It’s important to staff your company with the best employees. People who are top in their fields and add value to your company by getting things done fast and right. You want experts that can surprise you with solutions you never thought possible. True collaborators that beat your expectations consistently. But where do you find these great employees?

Generally if you post a classified ad you’ll have all kinds of job seekers and a stack of resumes to sort through. While you are careful to post a thorough and targeted job listing, you inevitably end up with many unqualified candidates because most people don’t take the time to read.

Most job seekers spend less than 60 seconds reading a job posting according to a survey conducted by TheLadders. That’s less than a minute for them to determine if they are a good fit for your company. That’s typically why you end up looking at a bunch of resumes that don’t fit your needs.

While posting a job classified is important and even required, there are better ways to find that rockstar employee. Because, that rockstar typically isn’t looking for a new job. In the recruiting business we refer to top talent who are not currently looking for employment as “passive candidates”.

But, finding these passive candidates is not easy. For starters, know what you want by making a list of the criteria you want in a top employee. Then, you can use social media to find these rockstars. A little bit of pride goes with being the best, and you’ll find the best posting about their accomplishments and achievements. Linkedin is another great resource as are Linkedin groups. Also, get out there and meet people. You will find that networking events are a great place to meet people even if they are not looking for a job. Word of mouth can go a long way, too. Ask colleagues, friends and anyone you know. Lastly, you will have to work hard to maintain a relationship with these hot shots so that when they are looking, you come to mind first.

It generally takes a lot of time and effort to find these passive candidates, but the payoff is worth it. That’s why at NextGen, we take the time to seek out the best passive candidates, and build relationships with them so we can find the best fit for you.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.