Talent mapping is a strategic process that identifies the current and future talent needs of a business, allowing you to align your recruitment agency with your long-term goals.

By regularly evaluating your talent pool and anticipating future needs, you are better equipped to handle the dynamic nature of the game.

Let’s get into what you should know about Talent Mapping.

What is talent mapping?

Talent mapping involves a strategic overview of your current and potential employees. It's more than just evaluating their skills—it's about understanding how these skills and competencies align with an organization’s needs. You use talent mapping to track potential candidates, whether within your company or in the broader job market.

The process can help you pinpoint key competencies required for future roles. 

How does talent mapping help recruiters?

Talent mapping benefits recruiters in 3 ways: 

• Know your players: It helps you find the best people in your industry. When a star job opens up, you've already got your shortlist ready.
  
  

• See the big picture: You get a sneak peek into what's happening in the job market. This means you can predict player movements, allowing you to be one step ahead of the competition.
  
  

• Make winning picks: You have all the info on a player's skills and experience. This means you can confidently recommend the perfect person for the job, every time.

With a well-mapped talent pool, you can unlock the full potential of your future candidates. By continually adapting your talent mapping strategies, you ensure that your organization remains agile and prepared for any market shifts.

What are some effective ways to map talent?

For recruiters, talent mapping is done in three easy steps: 

• Market research: The best way to find out more about current hiring trends and potential candidates is by conducting meticulous research. View open jobs in your niche, benchmark salaries, and engage with candidates to get an idea of who’s hiring and how they’re doing it.
  
  

• Sourcing data: Make sure you spend at least 2-3 hours per week sourcing and building a pipeline of future candidates. Create various projects in your ATS to filter out candidates by location, experience, or skills. The best recruiters stay ahead of this.
  
  

• Network: Network with people in your industry. Attend conferences, join online groups, and chat with other recruiters. You never know what golden nugget of information you might pick up.

What you need to get started: talent mapping for clients

Before you start searching for hidden talent, you need to get your ducks in a row. Make sure you nail your recruitment niche and start building a candidate pipeline before prospecting new business. To do this: 

Understand what your client needs. What kind of superstars are they looking for? What's their timeline? Getting clarity on this will save you time and energy later.

Next, learn the ropes of your client's company. How do they hire people? What's their process like? This will help you align your talent mapping efforts with their way of doing things.

To find the best talent, you need data. Start collecting information like how long it takes to fill roles, what candidates think of your process, and what skills are in high demand.

Finally, arm yourself with the right tools. You'll need software to help you build your candidate pipeline, and manage and analyze data. With this foundation in place, you're ready to start building your talent map.

Executing talent mapping: A step-by-step approach

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to manage your talent mapping operation. 

1. Create your perfect candidate 

Finding the ideal candidate is like searching for a needle in a haystack but with a roadmap. That roadmap is your Ideal Candidate Persona (ICP).

To create your ICP, think about your perfect candidate. Imagine the ideal person for the role: What’s their background? What skills do they have? What kind of experience are they bringing to the table? Create a detailed profile outlining their education, past roles, and the specific skills they need to excel in the position. This blueprint will guide your search and help you identify top-tier talent.

Here is a list of internal questions that might help: 

The basics

• Role: What is the candidate's job title?

• Department: In what department does the candidate work?

• Company size: What size company do they typically work for?

• Industry: In what industry does the candidate have experience?

Skills

• Essential skills: What technical skills are absolutely necessary?

• Desired skills: What additional skills would be beneficial?

• Years of experience: How many years of experience are required?

• Educational background: What level of education is necessary?

Cultural fit

• Company culture: Does the candidate align with the company culture?

• Problem-solving skills: How strong are their problem-solving abilities?

• Leadership skills: Do they exhibit leadership qualities?

• Communication skills: Are they strong communicators?

2. Build your pipeline

Building your pipeline is arguably the most important part of not only talent mapping but recruiting as a whole. There’s no better way to build your pipeline than using Juicebox.ai, an AI-powered candidate search engine that lets you discover a universe of talent in the simplest ways possible.

Here's how Juicebox.ai will help you nail your candidate pipeline:

• Effortless sourcing: Ditch the complex Boolean searches. Juicebox.ai uses natural language to understand your needs. Tell it what you're looking for, and it combs through a massive database of 800 million+ profiles to find the perfect match.
  
  

• Targeting an untapped pool of candidates: PeopleGPT goes beyond the usual job boards and uncovers hidden talent through sources such as professional websites, technical repositories, and published research. You’ll find the ideal candidate who isn't actively searching for a new position.
  
  

• Skills-based search: Forget relying on resumes filled with buzzwords, the machine digs deeper, analyzing technical skills and experience mentioned in online profiles, ensuring you find candidates who genuinely possess the skills required for the role.
  
  

• Saving a ton of time: Spend less time scouring candidates. Juicebox.ai delivers a shortlist of pre-qualified candidates, saving you hours of sourcing and searching on LinkedIn.

3. Know your competition

Your client isn't the only one looking for top talent. Their competitors are also on the hunt. To stay ahead, you need to understand what they're doing.

Check out your client's competitors. Look at their job postings, websites, and social media. See what they're offering and how they're promoting themselves. This will help you figure out how to make your client's offer stand out.

4. Utilize technology as much as possible

Recruiting can be a juggling act. That's why using the right tools is a game-changer.

Juicebox.ai should be at the forefront. It will help you find the best candidates super fast. Other tools to accompany include job boards, video interview platforms, and chatbots. These will help make the hiring process smoother and quicker.

By using the right tech, you can spend less time on paperwork and more time finding amazing candidates.

5. Track your progress

To get better at recruiting, you need to know what's working and what's not.

Keep an eye on your numbers. Tracking your talent mapping progress is crucial to ensure you're on the right track. Here are some key metrics and methods to monitor:

• Time spent on talent mapping: How much time are you dedicating to this process?

• Number of potential candidates identified: How many potential candidates have you discovered?

• Quality of candidates: Are the identified candidates a good fit for the target roles?

• Conversion rates: How many identified candidates have been successfully converted into hires?

• Time-to-fill: How long does it take to fill a role using talent mapping data?

By consistently tracking these metrics and using the appropriate tools, you can measure the effectiveness of your talent mapping efforts and make data-driven decisions to better your recruitment strategy.