How to Build a Talent Pool of Technical Support Professionals
You trained your technical support professional and got them accustomed to the latest technology and software on offer. They were doing an exceptional job and you were happy with it. Just then, they decide to submit their resignation. They got a better offer or life happened. What do you do now? Start from scratch all over again? Repeat the same process and pray the end result is different this time. As it happens there’s a better way to do this. Build and maintain a talent pool of technical support staff. Building a talent pool of technical support professionals could be your answer to the issue.
What is a talent pool?
In simple words, a talent pool is a database of candidates you have for a selected role. A Human Resource Management (HRM) tool can help you create and maintain a talent pool. Typically, a list like this includes previous employees or potential candidates who have shown interest in joining your organization in some capacity. There are several ways you can build your talent pool which we will discuss later but first let’s understand why this is a must-have step.
Why is having a talent pool essential?
So, why is a talent pool of technical support professionals essential and how does it help your organization? Here we have listed some reasons why having a talent pool is a must and why it’s worth your time?
Saves time in hiring
If you have a talent pool at your disposal, you don’t have to start from scratch when a position becomes vacant. All you need to do is tap into that talent pool to scourge for qualified candidates. This helps save organizations a lot of time. By reducing the time to hire, you ensure that the technical support team doesn’t overwork for the vacant post and the position is filled as soon as possible.
More qualified candidates
Rather than sorting through hundreds of random applications, you have a list of qualified candidates. If you have a proper process in place, you already have a much more qualified list of candidates in your talent pool. This ensures the hiring process is smooth and increases your chance of hiring a better candidate.
Overcome skill gap
Even after all the lucrative career options and fat paychecks, the tech industry has to offer, the skill gap in the industry is still massive. Recruiters in the US alone say 83% of them have trouble finding the right talent for the position. The problem is not limited to the US alone though, all major companies and countries are well aware of this issue. By maintaining a talent pool of technical support professionals you overcome that challenge. You have a list of skilled professionals suitable for the vacant position.
Best practices to build a talent pool
Now that we know what a talent pool is and why having one is important, let’s shift our focus to how you can build a talent pool for technical support professionals.
Maintain a database of previous applicants
Several candidates apply for a post and sadly most have to miss out on the opportunity. But this can be a fantastic resource for you. Don’t throw away the details of the applicants once you select a candidate. Maintain the database of the previous applicants. This will help you in your next hiring.
Create a student-oriented talent pool
Fresh graduates with the right training can bring so much to the table in an organization. This is why it’s important to provide special emphasis on them and create your talent pool accordingly. How can you do that? You can contact colleges for fresh graduates or institutes like ours, where we provide holistic skill development.
Don’t leave out experienced candidates
While we do suggest making your talent pool more student-friendly, we don’t really mean sidelining experienced candidates. Each brings something unique to companies. Fresh graduates are more likely to be loyal to the company that gave them their first chance, honed their skills, and turned them from students to employees. But you have to invest in their training and skill development.
On the other hand, experienced candidates are more likely to be headhunted by your competitors but they bring expertise with them. Not to mention certain positions are more suited for experienced candidates. There’s a minimal chance you’ll consider a fresh graduate for the role of technical support lead. That position requires a minimum of 2-3 three years of experience.
Keep in touch with your former employees
Experienced employees leaving your brand is definitely not a good thing but you can also make use of that for your talent pool. By maintaining a professional relationship with your former employees, you can benefit in two major ways. First, you increase your chances of rehiring a former employee and second they can share your job opening with their network. This is beneficial to you as you get a no-cost referral and a better chance of getting a more qualified candidate.
Have a referral program in place
A referral program can be a great opportunity for you. You can develop a referral program which rewards existing employees for referring candidates. Studies show that referred employees stay 70 % longer. This is a win-win situation for both your company and your existing employees. Tech giants like IBM have a very robust referral system in place which rewards employees handsomely for successful referrals.
Put a form on your website
This might sound like something beneficial for only large companies but that really is not the case here. Embedding a form to collect data and allow candidates to upload their CVs is a great way to create a talent pool even for start-ups and smaller companies. All you need to do is transfer all the data coming from the form to your HRM. In this way, you’ll be storing data in an accessible form and making it easy for you to create that talent pool of technical support professional
Conclusion
Building a talent pool of technical support professionals is a long-term game which will help your organization in several ways. When done right, it can lead to better hiring decisions, and a backup of trained professionals and can also be a chance to lure back your past employees. This is why you must invest time and resources in building it. If you build your talent pool in the right way (like we discussed in this post), it will be very hard to go wrong.
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Nikhil Kumar Ahluwalia
Founder Upspir
Nikhil has more than 16 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Upspir, he served as the Vice President of Support, Services, and Delivery at Ameyo/Exotel, where he gained extensive experience in managing and leading technical support and delivery teams. With Upspir, Nikhil aims to take his passion for developing and mentoring people to the next level by sharing his experiences and knowledge with those who want to build their careers in the tech support domain.