There’s no denying that the internet has made all facets of our lives easier and faster. It’s no different when it comes to finding a job. Enter the Talent Community.
The definition of community, at a high level, is a group of people with similar interests. In the context of a job search, a talent community is a place where you can build a profile and express interest in working with a company, be kept up-to-date with company information, industry news, and most importantly, be notified of jobs that match your interest and background.
There are multiple benefits to companies that come with deploying a talent community, among them increasing workplace diversity, but what’s in it for the job seeker? In short, if you’re concerned with missing out on the next best opportunity, kiss FOMO goodbye and let this technology do the matching for you. Here are some reasons why you should join a talent community:
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You’re attracted to a brand
No wonder, as on average we are served 10k+ ads per day. A good ad should establish a powerful connection and leave you not only wanting to buy the product or service, but also leave you thinking, wow, how cool would it be to work there! You proceed to their career site and see there are no open roles that fits your skills or interests. So now what? See Reason #2 below.
Timing
Timing is everything. You may have targeted a company and found that there were no jobs that fit your background and interests at that moment. Don’t stop there – if it’s available, join the company’s talent community. By creating a profile and expressing your interest to the company, they will have your information for any upcoming roles that may be a good fit and, in most cases, you can be emailed new jobs that match your criteria.
Insider Tip: joining the talent community of a staffing firm is like sharing your resume with hundreds of companies. It allows the staffing firm (powered by the tech) to do the matching for you.
Options & Choices
Interested in flexible work such as contract, part-time, an internship or a post-retirement gig? Some companies are known for having great seasonal jobs or field-specific opportunities. Joining a company’s talent community is a way to stay informed of all the options and choices available – and even better, they’re delivered right to your inbox.
Learning
You may be at a point in your career where you want to stretch and challenge yourself. This can mean different things to different people. For example, you may want to try working for a large corporation or possibly in a new field. When your search becomes targeted to meet your goal of continued growth, you want to ensure your next employer meets these criteria. Once you have developed your target company list, you can then join their talent communities to ensure you don’t miss upcoming openings and stay informed of opportunities that can help you reach your career change goals.
Silver Medalists, Referrals & Networking
Have you ever interviewed at a company and found yourself the runner-up for the role? If you’re still interested in the firm, think about the power of staying connected and having the company be able to easily reach you when a new opening becomes available. Alternately, has a friend ever told you about an upcoming job at a company you have been targeting? How would you go about reaching out? Joining a talent community is like networking, but instead of wearing your best dress shoes, you can network in your bunny slippers.
Insider Tip: Today, companies certainly see the value in talent communities and they are being adopted more frequently. As one of our tech partners, VectorVMS, noted in a recent blog entitled 3 Post-Assignment Actions That Create a Robust Talent Community, “if you came across multiple qualified candidates but couldn’t hire all of them, refer these ‘silver medal’ candidates to your talent community for future opportunities.”
Specialized Skills & Interests
If you are on the hunt for a specific role that utilizes your skills or plays to your interests, some talent communities focus on attracting specialized talent pools. These can include functional areas such as Finance, Creative or Production or demographic/diversity based such as STEM, Veterans, BIPOC, or Latinx. Joining a talent community is a great way to raise your hand and self-elect into populations that companies are seeking to hire.
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Whether you are actively searching for work or passively seeking a better opportunity, joining a talent community is a great first step in your journey. The best talent communities will provide you with curated content to pique your interest such as job openings, career advice, industry news, functional area educational pieces and more. Bonus points go to the many talent communities that allow you to apply with one click when the perfect opportunity comes along.
Don’t take my word for it. Go for it and join one today! The Atrium Careers Talent Community is a great start. I hope the next time you see an invite to join another community that interests you, go ahead and do it, it will be worth the clicks! After you join, let us know what you think.
