The remarkably tight labor market (across all industries) is causing companies to consider every possible avenue for accessing talent. One of the old techniques receiving renewed attention is the building and maintaining of talent pipelines. In an ERE article, Mat Apodaca highlights the importance of talent pipelines and points to some critical things to consider when focusing on this strategy. Invest in Your Employer Brand: Having an employer brand that resonates with potential candidates does a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Use Your Tech Wisely: There is lots of technology available to make the recruiting process more effective, but a shot gun approach will never produce great results. Pick a few tools you know work and focus on execution. Stay Accessible. An important component of building a candidate pipeline is being visible. Make your LinkedIn profile visible to potential candidates and don’t snub those who reach out with interest. Talk to Referrals. Referrals will always be the best source for hires. Research shows that referrals account for 40% of all hires yet only 7% of applicants. Because referrals often take time to ripen into hires, a talent pipeline strategy keeps individuals from falling through the cracks. If you don’t have a tangible talent pipeline, start building one today. Even a simple spreadsheet is a great way to start.