4 Ways to Gain the Competitive Edge for Top Talent

Ask any recruiter or business owner, and they’ll agree: top talent is hard to find right now. With a competitive marketplace to find the right person for the job, and keep them long term, it’s important that you are thinking strategically around how your company can best be positioned. It’s no longer about a competitive salary and on-site coffee shop .Businesses need to begin looking at how their overall culture, and the way their recruit for new talent, can lead to long-term employee retention.

1. Create a Good Employee Referral Program


Employees are more engaged and typically happier when they work with people they like. Everyone wins in this scenario; you are able to reach top talent who may not have been accessible otherwise, and the employee is rewarded monetarily (gift card, bonus, or even a day off) as well as contributing to building the company culture. After all, not only are you looking for fresh new talent, but you want to keep the great talent you already have. This is a win-win-win scenario.

2. Nurture Existing Talent in Your Company

When you hire a new employee in today’s marketplace, it’s important to make sure you are not just hiring them for their current job, but for their future jobs as well – jobs that you expect will be available at your company. It’s important to support the development of your employees by having open conversations and mentorship opportunities, as well as planning out their career path within your industry so that you know how best to support them.

3. Establish a Recruitment Marketing Strategy

Like any good marketing strategy, you want to make sure that your company and its brand is visible, attractive and interesting. You can do this through your social media channels by showing company retreats and employee spotlights, but you also need to show how your benefits are different from the competition. Candidates are looking for things like flexible work schedules, paid family leave and the option to work remotely. The more eyes on your company brand, the more likely you will be to attract top talent. This also helps you build a talent community who may not be ready for a new job, but are aware of your company and the work culture. You want potential talent to think to themselves: That would be a nice place to work.

4. Hire for Values; Train for Skills

Finally, look past the resume experience and skillsets. Obviously, you want a candidate to have a strong knowledge base of your industry and be familiar with the requirements of the job, but that’s not the only criterion for a rock star employee. Consider also character and values. If a candidate has the right attitude and fits with your company culture, they will be an invaluable asset to your team.

The competition for top talent is fierce. It’s important to establish your company’s internal goals and how you can best market your brand to the right candidates. Traditional avenues of LinkedIn mining and job postings are a great start, but they won’t set you apart. Consider what makes your company a great place to work – then share that with everyone you know.