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Recruiting: 5 Secrets to Attracting Top Talent

Posted by Tatiana Spears on May 24, 2016
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Recruiting: 5 Secrets to Attracting Top Talent | Tatiana Spears | HR Insights blog by CareATC, Inc.How do you find top talent? How do you help them choose you? Here are five ways to attract the best candidates and have them say “yes” to you. 

With the advent of recruiting platforms and software systems, you’d think recruiting would be easier, but there is no system that can substitute service excellence and thoughtful strategy. Here are five secrets to attracting (and keeping) top talent.

1. Go beyond a job description.

Don’t just draft a job description; make a compelling call to action. Your ideal candidates are looking for opportunities to do more than apply their skills and talents. They want to be a part of something that will feed their passion.

Take a look at one your most recent job postings and read it out loud. How does it sound? Is it encrypted with overcomplicated jargon? Does the canned cheesy-ness make you cringe? Then it’s high time to revamp your first impression. 

Make your job descriptions stand out by making them simple and approachable. Seek first to connect with the heart and then inspire the mind. 

2. Make meaningful connections.

The key to helping top talent find you lies within how your networking efforts – both on and offline. First begin with your most important connection – your employees. It’s no secret that the first well you tap is that of your current employees. Research shows that referrals generally produce a better hire and results in lower turnover rate. Turn your entire workforce into recruiters by providing them with shareable links to the job opportunity.

Next stop – your digital network. If you’re already leveraging the power of LinkedIn, then bravo! Hopefully you’ve also discovered LinkedIn Groups and have started making meaningful connections and contributing in through leadership. By building rapport through consistent contribution, you can leverage meaningful connections you’ve made in theses spaces. This way, openings don’t just stop at your status update.

3. Create a positive candidate experience.

Think about the last time you had an amazing customer service experience. Did you share it with friends and family? Chances are you did, and you developed trust toward that company or brand.

An interview experience is no different. If you want to attract an exceptional candidate, then you need to create and exceptional interview experience.

Pull out all the stops – prepare a gift bag with branded materials, sweets and more info about your company; conduct a tour; have the candidate meet their potential team. Also, refine your interview process to be clear and concise leaving the guesswork behind.

4. Boost with benefits.

Pitching benefits is just as important as pitching the job. Can you guess the top benefit employers are using to stand out among the crowd? Approximately 85% of employers leverage healthcare as a top benefit in recruitment and 74% in employee retention.

But to attract future candidates – and keep your current talent – health care benefits need to go beyond a standard package. Wellness programs and accessible disease management offerings are quickly becoming a top reason why talent choose to be (and stay) with you.

Employers all over the country are catching on. In fact, 70% of U.S. employers currently offer a general wellness program, up from 58% in 2008. Is it time to rethink your health and wellness offerings?

5. The fortune is in the follow-up.

Found your dream candidate? Great! Now it’s time to move fast. Submit your offer before someone else gets to your dream candidate. Once accepted, make the onboarding process clear and anticipate questions along the way.

Also, make it a habit to honor candidates who didn’t get the job. Follow-up and thank them for their time. You’d be surprised how this small courtesy makes a big difference in how people perceive your company.

There you have it, five ways to make the most of your recruiting efforts.

What are some initiatives you’ve tried? Which tools or services have worked best for you? Let us know in the comments below!

How to be an HR Rockstar by Promoting the Health of Your Employees | CareATC, Inc.
Tatiana Spears

About The Author

Tatiana Spears

With an MBA mind for analysis and strategy development, Tatiana loves transforming creative ideas into practical application for innovative companies and professionals. She is also the proud owner of an overworked Nespresso machine.

Post Topics Resources for Managers, Staffing & Training

How to be an HR Rockstar by Promoting the Health of Your Employees | CareATC, Inc.
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