Recruiting seems a little silly at this time. If there is one thing there is no shortage of is applicants. However, this is a crucial element that cannot be overlooked. All signs point to an improving economy and when the bubble bursts, employers will be scrambling for high quality candidates.

Because there are so many candidates available now, there is no better time to recruit. This is an extensive process because finding the “best” is no effortless task. When the time comes that you have an abundance of job orders to fill, competition will be at its peak. The one to get the fill will be the company that has the highest quality candidate. Employers will be able to afford to be picky.

Statistics related to staffing from the end of the recession in the 80’s point to a high ratio of job orders to a low ratio of candidate availability. That may seem odd but the firms that stayed in contact with their candidates, and recruited throughout the recession were the ones filling all of the jobs. Candidates were also finding jobs on their own once the recession ended. This strange model actually shocked a lot of businesses who distanced themselves from applicants because of the onslaught of resumes they were receiving. The premise was I’ll just go get them when I have jobs to fill. That didn’t happen.

Having a strong inventory of high quality candidates that you have developed a relationship with will put you in a superior competitive position when job orders begin pouring in. Because the economy will not seriously improve overnight, there is still a good window of opportunity to get things done.

Start scouring social networking sites and job boards for strong candidates. Get their resumes into your automated system and begin working them. Develop the relationship by utilizing tools such as social networking, email and of course phone and face-to-face contact when possible and beneficial.

On the flipside, it is never too early to start marketing these candidates to your clients and to prospective clients. There are actions happening now and firms that take an aggressive approach to marketing will fill orders today. On the client side, find and maintain relationships by utilizing social networking, email, face-to-face and phone. This will position your firm with potential business sources for now and in the future.

Social networking and email are tremendous tools that can interface with your automated solution adding a charge to your marketing efforts. These tools will set you apart from competitive firms that do not have these resources easily at their disposal or simply are not utilizing all of the possible tools available. The beauty of social networking and email is that you can contribute to the relationship with clients and candidates without having to invest a great deal of time in doing so. This will afford you a broader approach and allow you to encompass many more opportunities.

This article made an appearance in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of staffdigest Magazine. www.staffdigest.com

Terri Roeslmeier is President of Automated Business Designs, Inc., software developer of Ultra-Staff software for the staffing and direct hire industry. Ultra-Staff is a staffing software business solution with components for front office, back office and the web. Terri’s email address is TAR@abd.net or for more information on Ultra-Staff go to www.abd.net