How to Attract the Best Talent for Your Company

By Nicole Martin

The applications are coming in. The resumes look promising. But when interviewing candidates, you’re just not finding the right fit. As Monarch’s Head of Talent Management, I hear this a lot from our clients, along with similar complaints that although the interviews went well, the new hires are not living up to expectations. While there is no magic wand you can wave to find the right workers, I like to think I work some magic in helping clients attract and retain the best talent for their companies. Here’s a peek at some of the strategies that make my initiatives so successful. 

8 Elements for Effective Talent Acquisition

Attracting top talent is a talent in itself, and in my case one formed from trial and error, along with the advice from some great mentors. From identifying needs to writing the job description to building the right culture, every little detail of an employment recruitment strategy must be nuanced. If you’re to find talented workers who are going to stand the test of time, then you need to put the time into developing and implementing an effective strategy. I’ve found that a successful hiring process includes the elements outlined below.

Culture

Everything starts with having the right culture. It can make all the difference in whether someone even takes the time to apply to your company. Invest in learning what workers in your industry are looking for in an employer and build those things into your company’s culture, which today typically includes:

• Feeling appreciated, valued, recognized, and celebrated
• Flexibility in where and when you work
• Perks like free lunches or a day off on your birthday

Adding comments and testimonials from employees to your website can help candidates get a feel for what it’s like to work for your company.

Reputation

Now more than ever, you need to build a reputation as a company for which people WANT to work. Task HR, PR and marketing teams with spreading the word by working together on brand awareness. The goal is to generate buzz to make candidates excited to apply to your organization. 

Job Fulfillment

People want to work where they feel like they are making a difference, that their efforts matter and are contributing to something greater. So, it’s important to create a workplace where voices are heard, contributions are celebrated, and workers understand the roles they play in achieving results. 

Career Progression

Professional development is a talent lead magnet. Candidates want to know that the company offers opportunities, as well as guidance, for growth. Providing education, training, upskilling and re-skilling opportunities is an attractive selling point for your organization because it lets potential hires know that you are committed to helping them progress in their careers. 

Needs

To find the right fit, you must first identify exactly what it is you are looking for in an employee. Determine your current and future talent gaps. Be precise in your expectations, hard skills, soft skills, experience, background, and desirable candidate aspirations. 

Detailed Description

Now, take all of the elements above and write a robust job description. Fully explain the job responsibilities, required qualifications, preferred qualifications, and benefits. Be sure to also include information about what makes your culture unique, your company’s key strengths, and what you can offer a candidate. Think of this as your sales pitch – you want to attract and persuade top talent to apply. And please don’t forget to make the description legally compliant! 

Advertising Channels

Once you have the job description finalized, consider where you want to post it. Of course, it should be on the careers section of your website, as well as the relevant job posting sites for your industry and the position. Be sure to share that you’re hiring on your social media channels as well. 

The Candidate Experience

Now that you have your foundation in place, follow through by creating a superior candidate experience. By this, I mean how candidates feel about your company once they have experienced your hiring process. Here are some tips on how to improve it:

• Make it easy for candidates to apply by streamlining your application process
• Communicate with candidates during each step of the process, including receipt of the application
• Be clear about what candidates can expect from in-person/virtual interviews
• Make sure the interviewer is prepared for the interview, gives their full attention, and develops a good interpersonal relationship with the candidate
• Let candidates know you are no longer considering them as soon as you can do so
• Maintain connections with those candidates you may consider for future positions

Hopefully the above tips will help you develop a hiring process that will help your company attract the best talent possible.