Position Your Company to be Attractive to the People You Want!

Today I’m going to begin a series of posts about how companies can differentiate themselves to attract the talent you want!  Robert Herman makes some great points in his book, “Impending Crisis”. One of the first topics he discusses is the idea that while candidates themselves are obviously different from each other, their aspirations tend to be surprisingly similar. I’d agree with this; in fact, almost every candidate I speak with wants similar things out of their next position.

The following is some of the most common ingredients that job candidates search for in their employer:

• A great company. Candidates want to work for a company with a solid reputation and forward momentum where they feel like they can truly make a difference.
• A good culture. Simply put, employees want to work in a place where they enjoy working with their other coworkers. They don’t want it to be a struggle to get out of bed every morning to go to their job. Companies with a good culture are also likely to have strong leadership and truly care for their employees and customers.
• Opportunity for growth. Nobody wants to jump aboard a sinking ship. Candidates want to feel as though they have a chance to grow in their roles and do meaningful work.
• Good compensation and benefits. Naturally, people want to be given fair and competitive compensation for their work. Unique benefits can set you apart…for instance, allow your employees one day off a year to give back to their favorite charity.

It is important to note that each candidate prioritizes these factors differently in their job hunt, but most candidates want each of the elements above in varying degrees when evaluating potential opportunities.

As a leader in your company, consider what steps you can take to ensure that your company is attractive to potential candidates in all of these areas. If you need help retaining your top talent, please contact me. As one of sixty Certified Employment Retention Specialists in the United States, I consult with many companies to help to not only attract top talent, but to keep them engaged.