Job postings, advertising, direct contact on LinkedIn: What do all these popular recruiting methods have in common? They are push strategies. And while they can be effective, they also can be limiting, especially when your goal is to keep a pipeline of talent at the ready.

Because it’s a job seeker’s market where often jobs outnumber the available talent, human resource leaders are looking for fresh ways to stand out and connect with target audiences. A softer approach is gaining momentum because it pulls rather than pushes, offering a unique ability to influence talent, whether they are active or inactive job seekers.

Want to know what it is?

Open houses just might be what you need to revolutionize your recruiting efforts this year. Open houses have been popular in the tech industry for years, but it appears this trend is expanding to other sectors. Fundamentally, open houses provide an open invitation to anyone who is interested in working for your company, whether that be now or further down their career path.

If you’re reading this and you work for an SMB, you’re probably thinking that open houses are just for large corporations. This is untrue. In fact, small start-ups have put on some of the most successful open houses in order to discover and curate talent so they can fuel future growth! You don’t necessarily have to be a Fortune 500 company with a huge recruiting budget to plan open houses successfully. You simply need to be organized, authentic, and get the word out.

Why should you consider adding open houses to your annual recruiting strategy this year?

Here are 10 undeniable reasons to make it a part of your plan:

1. Competition for top talent is fierce and you need a reason to stand out from other organizations.
2. You want a low-pressure method that pulls candidates in and readies them for the workforce.
3. The friendly one-on-one contact provides better insight into employer and employee personalities.
4. You can showcase the company culture so the attendee can experience it firsthand.
5. Office tours provide the opportunity to get a feel for the working environment.
6. You can fit it into everyone’s schedule and have the ability to plan ahead weeks in advance.
7. It’s a great networking opportunity to fill the hiring pipeline today and in the future.
8. You can feature star employees who can present, mingle, and make valuable connections.
9. You can interview top talent onsite and in real time. No need to wait if someone catches your eye.
10. It’s the ideal networking opportunity for both employer and attendees. If the person attending the event isn’t the right fit, they may know someone who is. If they have a good experience, you can bet they’ll pass this information on.

Convinced? Read How HR is Using Recruitment Open Houses to Draw Top Talent to learn more about timing, atmosphere, and promotion considerations.