Do you want the good news or the bad news about finding talent first? Let’s start with the bad. Sourcing high-quality candidates is becoming increasingly difficult. Now how about the good news? As it turns out, hidden talent does exist. While it may be difficult, you can indeed find talent, if you know where to look for it. Mining for Employee Gold Perhaps the most important untapped pool of talent that is hiding in plain sight is your own employees. This is true in two distinct ways. First, your current employees may have talents and skills that have remained largely hidden in their current role. To find this type of hidden talent, it is a good idea to maintain strong communication with your current employees. Engage in active talent building within your organization, and you will likely see some employees rise to the top of your list of viable candidates for a new position. The other largely overlooked way that your employees can be a source of hidden talent is through their social networks and professional acquaintances. LinkedIn notes: “Employees are every company’s most valuable asset. In addition to making your business run, they are also the number one source of hire and the most trusted ambassadors of your corporate brand. Employee referrals are the fastest time to hire, best quality of hire, and have a 37 percent higher retention rate than other sources of hire. They also serve an important purpose in boosting your corporate message, as 2 percent of employees typically share content on social networks, but that interaction raises overall engagement by over 20 percent.” A well-designed employee referral program is one of the best investments you can make to find top talent for your organization. To that end, educate your employees about the referral program and consider rewarding them for their efforts to recruit high-quality candidates from among their personal and professional networks. Related: Best Practices for Creating an Employee Referral Program Shake the Trees and Beat the Bushes Finding hidden talent involves a more proactive approach than simply posting a job and praying for it to be filled. Entrepreneur highlights the importance of looking in some unique places to find top talent, including: The blogosphere and personal online sites that feature portfolios Hosted “open house” events where candidates can come to learn more about your corporate culture Industry-specific events, niche online forums, and professional networking sites Community events that cater to the target candidates for whom you are searching Use Your Talent Management System to Leave No Stone Unturned A robust talent management system can help you nurture a strong, healthy talent pipeline on which you can depend over time. Your talent management system should track active candidates as well as help you identify and attract passive candidates. As you use your talent management system to build and nurture strong relationships with both active and passive candidates, your pipeline grows stronger and more plentiful. Then, when the need for talent arises, you are prepared to meet the challenge. Thrive TRM can help you maintain a strong talent pipeline. The system enables collaboration among hiring managers, facilitates strong communication between your company and your job candidates, and enables you to build the kinds of relationships that are needed to reduce attrition, turn your current employees into brand ambassadors, and attract and retain the brightest talent for your teams. Contact us to schedule a demo today!