This is a better alternative. According to John Sullivan, a company that moves from coincidence hiring to continuous hiring can create relationships with talented people who aren't ready to join the company yet - but who might join it someday. Invite them to technical seminars. Invite them to open houses or beer busts. Pay them to work on mini-projects.
Offer feedback about their Web pages.
Scouting for talent Finding great people isn't just the responsibility of the HR department. It's the responsibility of everyone at the company. If you're serious about tapping great talent, you have to devise ways to identify talented people before other companies do. Over time, you'll develop a talent database. Don't just check the references that talented applicants provide.