Years ago, I was unexpectedly laid off on a Friday.
Like anyone else, my first thought was, “Now what?”
On the drive home, I called a former employer I hadn’t worked for in a couple of years. We talked for about twenty minutes, and before I hung up, I had another job. I started on Monday and never missed a paycheck.
Looking back, I wasn’t hired because I happened to make the right phone call that day. I was hired because of a relationship that had been built long before I needed it.
I’ve thought about that story many times because I see companies make the opposite mistake all the time.
Most businesses don’t recruit people. They recruit only when they have a vacancy.
Everything feels fine until someone resigns, business picks up, or a new customer creates more work than the team can handle. That’s when the job gets posted and everyone hopes the right person applies.
There’s nothing wrong with posting a job. The problem is waiting until you have an opening to start looking.
One of the things I teach clients is how to build a talent pipeline. People sometimes think that means keeping a folder full of resumes, but it’s so much more than that.
A talent pipeline is simply a group of people you’ve built relationships with before you have an opening.
Building a talent pipeline doesn’t have to be complicated. Whenever you meet someone who impresses you, keep their contact information, even if you have no place for them today.
Then create a simple monthly newsletter that gives people a glimpse into your business. Share what’s happening with your team, what you’re building, the challenges you’re working through, and the wins you’re celebrating. Over time, people begin to feel like they know your company long before they ever apply for a job.
I also ask my best employees who they know and invite those referrals to join the list.
You’re simply staying connected with prospective candidates so they already know your company when an opportunity comes along.
Most businesses stop communicating with candidates the moment they decide not to hire them. I think that’s a mistake. It often creates unnecessary bad feelings with people who could become future employees or referrals.
I’ve heard from some candidates who received poor treatment or ghosting by an employer that they would never work there.
But here’s the thing: someone who isn’t the right fit today might be exactly who you need a year from now. Even if they aren’t, there’s a good chance they know someone who is.
That’s why talent pipelines work so well.
One of my clients has only a few hundred people in their pipeline. When they have an opening, they send an email to that list before they post the job anywhere else. More often than not, someone replies or passes it along to a friend or former coworker. A few hundred relationships quickly turn into thousands of potential connections, and it doesn’t cost the company a dime.
Instead of paying for access to candidates every time you have an opening, you’ve already built your own network of people who know your company.
The more I’ve worked with business owners, the more I’ve realized this idea goes far beyond hiring.
The strongest businesses build relationships long before they need anything from them. They stay connected with customers before they need a sale, invest in partners before they need help, and get to know talented people before they have an opening.
That approach takes a little more patience, but it removes a lot of urgency later.
I’ve found that’s true in hiring and in business.
The work you do before you need it is often the work that matters most. That’s playing the long game.
Keep playing the long game!
When you start a business, nobody hands you a manual. That’s why I write The Long Game.
Each week, I share stories, insights, and observations from the lessons I’ve learned—and the ones I’m still learning—about building a business, hiring the right people and creating a culture people want to be part of.
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