified applicants. eBook: Using Social Media for Executive Search – Learn how to leverage social media in your executive search process more effectively. 5. Target social media. Social media can contribute to talent pools when content potential candidates find valuable is offered and a relationship initiated. Your Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter followers can include a sizeable number of people who would be interested in applying for an open position if content is crafted to attract them and keep them engaged. ThriveTRM is a talent management tool that is capable of automating content aimed at maintaining contact with talent pools and tracking contact between members of a talent pool and your company over an extended period of time. Using ThriveTRM’s analytics, you will be able to identify the best potential candidates and contact them directly when an opening becomes available, making it easy to keep your talent pool full to the brim with candidates at all times. Schedule a demo to explore ThriveTRM today.