Sourcing Talent Outside the Lines
Many companies would love to source talent that knows how to build, make, and create things—flexible, resourceful people that can figure shit out without needing their hands held. The kind of people you can throw a problem at and they figure out the sho
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Creator platforms are beginning to fill an opportunity gap for an increasing number of people.
Historically, companies have been our primary source of opportunity:
We exchange our time for money. And as the value of that exchange increases, the more opportunity (and the more money) we’re given. The cycle continues: exchange + opportunity = money.
This worked great for previous generations. But economies have changed. And the upward mobility that was built into the previous system and available to many, is now available to the few.
If you look at recruiting patterns, especially in tech, where the vast majority of people never (and will never) gain access, combined with the advent of creator tools that allow anyone to make money as soloists, the talent industry is sitting in an interesting place.
Many companies would love to source talent that knows how to build, make, and create things—flexible, resourceful people that can figure shit out without needing their hands held. The kind of people you can throw a problem at and they figure out the shortest path to a solution.
The challenge: these people are hard to find because their resumes tend to resemble a winding story, not a direct line.
One potential solution is to start thinking about ways to rely less on software to source and more on finding creative ways to tap into these communities of incredibly talented folks.
The ability to combine an intuitive sense for overlooked talent pools with creative marketing and sourcing techniques can be recruiting magic.
While others zig, you zag.
Here’s what we know: The creator economy is a wealth of talent.
And I think it exists more because creative people who want to get their hands dirty don’t have any other options, and less because they’re truly soloists at heart.
Trust me, few are built to be solo creators for a living. The comforts of a stable and fulfilling job are highly appealing to the majority.
What to think about:
If you’re hiring anyone who doesn’t need a linear background in order to thrive at your company (which is likely the case for most non-technical roles) how can you market yourself as a company that values resourcefulness and creative runway over pedigree and resume?
Recruiters: How do you tap into creator economy talent pools?
This is less about what you should do and more about getting your wheels turning and hopefully sparking an idea.
Just planting a seed. I think there’s something here.
A couple of random ideas:
Figure out how to source on Substack and Medium.
Find the micro-influencers in your industry and see if they're open to exploring in-house opportunities at your company.
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