The process of engaging with the employee who may not be actively looking for work, or who may not be where you want him to be, poses a new set of challenges for HR.
These workers extend across various sectors including IT, healthcare, education and agriculture and are the source of much innovation and competitive advantage. They are repositories of specific expertise and frequently the agents of change. They are the knowledge workers, and they are the new ’rock stars‘ in the escalating search for talent. But, they are also in short supply.
The task of locating, nurturing, and harnessing the expertise of those who operate in the knowledge environment has become the Holy Grail for many HR professionals. And to do so, employers must adopt recruitment approaches that are aligned to the type of social networks and gathering places where these workers congregate.
Some of the techniques that must be mastered to tap into the increasingly sophisticated labor pool include:
- Niche websites & social media: niche sites can enable better targeting of candidates with industry expertise. Facebook, XING, LinkedIn and even Twitter can become part of an evolving conversational landscape, to pique the interest of even passive candidates.
- Knowledge sharing & leadership: authoring or sponsoring papers, writing blogs, and presenting webcasts can start conversations with potential ‘knowledge workers’.
- Internal applicant tracking systems (ATS):previously considered candidates who were not chosen for one position may be qualified for another opening.
- Smiling and dialing: cold calling, and maintaining personal rapport with experts in the industry is still a good way to build your database and access referrals.
- And, expect candidates to do their home work: there are now many tools available to candidates to help them understand and vet potential employers. Sites such as vault.com or glassdoor.com are just two examples.
This post is extracted from the ebook:
9 Reasons Why Talentomics is Changing HR 
