Put down the mouse and get out of your house. Or, at least spend more time meeting people than you do responding to online job postings. Recruiters revealed in an ExecuNet survey which activities yield the highest ROI for candidate sourcing, and various forms of networking came out on top. When executive recruiters were asked to break “networking” down, here’s how they ranked where they were spending the most time finding top executive talent:
- Referrals: Ensure you are connected to others who are aware of your strengths.
- Networking online: Be visible in the right places and helpful to others.
- Personal candidate prospect file: Establish a relationship by becoming a source to recruiters before you need something from them.
- Social networking sites: Complete profiles with keywords, and make sure the unique value you bring to an organization is established.
- Networking face-to-face: Sometimes there is no substitute for a friendly face, a good handshake or shared cup of coffee.
What networking activities have been effective for you?
