3 strategies for attracting top talent to your business

The most valuable asset any business has is its people. Whatever your industry, whatever your business size, your organisation is only as strong and as competitive as the collective talent of your team. Recruiting the best, and retaining that expertise is critical.

Here are three ways that you can do just that.

1.    Be vocal about development programs

Research carried out by LinkedIn found that 59% of employees selected their new role because the employer offered more opportunity and a better career path. Conversely, 45% of those leaving roles said a key concern was a lack of advancement potential.

The data makes sense; the best people in any field are those who are eager to progress, adopt an always learning mentality and are keen to succeed. If you want to attract those ambitious, driven and capable candidates, you need to demonstrate real learning opportunities and be clear about career advancement routes.

LinkedIn’s advice? It says, “Competition for talent can be fierce. Attract and hire the best candidates by showing how your company culture and learning programs connect employees to their deepest professional aspirations. Give employees the opportunities they seek, accelerate their growth, and transform their careers.”

A key point to make here is that you must follow through on those opportunities. If you don’t, your new hires are 30 times more likely to consider jumping ship.

2.    Develop your organisation’s culture

Workplace culture matters. After all, we spend such a huge chunk of our lives at work, it makes sense we want that time to be enjoyable and take place in an environment that aligns with our lifestyles and attitudes.

Think about who you want to attract and what makes them tick. Then look at your current company culture and ask yourself if there is a clear synergy. Be aware that there is no quick fix to changing an existing culture and trying to make sweeping adjustments is likely to alienate your team.

If you aren’t sure what you need to change, look at those organisations that succeed in attracting the top talent and research their culture. This could be a huge company such as Facebook or Google or a local competitor. Use it as inspiration to pinpoint what you could do.

In many modern companies, perks such as casual Friday, flexible working hours and remote working options are commonplace. Some firms take it further though. Netflix famously has an employee freedom policy. It invests in good people, trusts them to get the job done without focusing on hours worked and rewards those who perform well. You may not want to offer unlimited holidays and throw the clock in the bin but it could inspire you to be more flexible or interpret the principle in a way that works for your business.

3.    Refine your recruitment process

For many applicants, the first experience of your company is the recruitment process. Refining that experience means you make a great first impression, can demonstrate the type of company you are and instil confidence from the very first contact. This doesn’t need to be complicated but it should be seamless; a clear job description, a prompt response to applicants, a streamlined screening process and an interview carried out by an experienced, trained interviewer.