Hidden Talent Pools to Find Your Dream Employees That Are Often Overlooked

Traditional processes of hiring new people to a business are now largely outdated and overrated as well. Just imagine the sheer number of talented individuals you never got the chance to come in contact with just because you stuck to the old “send us your resume and we’ll have a chat” formula.

The truth is that nowadays talent is hidden in a myriad of demographics and resides in people who come from all walks of life. But the best talent will not always come to your company's doorstep on their own. You may have to draw them out to find your dream employees.

As an employer, it's important to embrace a more proactive mindset to reach out to overlooked talent pools and motivate them to apply for open position. For that, you need a new, more modern strategy to motivate overlooked groups of people to step up and showcase just how talented they are and how they can help your company grow.

Best (and Often Overlooked) Talent Pools to Find Skilled Talent

Here’re some of the most overlooked and "hidden" talent pools you can look into to find skilled workers and the employees of your dreams.

1. Military and Veterans

Want someone who is disciplined, learns quickly, and can follow orders to a T? Look no further than the brave men and women of the military.

Soldiers returning home from all over the world after completing their tour of duty have something truly unique to offer to modern employers, yet somehow a staggering number of them end up penniless, jobless, and alone on the streets. It’s not that they don’t want to work, it’s just that getting a job after spending several years fighting for your country is a difficult process.

While you can’t fix a broken, unjust system, you can reach out to this community of people and invite them to join your company’s ranks. And it’s not just the veterans who can offer something to your business, it’s also the soldiers who are yet to complete their tour of duty.

Be sure to interview these young, ambitious soldiers as well, and have a spot waiting for them for when they come back from overseas.

2. Stay-at-Home Moms and Dads

There is nothing wrong with one parent staying home to take care of the children and the household, while the other is providing material support. And it doesn’t mean that stay-at-home parents don’t need or want to work. These people represent the ideal demographic for part-time or project-based work, and can even be excellent remote workers if you need to outsource certain tasks in your company.

Be sure to analyze your current workflow in order to identify opportunities for outsourcing, and then put out an ad targeting stay-at-home parents with the skillsets you’re looking for. You’ll be amazed at the talent and expertise that’s hiding in this community.

What’s more, freelancers and remote workers can help you optimize your payroll expenses, so consider the financial benefits of outsourcing as well.

3. Persons Living with Disability

One of the most lucrative talent pools in the modern business world is the community of people with disabilities. Growth-oriented companies are increasingly capitalizing on this demographic by finding skilled and talented individuals who are seeking job opportunities through disability employment services that specialize in nurturing the aspiring employee’s professional interests and connecting them with employers in their field.

Not only is it important to welcome people with disabilities into your company for the sake of building a thriving company culture and a trustworthy brand image, but it’s also important because within this demographic you will find some of the most talented and loyal employees on the market.

To bring them into your business means to help them assimilate into the society faster, and help them utilize their talents and expertise to drive your brand forward as a whole.

4. Company Alumni (aka Boomerang Employees)

There is an interesting phenomenon that’s gaining more and more popularity with each passing year, a phenomenon both the employees and the employers are capitalizing on: company alumni.

These are, as you might have guessed, professionals who used to work for you at one point, but have left your company in search of bigger and better things. And now they want to come back, so let them! This is your opportunity to bring back the best employees you ever had, so use it.

And it’s not just about the ones who contact you in hopes of coming back to your brand, it’s also about the ones you reach out to in order to check how they’re doing, and whether they would be willing to give your professional relationship another go. Boomerang employees are a real thing nowadays, and there are many benefits to welcoming your company’s alumni back into your ranks.

5. People Immigrating to Your Country

Finally, immigrants represent a huge talent pool that’s vastly underutilized. Look at it this way, these are the surgeons, the software developers, the wunderkinds of the worlds who are coming to your country in search of a better life, and a better future.

More often than not, you will find talent and knowledge the likes of which you have never seen before residing within this community. So, be sure to reach out to them in order to discover the individual, or a number or individuals who will take your company to the next level.

In conclusion

Talent is everywhere; you just need to know where to look. Break out of the traditional hiring norms and assume a more proactive approach to talent sourcing to discover talent gems in your industry. You are bound to find the employees you’ve always wanted if you search in those demographics.