Focus group outputs from a session with members of The FIRM looking at Talent Pools and how to build and maintain them effectively.

1. Building and Maintaining Talent Pools
Focus Group Outputs
10th May 2012

2. Key Challenges
• Recruitment demand planning and forecasting requirements
• Lack of ‘pooling’ capability from ATS
• Reactive recruiting vs proactive talent pooling (balance required)
• Maintaining the talent pools
• Risk on Employer Brand if it doesn’t work
• Lack of engagement and support from the line and HR

3. Defining ‘Talent Pools’
Many different terms and methodologies appear to be used – key ones as
follows from the group:
• Talent Pool – open and generic requisitions
• Talent Pipeline – requisition opened 90 days before a vacancy arises to
pipeline candidates for a specific future vacancy
• Talent Bank – engaged candidates that have already been spoken to and
part assessed

4. What works
Structure your recruiters roles accordingly
10% Direct Sourcing on
20% open roles
Building Talent
70% Pools
Other Initiatives

5. How to Talent Pool
• Draw up a list of target companies and find five people who have left and
ask them who they would recommend
• Employee referrals
• New starter referrals
• Leverage speculative applicants
• Build mechanism for continued engagement
• Treat every pool as if it were a requisition
• Choose the role carefully (i.e. Works well for volume requirements but
won’t work for senior finance roles!)
• Track pools on a quarterly basis

6. Talent Pooling Top Tips
• Only talent pool for your top talent and critical roles
• Be open and honest with candidates and ensure you are managing their
expectations
• Incentivise your recruitment team to talent pool
• Sort out your internal forecasting and planning first
• Ensure there is a real business need for a particular pool
• Get sign off at a senior level
• Ensure buy in from Line Managers and HR
• Using a great system (Harbour and File finder recommended!)
• Each recruiter should have 10-30 engaged ‘pipeline star candidates’ at any
one time that they are keeping in touch with

7. Many thanks to all the focus group
attendees for their inputs and
insights