A company is only as good as its employees and to make ensure your company’s success, it’s crucial to recruit the highest caliber candidates possible. So what recruitment strategies can you use to attract those elusive high-flyers to your business?
Know What You’re Looking For
Take a moment and describe your dream candidate. Do you already have an exemplary employee and you’d like more people like him or her? Then consider what it is that makes that person so desirable. It sounds simple, but knowing what an A-player looks like to your company means you’ll be able to spot them and woo accordingly.
Look at the intangibles don’t rely on the checklist of technical skills. here are a few questions to ask:
- How well do they take feedback – positive and constructive?
- Does the person seek learning opportunities- are they a ‘student of the biz’ by keeping up on their line of work. Every role is evolving today.
Make Your Company As Attractive As Possible
Think about how your employer brand looks from a candidate’s perspective. Why should this high-flyer want to work for you? In order to attract top talent, you need to showcase everything your company has to offer. Clarify the progression path or potential development a new employee can look forward to when they join your company. Past behavior and results predict future. Candidates love examples. This is not a time for ‘theory’ etc.
Highlight opportunities for training and development that will be available to them as well as any flexibility within the workplace. Create case studies of current employees and show off their success stories. Also, show off your success stories as a business. High flyers want to work for companies they perceive to be major players in their industry. If you’ve won awards, shout about it. If your profits are impressive, let it be known.
Have an Exciting Company Website
Most candidates will Google your company website so make sure meets their exacting standards and speaks to the industry. It needs to stand out from other websites and engage their interest. What differentiates your company? Could be small, but powerful. Besides having an impressive website, it’s important to have a blog that allows potential employees to get a taste of what it would be like to work for your company. Share interviews with current employees, showing off their progression and development within the company. Create content to share any business achievements in a fun and eye-catching way. Pay particular attention to your Careers page. Make sure it highlights all the benefits of working for your company. Remember to Google your company name regularly so you can manage your online reputation.
Use Social Media To Create Buzz Around Your Company Culture
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are fantastic marketing opportunities for you to make your business more attractive to potential candidates. If you have any kind of company event, share photos on social media right away to fuel excitement. Besides content create videos and share images which make your company seem like a fun and exciting place to work. Post updates about any awards or achievements to make your business seem more well-rounded and geared towards rewarding a job well-done.
Treat A-Players Like A-Players
Go the extra mile to make top-level candidates feel extra special. Let them know that you value and appreciate their unique strengths. Answer any questions they have as fully and accurately as you can. Treat the people you are recruiting the way you would love to be treated by a recruiter. That might mean inviting them for a lunch with a manager or to a company event. Give them opportunities to make a human connection with people in your business and make them feel like part of the team. You may need to get creative to woo the best candidates, which leads to the next point…
Host a Recruitment Day for Potential New Employees
If you go down this route, you need to make sure the day is as engaging and enjoyable as possible. Embrace the opportunity to show off all of the reasons your company is so brilliant to work for. Give candidates a chance to hear from and speak to current employees.
Engage the Candidate With the Interview Process
This helps to build the kind of excitement in candidates that makes them want to come and work for you. The actual interview can be a draining experience for candidates so don’t make your interview process offputtingly grueling. You need to get the balance right between screening the candidate and selling the company to them.
Manage the Hiring Process Efficiently
Possibly maybe the most overlooked way to differentiate your company. You need to make sure the recruitment process is a particularly positive experience for the candidate. It’s never been truer than now – A-players are in high demand from other companies. Slacking on the communication side can mean losing top-notch talent to a competitor who moved faster than you. Have a sense of urgency, own the hiring process and get back to people as quickly as possible. Make sure you stay in touch with the candidate and provide feedback throughout the hiring process. Be available if your candidate has any questions. Do not leave them waiting for days on end as chances are they will either get frustrated or get snapped up by a competitor. Clients who have a high sense of urgency, provide honest feedback and make decisions are getting the best candidates.
