Attracting talent means engaging candidates who are actively seeking work, as well as those who aren’t searching but are open to new opportunities. As such, building talent pipelines for both active and passive candidates is essential to building steady streams of high-caliber talent ready to fill open roles.

But attracting and hiring employees isn’t enough. Millennial and Gen Z workers tend to job hop more than previous generations, so it’s essential to focus on employee retention after you make a hire. A strong onboarding program will ensure quick deserters are few and far between.

Here’s how to attract top talent and make sure new hires don’t disappear overnight.

Attract candidates through a passive talent pipeline

70% of the modern workforce is made up of passive candidates. Fill your pipeline with eager, high-quality talent by capturing candidates who are passively thinking about their next career move.

Here’s where to start:

  • Identify “known” passive candidates, such as interns, former employees, and previous applicants. Candidates who are already familiar with your company and have been vetted through your hiring process can be reached quickly and easily.
  • Identify “unknown” passive candidates, like employee referrals, individuals from hiring events, and people in your talent community. While you may not know these people personally, they have already demonstrated interest in or have a connection to your company.

Armed with a collection of passive candidates, start reaching out to gauge interest and communicate your employer brand. Using all the tools at your disposal, like video content, mobile applications, and interview scheduling software, encourage familiar faces to consider new and exciting career opportunities.

Attract talent through an active candidate pipeline

Active candidates are often easier to engage, as they’re currently searching for a new role. Source active candidates from tools like online job boards, professional social networks and word-of-mouth.

To capture active candidates, time is of the essence — there’s always a chance that competitors will scoop up active job seekers before you do. That’s why modern recruitment technology is essential for any recruitment team. By quickly reaching candidates via their preferred methods of communication, you’ll keep your company top-of-mind throughout their job search.

Retain talent through a quality onboarding process

As soon as the ink dries on a new hire’s paperwork, the crucial task of employee retention begins. Holding onto employees after hiring them is no joke: nearly 40% of employees who leave their jobs do so within six months of being hired. After committing a significant amount of time and company resources narrowing down the best candidates, conducting interviews and  hiring, losing a new hire after a month and a half suggests your hiring process may be broken.

A key to retaining talent lies within the onboarding process. Properly introducing new hires to the organization, their colleagues, and their new role is critical, but only  12% of employees believe their company does a good job of onboarding. And many companies lead onboarding processes that are very short.

A week may be enough time for an employee to become acclimated to new tools, learn procedures, and figure out where the break room is, but it’s not nearly enough time to make a new hire feel truly connected to your company.

Early lack of connection can lead to employee unfulfillment, a leading indicator of overall unhappiness at work. When employees aren’t confident in their work relationships, job impact, and career growth opportunities, they may seek work elsewhere. Don’t turn your own employees into someone else’s candidates.

Protect yourself and your company by onboarding with purpose. Foster long-term relationships by connecting new employees with other team members throughout the organization. Encourage career growth by highlighting future opportunities and giving new hires the chance to have conversations with managers and other decision-makers. By bringing new hires up to speed early and checking in with them often, you’ll set clear expectations and answer important questions before another employer can swoop in.

Recruit and hire with purpose

Just as active and passive talent pipelines generate interest in your business, a quality onboarding program is essential to maintaining a new hire’s long-term investment. After recruiting candidates quickly, introduce your company with an onboarding process that leaves talent fulfilled in their latest career move.