The economic downturn we are experiencing has led to increased competition and a greater need for effective recruitment. As a result, finding and hiring the best talent has become a top priority for many organizations, and it is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.
Even companies that have traditionally received a steady flow of job applications may struggle to attract top talent in the current climate. To ensure success in your recruitment efforts, it is essential to master the basics. Here are five strategies you can use to improve your chances of attracting top talent.
Become an Elite Place to Work
Becoming an elite workplace starts with creating the kind of culture that attracts top talent and also involves getting the word out with strong employer branding. Some companies are tapping one of their marketing experts to also focus on employer branding, ensuring the company's image and reputation are well-represented.
One of the most important steps in creating that top-notch culture involves defining who you are as an organization and what you value. Once you have identified your core values (like “integrity,” “collaboration,” or “responsiveness,” you can begin to hire those who share those values and recognize employee behaviors that align with them. When done right, this creates a cohesive and positive work environment where employees have a clear north star that guides them.
These days, doing well by doing good is also important to many candidates. They want to know they'll be working at a company they can be proud of, not just in terms of the product or service the company provides but also in terms of how the organization supports the community.
Once you have built the culture you want, you need to showcase it! Short culture videos and recruitment videos can shine a bright spotlight on the benefits of working at your company and give potential future employees a realistic look at what it's like to work there. Consider highlighting any community involvement or charitable initiatives your company is involved in as part of your employer branding efforts.
Encourage your employees to share these videos on their social media since they will get a much higher engagement rate than your company will get.
Make Sure You’re Fishing With The Right Bait
When it comes to strong recruitment, it is important to avoid trying to boil the ocean. This means that you should narrow your focus at the very beginning to save yourself time and headaches along the way. To do this, start by spacing out the jobs you are likely to hire for this year. This will give you a clear understanding of what leads to superstar success in those roles.
To narrow your focus, you should first identify the innate strengths that lead people to perform with excellence in the role. For example, does the job require patience and a more methodical approach? Or does it require a sense of urgency and a jump-in-and-do-it style? This will help you to pinpoint the skills you need future hires to have already developed before they come on board versus those you are willing to train.
In addition, it is important to clearly define in your mind what you will require as far as previous experience. Do they need to have a specific certification? Two years of experience in a specific field? This will help you to identify the most qualified candidates for the job.
With these "must-haves" in mind, consider how you can position the job in such a way as to attract those who are a good match. This might involve highlighting the benefits of the role, such as the opportunity for advancement or the chance to work with a talented team. By focusing on the qualities that are most important for success in the role, you can more effectively attract top talent to your organization.
Get Noticed
To get noticed by top talent, there are several strategies you can use. One effective way is to utilize employee referrals. Our 7-year Superstar Study shows that employee referrals are the number one most effective way companies find their future superstars.
They know the job better than anyone and have a clear understanding of what leads to success in the role, and highly talented people recognize talent in others and want to work with the very best. Asking for referrals also shows your team that you value their input. If your company doesn't have an employee referral program, consider implementing one.
Another way to get noticed by top talent is to increase your presence on social media platforms like LinkedIn. The majority of hires this year will learn about positions on social media, so it is important to take advantage of this by setting a monthly goal to increase your connections and flagging your calendar to remember to post regularly.
You can share information about your company or industry that demonstrates you are a thought leader, share photos and videos that showcase your positive working environment, and periodically encourage prospective candidates to connect with you. Attracting talent for a talent bank will serve you well in the long run.
Finally, you can take advantage of the real estate in your email signature line. Consider sharing your purpose statement, core values, talent assessment links, and culture video in your email signature to give people a sense of what it's like to work at your company. You never know whom you may attract!
Make the Candidate Experience Great
The competition for talent is huge, and people talk, so it is important to make sure that your candidates have a good impression of your company (even those you don’t hire). One way to do this is by being transparent with candidates about your timeline as well as the hiring process and how it will work. Communicating well with candidates will help them feel valued and informed throughout the process.
It is also important to include the right people in the hiring process and get creative in how you utilize them. For example, you could have employees who share common interests greet your candidates for their interviews or connect your candidates with current employees who can answer any questions they may have. This can help to create a more personal and welcoming experience for candidates.
To further streamline the selection process and eliminate potential obstacles, it is important to make everything from your career page to the initial application and the interview process as simple to navigate as possible. This will help to ensure that candidates have a smooth and enjoyable experience throughout the process and will set you apart from the competition.
Finally, it can be helpful to give candidates something of value to walk away with, such as their Top Talent Report. This will not only help them to increase their performance throughout their career, but it will also leave a positive impression of your company and the value you place on your candidates.
Build Your Talent Bank Year-Round
To build a strong Talent Bank, it is important to make recruitment an activity that you do consistently, even when you are not actively hiring. This will give you a strong bench to pull from when a job becomes available, rather than starting from scratch every time you need to fill a position.
There are lots of ways to build your Talent Bank, including seeking referrals, attending industry events, networking with professionals in your field, and using social media to connect with top talent. Regardless of how you do it, the goal is to build a large talent bank that is filled with a wide variety of people who have a diverse set of talents, skills, and experiences.
Waiting until there is an open position to start connecting with top talent can lead to rushed decisions and a less-than-stellar hire. Managers who make filling their talent bank part of their weekly routine set their teams up for success both now and in the future.
Make a commitment to building your Talent Bank year-round, and consider setting aside one hour each week to focus solely on connecting with superstars in the field. By doing this consistently, you will be able to build a strong Talent Bank that will serve as a valuable resource for your organization.
Conclusion
This is the time to up your recruitment game and master these best practices for finding your future superstars. Make attracting top talent to your organization a priority and set yourself up for success in the competitive job market.
