Attracting And Retaining Top Talent: 5 Ways To Bring Them To You

Good help is not hard to find when top talent is looking for you.

In a strong labor market, employees prefer companies with a good culture, competitive pay, and opportunities for advancement. Giving your employees what they need will help you attract – and keep – the top talent they want.

“The strength of a company is determined in large part by the quality of its talent,” says Kim Stewart, SVP and Director of Talent Management at First Citizens Bank. “In a competitive hiring environment, you can attract great talent by providing a strong company culture and opportunities for employees to grow.”

According to a recent CareerBuilder survey that captured workers’ heightened career expectations, only half of the workers feel they have a long-term career at their current company. The other half feel they only have one job, which 32% of employees plan to leave before 2020.

“Job candidates are in the driver’s seat and consider much more than salary when applying for a job,” said CareerBuilder CEO Irina Novoselsky when announcing the survey results.

“Benefits, location, and commute time are increasingly important factors,” Novoselsky said. “To attract and retain talent, recruiters need to meet employee expectations for hiring, onboarding, and career advancement and provide the perks, work-life balance, and opportunities for advancement they demand.”

Becoming known as a company where employees want to work takes time and a strategic approach. Follow these steps to attract and retain top talent.

1.Know the mission and values of your company.

Identify the most important skills and values for your company. Then fill positions that align with those needs, rather than just hiring an employee to replace someone else.

“Candidates are better able to assess whether they are a good fit if you clearly articulate your employer brand and values from the outset,” says Stewart. “Employees feel more engaged and are more likely to thrive if their values align with those of their employer.”

A Forbes article on smart hiring strategies recommends knowing your company’s value proposition and your target audience. Recruiting is selling, so it’s important to know your company’s selling points.

2.Build an employee-centric culture.

Think about what you can offer your employees. Employees value work-life balance. They appreciate it when you offer flexible working hours, for example. Applicants and employees also value career opportunities such as on-the-job training and possible promotions.

“Companies rarely look closely at what they can offer their employees and are therefore always disappointed when recruiting. Reduce the list of desired qualities to those you are willing to pay for, whether with money or intangibles,” says a Harvard Business Review article on what it really takes to attract top talent.

Today’s employees also want to feel valued. Show your appreciation for them through employee recognition programs, performance bonuses, and a pleasant working environment.

Help them relax, too. Activities such as group yoga, friendly sports competitions, and regular team-building activities outside the office provide welcome breaks.

“A sense of rejuvenation and freedom is very important, otherwise it becomes a traditional 9-5 workplace. In short, move away from conventional work standards,” recommends a TalentLyft article on recruitment strategies to attract the best talent.

3.Involve employees in recruitment.

Happy employees tend to stay longer. They also help you attract top talent by showing the best potential employees that they could also be happy at your company.

An Inc.com article on creative ways to attract new talent suggests giving your employees “recruiting cards“. “If your employee meets someone in their day-to-day life who impresses them, they can slip them a card that shows them your company could be a good fit for their skills and experience. Remember, there’s nothing like a good old ego boost to get a potential new employee interested in the employment opportunities at your company,” the article says.

Referral incentives also encourage your employees to help you attract top talent. Consider rewards such as gift certificates, cash bonuses, or extra time off.

4.go out and meet people.

Meeting a potential employee in person is still the best way to determine if they are a good fit for your company. But it can be even better if you meet them before they apply for a job. They are more likely to want to work with you in the future if they know in advance the opportunities you offer.

If you know you’ll eventually need to hire a capable software developer or an aspiring accountant, go to networking events that top talent will attend. “Tapping into a specific talent pool can yield great results – especially for candidates who aren’t actively seeking opportunities,” says an Inc.com article on creative recruiting.

Campus recruiting can also provide a pipeline for future talent. Connect with candidates by, for example, attending job fairs, sponsoring events, and offering internships.

5.Connect online.

Social media is a good place for professionals to search and be found. You can use keywords like job titles on LinkedIn to find candidates with the experience and skills you want. Then you can contact them directly to see if they would be interested in working for you.

You can also attract top talent by sharing lots of information about your company, such as recruiting videos, photos from company events, and employee testimonials. Show what sets your company apart and makes it a great place to work.

“Through social media, companies can now connect with candidates in a way that was not possible with traditional recruiting methods,” Stewart said. “We post company announcements and industry news on our social media pages to reach our customers – but these updates are also an organic way to engage potential employees.”

Employees have many options to find a job, and often many employers compete for them.

But you can still attract and retain the best talent. Build and promote a company where employees want to work – and where they enjoy doing it.