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Before we get into the purpose, let’s answer another question asked by many, “what is a talent community?” Short answer;  a social recruiting environment consisting of people who can share ideas for career networking.

A talent community is …

• a 2 way communication between the community members.
• a place where members share ideas on networking, offer career advice and assist in more than “job search”
• a community where members share, are open to networking and engage each other
• where engagement occurs primarily via social media
•  NOT a job board or a talent pool!

Is this different from other talent acquisition techniques and sourcing methods from the past?  Is it really different from the snail mail campaigns and newsletters of the past?  Yes and no!

The concept of building a community is not different.  However, the major differences include;

• real-time interaction
• 2 way communication
• engaging people on an intrinsic level and not simply utilizing it as a sourcing tool for “more candidates”

6 Benefits of a talent community

• Easy to reach pre-qualified/passive candidates
• Candidates engaged to your organization and company culture
• Less dependence on traditional job boards/job postings
• Increased interaction with potential candidates/employees
• Provide insight and clarity of your organization
• Creates a talent pipeline for future job openings

The benefits listed above are just a few of the purposes for building a community.  Who doesn’t want to hire engaged and qualified employees at a low-cost that KNOW your organization?   Now that you are ready to go and build, keep a few things in mind.

Best Practices:

• Incorporate tools for communication and interaction to drive conversations in your talent community
• Provide an exclusive look into your organization, its employees and the culture behind the company
• Use video, multimedia, photos, testimonials etc…
• Provide information via blog posts
• Communicate and connect via all forms of social media

Build your community and they will come, engage them and they will stay!