To solve your recruiting challenges, it’s sometimes helpful to seek advice from those who are at the cutting edge of hiring.

Amazon employs 1.5 million individuals and hired about 250,000 in the last quarter.

How do they do it?

In an insightful interview, Shabaz Alibaig, Amazon’s former Global Talent Acquisition Transformation Leader, said they’re constantly planting the seeds for future hires.

In this highly competitive job market, growing companies must invest and focus on all things sourcing and pipelining.

Pipelining allows your organization to create campaigns, talent pools, employee referrals and alumni networks, plus provide individualized candidate experiences.

Amazon has learned it’s impossible to hire great talent by waiting until a hiring need arises and engaging what is readily available.

New agent recruiting operates under the same principles.

If you’re waiting to connect with prospects until the end of the process (after they have a license), you’ll be talking to lower-quality candidates who have been most likely picked over by your competitors.

As the ancient proverbs advises—it’s better to dig your well before you’re thirsty.