Author: Zoe Forster
Cornell alumna Taylor Nieman ’13 recently co-founded TalentPoolMe, an online platform that aims to ease frustrations within the college recruiting process from both the employer and student side.
After she graduated, Nieman started working at an employer branding research firm, using data to drive recruitment strategies for early career talent. Being a recent student graduate and working with Fortune 500 employers, Nieman “saw problems from both sides,” so she wanted to try to find a solution.
Nieman’s strategy behind the growth of TalentPoolMe is threefold: bringing the college recruiting process online, furthering employer branding via authentic storytelling, and reinventing the resume to cater to college students’ young talent.
In fact, most college students are unaware of how exactly the resume system works. The typical process includes computer scanning for specific key phrases that are of interest to the company. When those words are picked up, the resume is selected, and then, only then, will an actual employee read the resume.
Instead of providing job listings, TalentPoolMe features talent pools on every employer profile.
For example, if you’re interested in working for Vogue you will find the “TalentPoolMe” button on Vogue’s landing page. When you click the button, your personal information will automatically go to the employer.
talentpoolme.com
All of the back end details that are included on your resume will be sent directly to the company’s talent pool, so it is not viewable on your public profile. These details will be completely fact-based, cutting the fluff that goes into a regular resume. As such, the company will have a more direct view of you, giving you a better chance to get picked up by an employer.
Companies can organize their talent pool according to major, class year, type of job, and even universities, giving you an even better chance to get picked up by an employer. The specific categories allow companies to really see whom their targets are, while college students gain access to several different companies with the click of a button.
Because the college recruiting process is already so intimidating, TalentPoolMe aims to make it as “open and easy as possible,” according to Nieman.
Unlike LinkedIn, any user can get in touch with you by direct message whether or not you are “connected”. TalentPoolMe’s message system will be informal, similar to Facebook messaging. Companies can direct message individual people, or even an entire category of people, such as everyone in Vogue’s talent pool who is a Fashion major studying at Cornell University.
Nieman expects that the company will be up and running by August. As a startup, the website will initially serve as an intermediary between students and employers. However, within the next 3-5 years, Nieman hopes that TalentPoolMe will become a necessity for college students who are passionate about pursuing a career.
As a recent graduate, Nieman knows how tough it can be for a college student to find his or her path in life. She encourages students to take advantage of everything Cornell has to offer.
“Cornell has been nothing but helpful in helping me become an entrepreneur.” Nieman reflects. “Every class, and all the staff, encouraged me not to be afraid to try things. Even though it may not work out, it’s worth the risk—go for it!”
