Wouldn’t it be nice to have a list of temporary workers you can schedule any time you need? What if I told you that’s possible with talent rosters? Building a talent roster of professionals you’ve worked with allows you to book staff when you need them. We’ll outline what a talent roster is and why it’s important. Then we’ll give you a guide for building your own roster with an example of how you can create one.

What is a Talent Roster?

First things first, a talent roster is:

“A shortlist of qualified candidates who worked with your company and want to return for more shifts.”

Generally, candidates on a talent roster are looking for casual work. So, they prefer only working when needed instead of a full-time role. But, you can ask if they are open to full-time positions if you’re offering temp-to-perm.

Why Should You Build a Talent Roster?

Improve the Quality of Hires

Since your talent roster has already worked with you, you know what to expect. You can choose who’s a great fit ensuring everyone on your list is qualified for the role.

Quicker Time-to-Fill

Since you already have a list of available workers, you reduce the time to source and hire candidates. All you need to do is schedule them as needed.

A roster can reduce time-to-fill for permanent employees too. If you need a permanent hire, you can look at your list to see if anyone is interested in a full-time role.

Saves You Time

You’ll save your or your employee’s time. Posting a job, sorting through resumes, and screening candidates can take weeks. Candidates on your roster are already vetted and trained, so you can schedule them instantly.

Reduces Recruitment Costs

You’ll save money since you don’t need to advertise new jobs. Having a talent roster will save on temporary and permanent roles. It will save money from advertising and the salary of your recruitment staff.

Plus, since you’ll be filling the role quicker, you’ll prevent lost capacity without an employee. For example, Dave works as a Team Lead at a warehouse. He loses his Shipper/Receiver and doesn’t have a team member that can take on the extra responsibilities. He is in a tough spot because he doesn’t want his team to be less efficient and lose money. So, Dave offers a permanent role to someone in his talent roster, Rafael. Rafael worked a few shifts for holiday cover three months before and did a great job, so Dave knows he’d be a good fit. Dave was able to have him come in the next day instead of waiting weeks or months until he could re-fill the role.

How to Build a Talent Roster

1. Bring a Candidate in

The first step is to bring in a candidate to work. You can hire as you normally would when you need temporary staff. Then, if they’re a good fit, you can add them to your roster.

Or building a talent roster works great with a working interview! You can have candidates come in for a trial shift to decide if they’re a good match. Be sure to set expectations with workers on whether it could lead to a permanent role.

2. Express Your Interest

If you like a candidate, you should tell them right away. Let them know you’d like them to come back and set expectations for when and how often you’ll need them. Then, they’ll let you know if they’re interested immediately, and you can add them to your roster.

3. Offer Perks

You’ll want to offer competitive benefits to incentivize them to come back. Perks for temporary staff look different than permanent staff. You could provide casual schedules, bonus opportunities, or training opportunities.

4. Re-Engage with Professionals

Get in touch with a worker if it’s been a while since you last spoke with them. This will keep them interested, and you can let them know if you expect any work to come soon. You can also learn if they are still available and interested in returning.

5. Ask for Referrals

If you have a great temporary employee, they likely know more people like them. Referrals are one of the best ways to find qualified talent. Ask candidates for referrals when you need to build up your roster.

How You Can Use Talent Rosters in Your Business

Let’s go back to Dave. We know Dave lost his Shipper/Receiver and was able to fill the job vacancy the next day with his talent roster. Let’s get into how he did this:

A few months back, Dave started booking temporary staff with AmbiMi as he needed them. If he liked a worker, he’d tell them he wanted them back and add them to his roster.

One day, Dave hired Rafael for holiday cover as a Warehouse Associate shift. He was ambitious, hardworking, and exceeded all the requirements. Dave talked to Rafael and expressed his interest in continuing working together. Dave offers bonuses and opportunities to upskill all temp workers. Rafael wants to learn purchasing and inventory control, which is something Dave could teach. Rafael enjoyed working with Dave and his team and liked the benefits, so he agreed to work casually.

Over the next couple of months, Rafael worked gigs with different companies. Dave was able to schedule him in AmbiMi by hiring a Previous Professional from his roster. Rafael came in for large shipments and inventory counts. During this time, Rafael proved his ability and learned the skills he wanted to.

Unfortunately, a month went by with no need for temporary employees. Dave realized it’d been a while since talking to Rafael and decided to check on him. Rafael was still working various gigs and wanted to find permanent work. He was going into a few interviews in the next week but was only in the early stages. Dave wished he had a role but didn’t have a permanent need at the time.

Thankfully, Dave checked in because his Shipper/Receiver resigned three days later. He knew Rafael was looking for something permanent, so he sent him a permanent job offer through AmbiMi! Since he followed this process, he got a great employee in less time and spent less money.

Interested in building your talent roster? Download AmbiMi today!