While opportunistic hiring may sound like a fancy HR term the idea. Simply, it refers to hiring good talent when the opportunity arises, rather than waiting for a position to open.
In theory, the top talent who add value to an organisation will inevitably be snapped up quickly, so it’s worth considering hiring an individual even when a job doesn’t exist. Opportunistic hiring allows employers to operate more strategically and gain talent for the future. If top talent is scarce getting talent on board often can become more important than filling a certain role.
An organisation that only uses recruitment to fill current and immediate talent needs will always be one step behind those that act proactively and focus on future hiring projections.
30% of King Recruit’s hires over the last 3 years have been ‘created roles’ within forward-thinking businesses.
These roles typically start on a speculative basis, a candidate could be in contact directly or a trusted recruiter could send a speculative enquiry.
To move your business forward don’t ignore this line of enquiry.
Helen Plumridge, MD of King Recruit says, “We have seen an increase in businesses across the Southwest, ‘future-proofing’ their talent pool to meet the rapidly growing needs of their business. It’s a case of seizing the opportunity to take key talent on, as and when relevant introductions are made”…
She continues….”Often it’s professionals that would add significant ‘return on investment’ to that business based on their previous achievements or sector expertise”
Typically part of our success at King Recruit has been to identify growing and innovative businesses with strong leadership, where talent is recognised ‘when’ it’s presented rather than traditional methods of when talent is ‘needed’.
King Recruit’s Top 5 tips for pre-emptive hiring:
- Recognise your potential talent gaps 12 months in advance
- Map the skills and experience you would ‘always consider’ should talent be introduced
- Align your recruitment strategy with long-term business goals, the ideal Technical Director or COO could come along 2 years early, but should that prevent you from hiring now?
- Integrate your employer branding with your recruitment branding, ensuring that you’re positioned as an ‘employer of choice’ in the region.
- Work with and engage a specialist recruiter who not only knows your business inside and out but knows the market inside and out
If you are struggling to recruit or are interested in hearing about some of our exceptional talent, contact King Recruit on 01392 790725.