There’s a new recruiting concept on the horizon and it has people buzzing like a swarm of bees. It’s called a talent hive.
A talent hive is a place where job seekers (the talent) and employers meet, communicate, and interact in an effort to get to know each other a little better and determine where there is a mutual interest leading to employment. It’s another recruiting tool utilizing social media as its primary platform.
LinkedIn Uses a Talent Hive
A good recruiting strategy requires companies to build and maintain what some call talent communities. LinkedIn calls them talent hives. A talent hive is a network of people centered on a social networking site where they engage in a group dialogue.
According to the pitch at LinkedIn:
“… We think there’s a better way to socialize with the people you want to hire, and to build lasting relationships that bring your employment brand and recruitment processes to a new, innovative place.”
The LinkedIn tool is still in the beta stages. However, there are other talent hive websites such as TalentReef and jobs2web.
Make Your Own Talent Hive Work for You
So how can you add another recruiting tool to your arsenal? In the Bloomberg Businessweek article, “The Future of Employment,” writer Liz Ryan offers four suggestions on what it takes to build a “full-fledged” talent hive:
- First up, a talent hive needs purpose and draw. It just can’t be about posting ads. It needs another purpose for community members to join and hang out even when they aren’t looking for work or there are no appropriate job openings.
- Next, there needs to be a connectedness. According to Ryan, real talent hives “allow members to interact with one another in discussions, product reviews, suggestions, and in other ways.” It allows you to get to know your community before you hire anyone.
- Third, it’s important to offer confidential communication and accessibility. If you want to engage talent now and in the future, they need to interact with people at all levels within the organization. You get feedback. They get personalized communication.
- Finally, keep it live. An active hive is a happy hive. Don’t expect to use your talent hive only when you’re recruiting. It needs to “buzz” constantly. Ryan suggests using “virtual events, polls, quizzes, and other opportunities to interact with the company’s employees and managers, and networking-and-advice-sharing possibilities for members.”
Utilizing all the recruiting tools available to you makes your staffing process more efficient and more effective – whether you use a talent hive or recruiting software.
Citations:
- Image via Microsoft Office
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