Hidden Job Market

We frequently get questions about how to tap into the “Hidden Job Market.” This is an old term that refers to the fact that only a small percentage of jobs ever get posted officially. There is a lot of hiring that goes on in other more subtle ways, and that is why it is hidden. It’s simply not public.

Some employers such as government agencies may be required to post jobs internally or publicly for a certain period, but in some cases this may be a formality because they have already decided who they want to hire. Somebody got selected while the job was still hidden.

You have to be a combination of detective and business analyst to ferret out some indicators of hidden jobs. Some common signs that a company may be hiring soon are:

• New leadership in a company – this often signals some changes at the top that will ripple into corporate divisions that may hire some new talent.
• Reports that a company had an upturn in profits.
• A company that had a new product approved for sale.
• An organization received a major grant or contract.
• A new start-up in your industry might signal a need for talent.
• If you talk to recruiters or headhunters you may find out who is starting to look for employees.

 The main source of info may come from your Network if you have an active and robust network of people you frequently meet or talk with about your industry. This includes Association meetings that you attend.

A new avenue for uncovering openings is to follow a company on LinkedIn. You will see reports on who has recently left a company. And guess what? That means they will probably need to replace that person. The only snag in this bit of info is that it is based on self-report by LinkedIn members, and sometimes they don’t change their profile right away to say they have left a company. So there may be a bit of time lag. But you can start to glean trends based on people leaving and joining companies as reported in LinkedIn.

Before you start calling your Network to ask about possible job openings, be sure to have your “elevator speech” ready. You want to be able to briefly and clearly tell them about yourself in a way that generates interest and distinguishes yourself in some way. For more about this attend our Career Brand workshop. This will help you clarify your career brand and help with your communications.

  --Mike Powers