Nearshore Americas
recruitment techniques

5 Powerful Alternative Recruitment Techniques for Boosting Your Talent Pool

BPOs, contact centers, and IT services providers all share a common trait: talented people are the foundation of their success, so an ongoing challenge is developing a reliable candidate pipeline for staff.

Aside from the usual recruitment techniques, such as advertising and staff referrals, there are plenty of other approaches a company can take to capitalize on a location’s available talent pool.

Try implementing these tips and strategies into your recruitment plan and get the most out of the resources you use.

Request a Video Introductions/Interviews from Candidates

For decades, interviewers have used the same procedure: review the applicants CV, single out the candidates, and give them a call to arrange an interview. But that call is not a great way to truly evaluate their potential.

“For us, videos transformed the process,” said Rudy Sanchez, Managing Partner at Beliveo. “We implemented that the first contact would be for the candidate to send a video after following some very simple instructions. This allowed made the recruitment process much more effective for everyone. It gives direct confirmation of the English levels, and allows recruiters to more quickly evaluate everyone to find the best people. Both of those things were improved.”

Millennials, in particular, are highly engaged when it comes to video, so utilize its power to improve the evaluation process.

Don’t Disregard Unsuccessful Candidates

When potential employees apply for a position, or aren’t successful after initial interviews, don’t ignore the possibility that they may be worthy candidates at a later date.

When recording their details, add a section that can categorize their main strengths to your database so that, in the event that you require immediate staff with specific skills, you will always have a source of potential people to call in.

You could even go further by noting their preferred schedules, education, or out-of-work passions, as you never know what your next client will require from their agents.

Make Social Media a Prime Part of your Strategy

Social media simply makes recruitment easier. There’s an astounding amount of potential candidates that are spending time online, especially as penetration increases in Nearshore countries.

Social media penetration in Latin America - source Statista
Social media penetration in Latin America – source Statista

Your company should be categorically spreading the word about job openings on its official pages and profiles, but members of management and HR should also be sharing on their own profiles, as it opens up the chance for friends to share around their own networks.

Develop a Culture of Belonging

If you find that your staff are reluctant to help with referrals or share details of your open jobs with their friends, it may be that they don’t feel like they “belong” with your company, and are just another number.

By creating a culture where agents and developers feel part of the company, and believe strongly in what they are doing, the pride they feel for their work will lead to a massive boost in referrals.

It’s also common to find that people with the “right fit” for the company culture generally associate with like minded individuals, so focusing on this is the best way to attract friends and family with similar traits.

Profile your best employees

The most valuable and tenured employees at the company are a huge asset when it comes to recruitment, so advertise them, highlight their skills and growth at the company, and use their positive testimonials to boost confidence in on-the-fence candidates.

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Not only will this strengthen the bond between long-time employees and your company, but the chance for outsiders to view the benefits of a career with the firm will help attract people who may not have known what was possible at your company.

By adopting some of these recruitment techniques, your company stands a better chance at overcoming any talent deficit that occurs in the Nearshore industry.


What kinds of alternative recruitment techniques do you use as a vendor? As a candidate or employee, what have your employers done that helped attract you to the company? Sound off in the comments.

Find more useful tips and actionable advice for vendors in other articles featured in our Corporate Coaching archives – click here

Matt Kendall

During his 2+ years as Chief Editor at Nearshore Americas, Matt Kendall operated at the heart of both the Nearshore BPO and IT services industries, reporting on the most impactful stories and trends in the sector.

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