A talent pipeline is a proactive and strategic approach to sourcing and engaging candidates who are qualified and interested in working for UW-Madison. A talent pipeline is not just a list of names, but a dynamic process of nurturing and developing relationships with potential hires over time. The goal is to create a pool of candidates who are aware of our employer brand, align with our values, and match your current or future hiring needs.
Why pipelines help:
- Useful for hard-to-fill roles, large hiring volumes, or high turnover.
- Save time! A pipeline of candidates to refer to saves time on future sourcing and outreach.
- Consists of higher-quality candidates because you’ve begun an early vetting process.
- Early contact helps create a great experience for potential candidates.
- Encourages collaboration. With a shared pipeline, everyone has a chance to contribute. Create a plan that includes who reaches out to candidates, how often you’re reaching out, and if you wish to track touchpoints.
Tips for building Pipelines:
- Be strategic about the roles that need a pipeline. You’ll benefit the most when focusing your efforts.
- Reach out to people you think are a good fit, even if no job is open right now. Be honest and let them know you’d like to stay in touch.
- Most people appreciate the interest and are open to learning more about your team.
- Keep your first message short and friendly. Share just enough to catch their attention. Instead of sharing specific job titles like "Marketing Director," say something general like “a leadership role in marketing.” Identify common interests or connections to break the ice.
- No need to send a job description yet—it’s more about the conversation and exploring interest. Mention what you have in common or how you’re connected. End with a simple ask, like “Would you be open to chatting more?”
- Stay in touch over time. Quick check-ins or updates keep people engaged.
- Don’t assume someone isn’t interested just because they’re employed. Many people are open to new opportunities!
How to create and use a Talent Pipeline in LinkedIn Recruiter:
How to build Talent Pipelines in LinkedIn Recruiter
| Step 1 | Create and name a project. If you want to collaborate, invite team members to join the project. |
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| Step 2 |
Search for potential candidates of interest. You can use filters to narrow your search results. Once identified, you can save the candidate to the project. You can quickly identify candidates of interest using Recruiter's advanced search capabilities and AI-assisted searches. To use AI features, from the 'Talent Pool' tab, expand the star icon, highlighted in the image below, and type in a request. Example request: "Find Teachers in the Madison, WI area."
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| Step 3 |
To see candidates you’ve saved, go to your project and click the 'Pipeline' tab.
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Communicating with Talent Pipeline candidates in LinkedIn Recruiter
You can communicate with saved candidates by clicking the envelope 
icon. On the 'Compose Message' screen, you can decide when and how to send your message, and even get help from AI to write a more personal note.
Additional candidate actions
In the 3-dot menu next to a saved candidate, you can add a note, share the candidate with a teammate, or find more people like the candidate.
Update candidate statuses
For tracking purposes, you can change the stage of each candidate. Statuses include Uncontacted, Contacted, and Replied.
