Competition for top-tier talent is always fierce. If you don't know where to look, or if you focus too narrowly on traditional sourcing methods, you could be losing to the competition.

If you're a corporate recruiter, hiring manager, or CEO, stop assuming that talent will come to you; start developing aggressive talent-acquisition strategies to attract and retain the right employees.

So, where to begin?

Hiring and sourcing best-practices vary by industry. Developing an efficient and cost-effective talent-acquisition strategy can be a complex process. Success will require some trial and error, but if you follow these principles you'll be on your way to finding quality talent:

  • Go beyond LinkedIn and finding talent on other social media channels.
  • Tailor recruiter messaging.
  • Continually recruit, and know how many candidates are needed to land the next hire.

1. Go beyond LinkedIn

Messaging today's candidates doesn't mean just sending mass InMails through LinkedIn.

Get creative with your talent search and dive deeper into social recruiting. Job seekers now go beyond LinkedIn to search for jobs, and recruiters are taking notice and beginning to search for both active and passive candidates via Facebook and Twitter.

Once you have the right messaging, you can begin creating clever advertisements and social media posts that build brand recognition. Just be sure you've defined your audience and you understand where they spend their time.

For instance, the average Twitter user is age 27 and is more likely to live in the city than the suburbs, Google+ is ideal for targeting IT professionals, and the plurality of activity on YouTube is from men age 45-54.

Discussion forums are also a great way to find thought leaders in any industry, as well as candidates with hard-to-find skills or technical backgrounds. Looking for Graphic Designers? Check out the Designers Talk Forum, which has groups for coding, Web design, and graphic design. Searching for creative professionals in general? Browse through the DigitalPoint or WordPress Forums to find discussions on design, marketing, search engines, and more.

Additional forums can be found on LinkedIn in the form of skills-based or career groups, and other thoughtful discussions can often be found through Twitter, Facebook, and even in the comments section of thought-provoking industry news stories. Through these websites, recruiters can quickly find out who has authority in the field, who are critical thinkers, and who truly possess the skills necessary to succeed in a position.

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Three Essential Principles for Talent Sourcing in 2016

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Elissa Barnes

Elissa Barnes is recruiting manager at Profiles, a marketing, tech, and creative staffing agency located in Washington DC.

LinkedIn: Elissa Barnes

Twitter: @EBProfiles