Talent management is a hot topic in HR today. With the government projecting total jobs to increase 10 percent between 2008 and 2018 while the workforce grows by only 8.2 percent, it is increasingly urgent for companies to develop strategies for continuous recruitment of talented workers.

The shortage is expected to be particularly severe in service industries, which are already experiencing staff shortfalls, according to industry organizations such as the American Hospital Association.

While it's important to be able to fill immediate needs, it's also essential to take a strategic, long-term view of hiring so you can maintain the health and growth of your organization. Building a talent pipeline has never been so important.

Professional associations can be a doorway into the specific professions you most need to recruit from. Study your talent needs, and then identify the associations with the most potential.

Professional Association Recruiting Best Practices

Roni Henderson used this approach to build a new recruiting practice from the ground up. Transitioning from a 13-year career in logistics operations and management, she recently signed on with Baldwin Gilman, the largest executive search firm in Cincinnati. The company is on an aggressive growth path and added Henderson to develop a dedicated recruiting practice in her career specialty of transportation, logistics and supply-chain management.

Henderson immediately began investigating trade associations affiliated with her target industry. She researched the organizations and their publications and chapters in the Cincinnati area to find ones that promised the greatest return on her investment of time, energy and membership dues. Then she zeroed in on two associations whose membership of logistics and supply-chain management executives fit her needs exactly.

Here's how she's putting this strategy to work:

• Industry Knowledge: Henderson reads association newsletters and journals to stay abreast of industry happenings as well as future trends.
  
• Contacts: Henderson culls key names from journal articles to use as sources for candidates, for search assignments or simply as networking contacts. Her membership allows her access to local, national and even international directories of members, along with their job titles and company names.
  
• Local Presence: Henderson attends local meetings monthly and regional meetings occasionally. She uses these events to build visibility for herself and her firm, talking the industry's talk with its professionals, establishing her credibility and expertise and finding out about hiring needs. When appropriate, she follows up to discuss a possible assignment or determine the level of interest in making a career move.

The strategy paid off almost immediately for Henderson, who met a candidate for a current position through her outreach to the professional association. "The relationship was essential," she says. "Because he was only passively looking and didn't want to jeopardize his current position, he wouldn't have opened up to me if he hadn't known me through the association."

Professional Association Recruiting Tips

Before jumping on the association bandwagon, remember to:

• Be Constant: You can't just show up at one meeting and poach the talent you find. Instead, commit to a long-term relationship, participate often and understand you might not see immediate results.
  
• Focus on Members' Needs: Just as in any networking interaction, the more you focus on your audience and investigate their needs, the more credible and valued you will be.
  
• Interact with as Many People as Possible: Every meeting is an opportunity to meet new members. Don't waste the opportunity by latching onto the people you already know or those you perceive as having the highest potential. Instead, make the rounds, establish your presence, and soak up information rather than talking about yourself and your company.
  
• Build Your Visibility: You have valuable knowledge about employment issues, hiring trends, employer needs and more. Volunteer to give an educational presentation once or twice a year. Members will come to recognize you as "the" recruiter for their industry.

Commit to these steps over the long haul, and you'll be in prime position for building a talent pipeline for the future.