Top Tips for Sourcing Niche Talent

In today's competitive job market, niche talent is an increasingly important asset for businesses. Having access to niche skills and specialised knowledge can give your business a competitive edge and help you succeed in your chosen industry. While the sourcing and hiring of niche talent can be challenging, the benefits of doing so are more than worth it. In order to open your business up to niche talent, it’s important that you have the right hiring strategies in place; below are our top tips for sourcing and converting niche talent.

One of the best ways to source niche talent is through targeted recruitment campaigns. This means taking steps such as advertising on specialist job boards and sector specific job sites and social media channels, running targeted email campaigns to your talent pool or organising events specifically designed to attract niche candidates. These campaigns should focus on highlighting the unique benefits of working at your company and emphasise any opportunities or advantages available within the role.

Creating talent pools and pipelines of passive candidates with the desired skill set and consistently engaging with them gives you access to a target list of pre-screened, engaged candidates ready for your approach. Your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) should be able to support creating groups of passive candidates that can easily be segmented for relevant vacancies to quick match suitable candidates. Here is a link to the best ways to talent pool with your ATS.

Another effective way to source niche talent is through referrals from your existing employees. Ask them for recommendations or if they know of any candidates that could be a good fit for the role you are looking to fill. You can also look for niche talent at industry events such as trade shows, conferences and networking events. On average, talent gained through referrals tends to be of a higher quality than that sourced via social media, recruitment websites, or many of the other hiring channels.

This free report on Candidate Attraction highlights Recruitment Marketing Tactics and looks in detail at the succes of Employee Referrals by sector. Download your copy of the report.

When it comes to candidates who have a specialised skill set, the submission of a speculative application is rarely how they enter your hiring funnel. Instead, they are frequently targeted specifically by recruiters on account of these skills making it vital that your organisation’s attempt at engagement is unique and stands out from the competition.

From Sourcing to Converting 

Once you have identified potential niche candidates, there are several best practices to ensure that you hire the right person for the job. For one, it’s important to use an ATS to keep track of applications and manage the recruitment process more efficiently. Furthermore, when assessing niche candidates, make sure that you review their skills and experience accurately so that you can compare them against other applicants and be open to skills for the role that can be developed. Finally, don’t forget to keep in touch with niche candidates throughout the recruitment process - engagement is key. This will help build a positive relationship and ensure that you are able to hire the best talent for your business.

By following these strategies, businesses can successfully source, nurture and hire niche talent. Having access to niche skills and specialised knowledge is invaluable for any organisation, so it’s important to invest time and resources into recruiting the right niche candidates for your jobs. With the right approach, businesses can easily find niche talent that can help drive their success in the long run.

Contact Eploy for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) 

At Eploy, we offer highly configurable Applicant Tracking Systems designed to help you find the best candidates for each and every job opening. Get in touch with our specialist team at Eploy to find out how we can help you meet your recruitment goals.