”Get-to-know meetings”. Unnecessary? Maybe. A waste of time? Depends. Still worth it? I believe so.
No matter how busy I am with active recruitment processes, I always try to make some time for a few get-to-know meetings.
That is the type of meeting I schedule when I come across an interesting person who might not be a direct fit for my current recruitments, but have an impressive background. Or they might be a fit, just not looking for a new job at the moment. Even if it doesn’t “pay off” right away, I like to stay connected to potential and future candidates on the job market. I see value in a growing network.
It keeps me on my toes for situations when, for example, clients we’ve worked with for years ask if we happen to know “a great developer”, cause they have space for the right person, but the role isn’t prioritised enough to start a full recruitment process yet.
It keeps me top of mind by great and scarce talent for when they, or even their friends, are ready for a new job. Guess who they will be contacting first thing they do? (Yes, really, I have people contacting me every month for this very reason)
Of course timing plays an important role in these situations, and not every single meeting leads to something. But I stay widely connected with talent, and every once in a while the timing is just right, and suddenly that get-to-know meeting paid off.
”Get-to-know meetings”. Unnecessary?
