Maintaining a talented staff is not a "one and done" thing, but rather an ongoing practice. Things change, times change, people change, and you need to stay on top of all those changes to ensure a consistently professional staff.

Here are some specific reasons as to why you should always be on the lookout for the best talent.


Keep an eye out for prime talent, even if you have no vacancies right now. You will soon enough.

Greener Pastures Are Always Beckoning
According to the article "Always Be Recruiting and Other Recruiting Tips Your Practice Needs", three out of five healthcare professionals are expected to look for a new job each year. That's the sort of factoid that can easily be applied to other fields and professions as well.

Talented, upwardly mobile people are aware of their value, and will look for something better, armed with the confidence that their search will be successful by virtue of their inherent value as employees. You can either have counter-offers in place to keep these people around or have a good reserve of prospective new talent to quickly fill in those vacancies.

You Know What They Say About Good Help
Even if your recruitment efforts are more on the passive side, it's prudent to identify and maintain contact with available talent that would be a good fit, in case a need springs up. Odds are, it inevitably will. If you're always on the lookout for sharp people, even if you don't need them right away, you'll never lack for leads when the time comes.

Stuff Happens
Someone figures they've had enough of the working world and decided to drop out. Another one goes on leave due to a medical condition, but when it's time to come back, they decide they don't want to. A valuable employee has a family situation collapse, necessitating in relocating to a different state. You can't predict any of these things, so you better have some replacements lined up, and not people that you have to settle for, but rather, some first-string talent. Life is uncertain, and the successful business is one that can roll with life's punches and keep going as if nothing happened.

It Helps You Remain Desirable
That may sound rather odd but just consider this. If you're out there in the dating world, playing the field as it were, you're most likely putting your best foot forward. You want prospective dates to see you as attractive and fun, worth spending time with. The same principle applies to recruiting. If your business is in "always looking" mode, then it stands to reason that you want to make sure your company always looks like an attractive landing spot.

For instance, how's your package? We're talking benefits here, of course! Do your positions offer room for growth and advancement? What kind of atmosphere exists at your workplace? It's in your company's best interest to remain desirable. As a collateral benefit, a great workplace will also keep existing employees happy (and in place) longer.

It Can Take A Long Time To Find A Suitable Candidate
Finally, there's the question of how long it's going to take to find the right fit. Every day that you have that empty chair is another day where everyone else is doing that extra work on top of their own. Productivity suffers, morale declines, and pretty soon, you have more than just one vacancy to fill.

Stay hungry, stay alert, and keep on the lookout for the next golden boy or girl to boost your team. And while we're on the subject of recruiting, check out "Recruiting Tip: Top 7 Tips for Business Owners to Find Top Talent" for some valuable insights.

Author's Bio: 

John Terra has been a freelance writer since 1985. He's worked in companies that lost more people due to bosses' foot-dragging to fill vacancies. It's not pretty.