Start your new year with a new strategy: build and implement a Diverse Talent Pool for your company. Whether you use social media or traditional sourcing pipelines to do it (ideally both), a Diverse Talent Pool is a must have in 2014 and beyond.

We all know and recognize the benefits of a diverse workforce: more creativity, more innovation, enhanced customer loyalty, more financial growth and greater insight and access to new marketplaces.

Diversity

You could begin with Facebook and Twitter. They can help you recruit more diverse candidates and also spread your diversity brand message. In fact, if you want to cultivate a Talent Community of  Diverse candidates, then Facebook and Twitter can be key players. Obviously, a Twitter account can be created to attract followers. This could be an effective channel for tweeting out your firm’s programs, processes, awards and accomplishments in Diversity and Inclusion. Daily tweets by your Diversity networks and employees could be a powerful magnetic for attracting “people of difference.”  Don’t stop there, use Instagram and Pinterest for capturing key moments, events (such as your firm’s MLK breakfast), gatherings (your Employee Resource Group celebrations) and building your Diversity brand image.

Similarly, traditional methods can be used to create and build a Diverse Talent Community for your firm. Think about partnering with: Professional associations such as Women in Technology, Clubs, Students groups (such as NBMBAA, 4H Club-as we did at Monsanto), Alumni associations, Colleges & Universities, Trade associations, Community groups such as the Urban League (local Chapters), national Veterans organizations as well as local Veteran chapters in your city. These are just a few examples from many which you could pull in to create this “virtual” talent community.

Additionally, inspire your Recruiters and Talent Acquisition staff, as I did, to network widely and broadly both on social media and within (and outside of) your industry. Consider this, keep a running list of people you meet (speakers, workshop facilitators, attendees, etc.) at industry and professional conferences and trade shows—actively network with them (after the event). Also you might consider partnering with firms (regardless of industry) in your own city in hosting shared events. While at Monsanto, I once organized a “shared event” for our US summer interns and partnered with Boeing and Edward Jones for hosting. This fun event was a success and it allowed the students to mix and mingle and network with peers at these other firms in St. Louis.

In closing, don’t miss the chance to be a leading edge companies in 2014 in this critical area. Your firm will have a distinct competitive advantage in the marketplace by creating and building a Diverse Talent Pool—so start one now and don’t get left behind.

Johnny Torrance-Nesbitt (@JohnnyTorrNesbi)  MBA is an award-winning Global HR professional across several industries and with outstanding successes in Global University Relations, Employment Branding and Global Talent Acquisition, and Diversity Strategies.